Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Mar 01 2021

NDSU Sunflower Production Guide

The NDSU Extension Bulletin (A1995) has been updated and the Sunflower Prodcution Guide is now available. 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

2021 South Dakota Pest Management Guides

SDSU Extension has released the 2021 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, 2021 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 2021 crop year should one trigger. Give your local USDA Farm Service Agency a call today. For more information, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc.

Markets

The price discovery period for crop insurance for sunflower ended on February 26. The price election for oil-type sunflower had an increase of 40 cents per cwt. with confection gaining 50 from last week. The 2021 price elections for sunflower will be announced this week. The price election for oil type sunflowers is expected to be around $22.00 with confections at $27.30 per cwt. Last year at this same time, oil type sunflowers were at $17.10 and confections were $22.90 per cwt. Sunflower prices continued their upward trend of the past few weeks. At the ND crush plants, old crop NuSun and high oleic prices were up 75 cents this week. New crop NuSun and high oleic prices were up 30 to 50 cents. At Colorado Mills in Lamar, CO, high oleic old crop was up $1.30 per cwt. with new crop up 90 cents this week. On the CBoT, traders are concerned about Chinese demand amid increasing concern about new African swine fever outbreaks across China. Some speculate that recent price losses have been likely limited by harvest delays in Brazil. Traders are also aware that Brazil’s shipping season is likely to build momentum in the next week or two and the cheaper priced crop will dominate international shipping channels for several months to come. Most analysts are still expecting a bin-busting Brazilian soybean crop of around 4.850 billion bushels. This could lead to further price erosion for new crop soybean values and bears watching in the weeks ahead.

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 2-5, 2021 - SDSU Virtual Sunflower Webinars
March 12, 2021 - NSA High Plains Committee Meeting
June 22-24, 2021 - NSA Summer Seminar, Duluth, MN

Markets at a glance

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, March 1, 2021 ($/CWT)

	Deliver	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change	2021 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil	Nearby	28.57	47.90	50.77	+2.87	43.95
West Fargo, ND	NuSun	20.00	20.10	20.85	+.75	21.00
West Fargo, ND	High Oleic	20.25	20.40	21.15	+.75	21.25
Enderlin, ND	NuSun	19.90	20.00	20.75	+.75	21.05
Enderlin, ND	High Oleic	20.10	20.10	20.85	+.75	21.30
Goodland, KS	NuSun	18.75	18.75	18.85	+.10	NQ
Goodland, KS	High Oleic	19.50	19.75	19.85	+.10	NQ
Lamar, CO	High Oleic	NA	20.20	21.50	+1.30	21.50

U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, March 1, 2021
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. location)

	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change
Soybean Oil	28.81	49.40	51.77	+2.37
Cotton Oil (psby)	37.57	77.90	80.77	+2.87
Corn Oil	39.00	63.00	63.00	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.

NSA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Anyone requesting special accommodation should notify NSA within a reasonable timeframe. NSA will accommodate reasonable requests.