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Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Aug 07 2023

Crop Progress - Monday, August 7, 2023 State This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Year Average North Dakota         Blooming 54 23 45 61 South Dakota         Blooming 39 20 -- -- Texas         Harvested NA 37 33 36

Crop Conditions - Monday, August 7, 2023 State Timeframe Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent North Dakota This week 1 3 34 59 3   Last week 2 5 39 51 3 Minnesota This week 0 1 47 52 0   Last week 0 2 38 59 1 Colorado This week 0 0 4 80 16   Last week 0 1 8 74 17 South Dakota This week 3 4 45 46 2   Last week 2 6 50 41 1

Keep Scouting for Insects

Red sunflower seed weevil is small (2.5 to 3.1 mm long) with a snout and are reddish orange. Banded sunflower moth (BSM) can be identified by their small size (1/4 inch long) and forewings with a triangular, dark brown band across the middle of the wing. Once the decision to treat has been made, it is critical to time the spray application correctly to get effective management of all sunflower head insects, including RRSW, BSM, sunflower moth and Lygus bug. The best sunflower plant stage to treat is when the majority of plants are in the R5.1 growth stge. Visit www.sunflowernsa.com/growers/Insects/  to read more about scouting for insects and the best treatments. To see the insecticides registered in sunflower, visit www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/north-dakota-field-crop-insect-management-guide

RSSW Management Workshop This Week

NDSU and SDSU will host a joint workshop focused on red sunflower seed weevil management at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm near Pierre, SD on August 10 at 1PM CDT. Dakota Lakes Research Farm is located 17 miles east of Pierre on Highway 34.

Markets

Old crop sunflower prices were unchanged with new crop down 65 cents to unchanged at the crush plants. Traders are continuing to get into position for USDA’s August crop reports. August 11th will be a huge day for commodity markets as USDA will release its latest supply and demand reports. It is also anticipated that the first report of USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) certified acres will be released as well. The FSA figures will be compared to the USDA June acreage report and will give the market a better idea of what got planted this year. The market also continues to watch developments in the Black Sea region after Russian attacks on Ukraine's crop export infrastructure. There are worries that the war could cut off all Black Sea shipments with Russia pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative last month. Sunflowers are mostly in the late bud stage or blooming in the Dakotas and Minnesota. The crop could use a good drink during this important development phase as some areas of the region have had below normal moisture for most of the growing season. According to USDA’s crop progress reports hot and dry weather has affected sunflower crop conditions in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Abundant moisture and excellent growing conditions have the vast majority of Colorado’s crop in the good to excellent category.  USDA reports and weather conditions will guide traders in the coming weeks.

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