Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Feb 27 2023

NDSU Sunflower Production Guide

Do you have the handy NDSU Extension Sunflower Production Guide in your glovebox? This NDSU publication has long been called the ‘sunflower bible’ since it was first published in 1975. The 178-page publication is full of four-color pictures of the major insects and diseases for ease in identification. The guide is directed primarily toward sunflower production in the Northern Great Plains of the United States; however, it is relevant to other production areas. The publication can be viewed on our website. Click here to view. NSA will provide one complimentary copy to sunflower growers. To obtain your complimentary copy email: info@sunflowernsa.com. Please include your name and complete mailing address. The Sunflower Production Guide is also available for sale from the NSA’s online catalog for $15 including shipping. Click here to order

2023 South Dakota Pest Management Guides

SDSU Extension has released the 2023 South Dakota Pest Management Guides. Available for free on the SDSU Extension website, the guides provide updated recommendations for controlling weeds, insects, and diseases in sunflower. In addition, Pest Management Guides provide a comprehensive index of what pesticides are labeled for South Dakota fields.

ARC and PLC Enrollment Deadline is March 15

Farmers, 2023 safety-net program enrollment ends on March 15! If you fail to enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage & Price Loss Coverage programs, you will be ineligible to receive a payment for the 2023 crop year should one trigger. Give your local USDA Farm Service Agency a call today. For more information, visit ARC/PLC Program (usda.gov)

Markets

Nearby prices were unchanged to up a $1.00 with new crop unchanged this week at the crush plants. The price discovery period for crop insurance for sunflower ends on February 28. Based on the most recent figures the price election for oil type sunflowers is expected to be around $30.50 with confections at $32.60 per cwt. Final price elections will be announced in early March. USDA updated its statistical guesses at its annual Agricultural Outlook Forum last week. USDA pegged soybean acres at 87.5 million acres, unchanged from 2022 planted acres. This was below the average trade guess of 88.6 million acres. USDA forecasts soybean production to rise 5% to 4.5 billion bushels. USDA expects higher corn production for the 2023/24 crop year with 91 million acres planted up 2.4 million acres from last year. This was slightly above the average trade estimate of 90.9 million acres. USDA is projecting a 15.09-billion-bushel crop, about 10% larger than a year ago. If realized, it would be the second-largest crop on record behind the 2016/17 crop year. Total wheat planted acres are projected at 49.5 million acres, up nearly 3.8 million acres from the 2022/23 crop, and the highest since 2016/17. Market analysts expected the agency to show all wheat plantings at 48.7 million acres. Total wheat supply will hit 2.575 billion bushels, up 107 million bushels from last year's crop. The first estimate of 2023 sunflower acres will be in the USDA March Planting Intentions report.

Proper spring grain drying and storage critical

As outdoor temperatures increase, stored grain requires attention to prevent losses, says Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer and grain drying expert. The stored grain temperature increases in the spring not only due to an increase in outdoor temperatures but also due to solar heat gain on the bin. Solar energy produces more than twice as much heat gain on the south wall of a bin in early spring as it does during the summer. Here are some recommendations from Hellevang:

Run aeration fans periodically to keep the grain temperature near or below 30 degrees until the grain is dried if it exceeds recommended storage moisture contents, and below 40 degrees as long as possible during spring and early summer if it is dry.
Cover the fan when it is not operating to prevent warm air from blowing into the bin and heating the stored grain. He also recommends ventilating the top of the bin to remove the solar heat gain that warms the grain. Provide air inlets near the eaves and exhausts near the peak or use a roof exhaust fan.
Bin vents can become blocked with frost and ice when the fan is operated at temperatures near or below freezing, which may lead to damage to the roof. Leave the fill and access door open as a pressure relief valve when operating the fan at temperatures near or below freezing.
The natural air-drying for oil sunflowers requires an airflow rate of 0.75 cfm/bu for up to 15 percent moisture. The drying should start when outdoor temperatures average about 40 degrees. Visit Drying & Storing Sunflowers (sunflowernsa.com) for more tips.

Upcoming Events

March 21, 2023 - Getting-it-Right in Sunflower Production; Zoom Conference
June 27-29, 2023 - NSA Summer Seminar; Spearfish, SD

Markets at a Glance

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, February 27, 2023 ($/CWT)

	Deliver	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change	2023 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil	Nearby	72.89	62.77	60.04	-2.73	57.93
West Fargo, ND	NuSun	32.65	21.75	22.15	+.40	24.40
West Fargo, ND	High Oleic	33.50	22.75	22.75	NC	25.90
Enderlin, ND	NuSun	32.65	21.70	22.70	+1.00	24.95
Enderlin, ND	High Oleic	33.15	22.70	23.20	+.50	26.15
Lamar, CO	High Oleic	32.00	24.50	24.50	NC	26.00

U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, February 27, 2023
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. locations)

	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change
Soybean Oil	81.89	67.77	65.34	-2.43
Cotton Oil (pbsy)	112.89	107.77	105.34	-2.43
Corn Oil	90.00	96.00	96.00	NC

Prices recorded here are believed to be reliable at the time of posting. All prices are subject to change. Contact these facilities for complete market details.

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