Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Sep 06 2022

Crop Progress - Tuesday, September 6, 2022

State	This Week	Last Week	Last Year	5 Year Average
North Dakota
Petals Dry	59	35	81	73
Bracts Yellow	31	15	43	40
Mature	8	--	13	9
Texas
Harvested	NA	51	56	48

Crop Conditions - Tuesday, September 6, 2022

State	Timeframe	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
North Dakota	This week	1	4	34	56	5
	Last week	0	3	23	65	9
Minnesota	This week	0	0	19	73	8
	Last week	0	0	16	76	8
Colorado	This week	8	10	48	31	3
	Last week	6	8	45	38	3

Monitor for Phomopsis Stem Canker

This time of year, it is important to scout for Phomopsis stem canker. To identify Phomopsis stem canker, look for tan to dark brown colored lesion on the stem. In addition, the stem becomes hollow and can be punctured with thumb. Febina Mathew’s lab is looking for sunflower plant samples that are suspected of Phomopsis stem canker and other stem diseases (Phoma, Sclerotinia, etc.). Sam Markell has prepared a good video on sunflower diseases including Phomopsis stem canker and explains how to store samples before shipping: My Meeting - Zoom To get the address to send samples (only the stem) please contact Febina Mathew at febina.mathew@sdstate.edu. To learn more about common stem diseases in sunflower, visit Sunflower Disease Diagnostic Series — Publications (ndsu.edu) Or check out the recently updated sunflower disease section of the NSA website: Diseases (sunflowernsa.com)

Markets

Old crop NuSun and high oleic price premiums have evaporated in the past few weeks as we move closer to harvest. Overall, traders are looking at no big surprises for the U.S. sunflower crop as the growing season draws to a conclusion. Initial estimates using trend yields peg U.S. oil-type sunflower production at 2.44 billion pounds up 40 percent from last year with confection sunflower production at 193 million pounds up 16 percent from the 2021 drought impacted crop. In October, USDA will provide its first official estimate of 2022 oil and non-oil sunflower production. This report and demand will set the tone for sunflower price direction in the near term. Very warm to hot temperatures in the past month along with drier soil conditions has pushed the crop toward maturity in the Dakotas and Minnesota. Below average moisture conditions are expected to persist in the parched Northern and High Plains for at least the next two weeks. This will likely continue accelerating crop maturation which is behind the five-year average pace due to a late start to planting this spring. If possible and if the crop has matured to a point where it can be desiccated and harvested this month, it is advisable to do so. Getting the crop harvested several weeks early can result in higher yields and lower drying costs. It can also reduce late season crop damage and blackbird damage.

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