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Publisher — National Sunflower Association www.sunflowernsa.com Editor — John Sandbakken NSA Communications Director — Sonia Mullally Contributing Writer/Editor — Don Lilleboe Advertising Manager — Lerrene Kroh The Sunflower is published six times per year by the National Sunflower Association, a farmer and industry organization working to improve the profitability of sunflower for all sectors. Farmer checkoff commissions/ councils in N.D., S.D., Minn., Kan., and Colo., make up NSA’s basic funding and governing structure. Assessments on volume in the oilseed and confection processing industries and the hybrid seed sector are key funding components as well. Other funding is from grants, including from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Offices for The Sunflower are located at NSA headquarters, 2401 46th Ave. S.E., Ste. 206, Mandan, ND 58554. NSA & magazine phone number is (701) 328-5100; toll free (888) 718-7033. U.S. farmers raising 10 or more acres of sunflower, extension agents, and public researchers can receive The Sunflower at no charge. Others may subscribe at these rates: North American residents, US $15.00 for one year or US $40.00 for three years; overseas air mail, US $50.00 per year. Information in The Sunflower does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the National Sunflower Association. Nor does advertising in The Sunflower imply endorsement by the publisher. Current NSA officers and directors are: Chairman Don Schommer, Munich, N.D. President Tom Young, Onida, S.D. First Vice President Kevin Capistran, Crookston, Minn. Second Vice President Art Ridl, Dickinson, N.D. Secretary/Treasurer John Swanson, Mentor, Minn Directors Steve Arnhalt, Breckenridge, Minn Brad Bonhorst, Fort Pierre, S.D. Guy Christensen, Enderlin, N.D. Tim DeKrey, Steele, N.D. Karl Esping, Lindsborg, Kan. Reginal Herman, Brinsmade, N.D. Kent McKay, Carpio, N.D. John McLean, West Fargo, N.D. Jeff Oberholtzer, Mohall, N.D. Ron Seidel, Meadow, S.D. Dean Sonnenberg, Fleming, Colo. Ben Vig, Sharon, N.D. Arnold Woodbury, Wyndmere, N.D. Leon Zimbelman, Keenesburg, Colo.
Executive Director John Sandbakken, Mandan, N.D.
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Vol. 38 No. 2
IN THIS ISSUE
February 2012
Page 14
Page 17
— FEATURES — Markets: South American Crops & USDA Reports . . . . . . . . 4 Price volatility to continue as 2012 planting season nears
Farm Bill Capsule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A look back at previous farm legislation and ahead to 2012
Colorado Vote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 State’s sunflower growers to decide on assessment increase
Optimizing Sunflower Yield — A Special 20-Page Section — No Room for Mediocrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Four growers talk about achieving consistently high yields
Another Window on Irrigation Water’s Effect on Yields . . . 17 A look at this disease and how it is being addressed
Mona’s Granola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Florida entrepreneur counts on sunflower in formula for success
Sunflower Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 30 Years Ago in The Sunflower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 COVER — Photo: Don Lilleboe 3
— Markets — South America & January USDA Reports Are Biggest Influences; Price Volatility Ongoing By Mike Krueger
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wo primary factors have been affecting the markets since mid-December. The first and most significant was the hot and dry weather that encompassed most of Argentina and southern Brazil during the month of December and early January. The markets have been operating under the assumption that Brazil and Argentina would produce record corn and soybean crops in 2012. That was obviously a bearish assumption. The dryness in Argentina has already reduced the corn yield by as much as one-third, according to Rosario (Argentina) Grain Exchange estimates. The corn crop was pollinating during the hottest and driest period of time. Corn in southern Brazil was also likely hurt during pollination, but not to the extent of the problem in Argentina. The soybean crop is much later than
corn in terms of development and can still benefit from moisture. Some beneficial rains did fall in early January, and temperatures moderated. Nonetheless, it is doubtful that soybean production in Argentina or Brazil will meet previous expectations. Corn and soybean futures markets staged significant rallies during the last half of December because of the weather troubles in South America. The second significant market factor in the markets was the series of USDA reports released on January 12. Many analysts were looking for slightly bullish corn numbers and neutral wheat and soybean numbers. USDA increased the corn and soybean yield estimates slightly. The USDA quarterly corn stocks estimate was also well above the trade guesses. The soybean export and
crush forecasts were increased and soybean ending supplies were increased. The corn export forecast was increased and ending supplies were left almost unchanged. The problem was that the market got caught leaning to the bullish side on corn, and a perceived bearish report resulted in a 40 cents limit down move for corn. The wheat numbers were neutral, but selling pressure in corn and soybeans pushed wheat lower following the January report as well. The January USDA reports also gave us final 2011 sunflower production numbers. The 2011 U.S. sunflower crop was pegged at 2.04 billion lbs. That is down 25% from 2010 because of a 21% drop in planted acres and a slightly lower yield. Acreage and production was the smallest since 1976. It is important to keep in mind that the super wet spring of 2011 resulted in nearly 20% of North Dakota’s total crop acreage lost to prevented plant. There should be a sharp rebound in planted acreage for all crops in 2012 if weather cooperates at all. Improved weather in Argentina, coupled with the bearish USDA reports, has resulted in another sharp break in commodity prices. The value of the dollar has also soared as the economic and sovereign debt problems in the Euro zone have gotten worse, not better. A strong dollar is perceived as bearish for commodity markets in general.
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here do markets go from here? Not all of the news is bearish. We are still in a weather market in Argentina and southern Brazil. A much wetter pattern will be needed to stabilize corn yields and improve soybean yields. A return to a hotter and drier pattern in late January and early February will still affect the oilseed markets in a positive way. The major long liquidation by trading funds has nearly run its course. Oil yield from the 2011 U.S. soybean crop has been below expectations. This, plus the USDA’s reduced estimate of soybean crushing, should mean that oil supplies will continue to tighten. This tightening will eventually have a positive impact on highoil-content crops like sunflower and canola. Price volatility will likely remain a constant as we move into 2012 and get closer to the 2012 Northern Hemisphere planting season. There are concerns about dryness in the Ukraine and the central U.S., as well as in South America. This volatility should continue to create big price moves — both higher and lower. Producers should use this volatility to make sales on price rallies. ■ Mike Krueger is owner of The Money Farm, a grain marketing consulting firm. While the information in this article is believed to be reliable, marketing involves risk, and the author and The Sunflower assume no liability for its use.
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THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Sunflower Briefs USDA Releases Final 2011 Production Numbers South Dakota is now the nation’s leading sunflower producer, based in numbers from the USDA’s annual sunflower production report released on January 12. South Dakota farmers produced an estimated 777 million lbs of sunflower in 2011. That just topped the estimated 766 million lbs grown last season in North Dakota. It’s the first time South Dakota has topped the list since data for both states began to be published in 1977. North Dakota, traditionally the nation’s top sunflower producer, endured an extremely wet spring in 2011, which led to a 34% decrease in planted sunflower acreage and a 39% decrease in production compared to 2010. In contrast, South Dakota 2011 sunflower production rose slightly from the previous year. Nationwide, 2011 sunflower production totaled 2.04 billion lbs, down 25% from 2010. Both the U.S. average yield per acre and planted acreage fell in 2011. United States production of oil-type sunflower varieties, at 1.72 billion lbs, decreased 17% from 2010 and is the lowest since 1990. Compared to 2010, harvested acres were down 13%, while the average yield declined by 61 lbs to 1,397 lbs/ac. Production of nonoil sunflower varieties in 2011, at 316 million lbs, decreased 52% from 2010 and is the second lowest since 1988. Area harvested, at 224,400 acres, was down 50% from 2010 and is the lowest since 1987. Although the average nonoil yield decreased by 59 lbs from the prior year (to 1,406 lbs/ac), it is still the fifth highest yield on record.
2012 Research Requests Approach $500,000 The National Sunflower Association received 23 research project requests for 2012 totaling nearly $500,000. The NSA Research Committee will review the proposals and make recommendations for the NSA Board of Directors during the annual spring meeting in March. Projects run the gamut of insect infestation studies to studies of diseases such as Phomopsis, downy mildew and rust. Additional topics include irrigation, weed and blackbird management, nitrogen management, double-cropping issues and tolerance to water stress, among others. Some of the more-unique requests this year include association mapping of dormant traits, cancer-preventative properties and biofuel production.
NSA Board Elects Officers for Coming Year The National Sunflower Association Board of Directors met in mid-December in Bismarck, N.D., to set the coming year’s budget and to elect officers. Tom Young from Onida, S.D., was re-elected to a second con-
secutive term as board president. Don Schommer, of Munich, N.D., remains as board chairman. Crookston, Minn., farmer and board member Kevin Capistran was elected first vice Kevin Capistran Tom Young president. Art Ridl, Dickinson, N.D., was elected to the position of second vice president. (Ridl also serves as president of the North Dakota Oilseeds Council.) John Swanson of Mentor, Minn., was re-elected NSA secretary/treasurer.
Sandbakken Now NSA Executive Director John Sandbakken is the new executive director of the National Sunflower Association, effective as of January 1, 2012. Sandbakken had served as NSA marketing director since 1996. As executive director, he succeeds Larry Kleingartner, who retired at the end of December after heading the NSA staff since the organization’s founding in 1981. A native of Lakota, N.D., Sandbakken earned a degree in marketing from the University of North Dakota. Prior to joining the John Sandbakken NSA, he was with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture Marketing Division for 11 years, heading that department for the last seven years of his service there.
NSA Research Forum Draws Nearly 200 Nearly 200 attendees heard research reports on a broad range of research topics at the NSA Research Forum, held in Fargo, N.D., in early January. A total of 42 papers and posters were presented. Presenters were from the Dakotas, High Plains and Canada. Of particular interest were reports on the progress of identifying molecular markers known as SNPs. Significant news about progress on this project is expected in the next few months. The NSA-coordinated project provides a new-and-improved genetic tool for public and private breeders. Forum reports on efficacy of fungicides for control of rust and Sclerotinia were of great interest to crop advisors and confection sunflower processors. There is a great deal of sunflower research in the pipeline which will pay dividends in the near future.
Reminder: Monitor Stored Sunflower Seeds
Help Save A Tree We strive to make our mailing list as efficient as possible. If you are (1) receiving duplicate copies of The Sunflower, (2) need to update your mailing address or (3) no longer wish to receive this magazine . . . PLEASE CONTACT US! Toll-Free: 888-718-7033, Ext. 5 Email: lkroh@sunflowernsa.com
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
An uncommonly mild winter with fluctuating temperatures can present unique challenges to maintaining stored sunflower seed. It’s important to protect the investment by monitoring the seeds on a regular basis to avoid loss. Sample the seeds every three to four weeks during the winter months. Check the seeds, not the bin. When sampling, probe the sunflower seed pile and be observant for temperature, moisture, insect, fungi and odor differences from the previous inspection. Writing down your observations each time for future reference is a good practice. If the probe is hot, take immediate action. Should a problem be detected, try to stabilize it with aeration. Should that fail, remove the seeds from the bin immediately, as the problems will only increase. ■
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Farm Bill Capsule A Look Back at Past Farm Bills And A Look Ahead to 2012 By Dale Thorenson*
A Look Back…
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t the risk of sounding like my dad and uncle, who used to tell me cautionary tales about farming back in the Great Depression — or the “Dirty ’30s,” as they always described that era — let me offer some background prior to getting into the “Farm Bill update” that is found in the second half of this article. Many will remember well what I am about to describe. The first time I fully realized that actions by Congress could adversely affect my farm was back in the spring of 1982, when the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service office — aka the ASCS — forwarded the new rules established by the 1981 farm bill for enrolling into the farm program. Among the many notable
“changes” was a return to fixed acreage bases in lieu of the “plant what you want, doesn’t matter anymore” mantra of the 1977 farm bill, which had followed the explosion in commodity prices in the mid-’70s that was caused by the “Great Russian Grain Robbery” of 1972. Much to the surprise of all farmers, the congressional agriculture policy makers, in their infinite wisdom, had decided that these new crop base acres would be established by using the historical planting history for the 1980 crop year. Period. And if that was a wee bit too harsh for those who had been experimenting with rotations, an option was made available to average 1980 and 1981 plantings. It was a sour deal for any producer who had followed market signals and planted an
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attractive alternative crop in 1980 — and especially sour if that alternative crop happened to not be a “program” crop. So at best, assuming the farm had been rotated back into a program crop in 1981, that farm had only half its acreage covered by base acres — which in turn meant no safety net on the non-base acres should commodity prices decline. And decline they did, during the 1980s. Another provision of the 1981 farm bill allowed for “base building” for those who chose not to follow the production controls of the times, but rather to stay out of the program and seed the entire farm solid for a year. That year’s acreage was then averaged with the 1980 and 1981 acreage, resulting in a larger program crop base acreage the following year. Conversely, any farm that did not plant a crop up to its total base acres on a particular year (not including the required “set-aside” that was considered planted) would lose base acres the following year through the same averaging process. As a result, during the 1980s and early 1990s, farms were, for the most part, either planted to a program crop up to their base, or overplanted as producers tried to average up their farm base acres as they chased the most favorable target price. (Because unlike men, all target prices were not created equal.) The artificially-set support prices that distorted plantings that resulted in overproduction . . . that in turn increased government costs . . . was why this era helped coin the phrase “farming the program” — because we certainly weren’t “farming for the market.” Base building was available up until the enactment of the 1996 farm bill, when the program base acres were fixed until the oilseeds base update of the 2002 farm bill.
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ut wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. We need to talk about planting flexibility, which was/is the most innovative and important farm policy reform ever adopted by Congress. Planting flexibility was made possible when artificially established support prices were decoupled from production. Planting flexibility through decoupled support started out in baby steps, with the “0-92” program in the 1990 farm bill, which allowed wheat and feed grain producers to * Dale Thorenson is on the staff of Gordley & Associates, which provides representation for the National Sunflower Association in Washington, D.C. Prior to coming to Washington as an aide to then-Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Thorenson managed his family’s farm in Bottineau County, N.D. His practice areas include farm policy, budget and appropriations.
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
plant all or some of their base acres to a minor oilseed and still receive up to 92% of the wheat or feed grain deficiency payment on the planted minor oilseed acres. Then with the passage of the 1996 farm bill, planting flexibility was fully implemented. Historical support for base acres was transformed into a seven-year contract that provided declining “Agriculture Market Transition Act” (AMTA) payments without the requirement of planting the base acre crop at all. The market now ruled, and producers were able to follow market signals rather than chase target prices. The 2002 and 2008 farm bills continued this concept of planting flexibility through decoupled support with the enactment of direct (replaced AMTA) and countercyclical (replaced the double AMTAs of the disaster bills) payments. Planting flexibility has spurred the development of sustainable, agronomically sound rotations in various regions of the country. Those farms that adopted these rotations have increased overall production and profitability and are supporting new industries surrounding these crops, including job-supporting processing facilities in rural areas. I can hear many producers thinking, “The market rules, yeah right. It about broke me during the 1998-2001 collapse in commodity prices.” Indeed it did. And
most farms would not have survived but for massive amounts of government aid through the ad-hoc disaster programs adopted during those years. But planting flexibility was not the culprit. This fear of another collapse in commodity prices from much loftier levels with equally sky-high production costs hovers in the background now as policy makers struggle to write the 2012 farm bill. How do you put in place an adequate safety net that bridges the gap between price and cost in the event of a market collapse without distorting planting decisions? That is the question the agriculture community currently finds itself debating.
2012 Farm Bill Update Congress passed the Budget Control Act (BCA) last August 2 as a means to increase the federal debt ceiling to avoid a government default — and with hopes that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction created by the BCA would actually reduce the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion. The BCA also had a fall-back plan to impose the deficit reduction starting in 2013 through automatic cuts to non-exempt programs, including agriculture, if this so-called Super Committee failed to approve a plan to do so by November 23. And by all accounts, the
Super Committee failed miserably. However, much effort was expended by the House and Senate agriculture committee leaders to develop a deficit reduction package to submit to the Super Committee. They sent a letter on October 17 that committed to reducing spending on mandatory farm bill programs by $23 billion over the next 10 years (FY 2012-2021). The committee leaders indicated they would continue to work on how to distribute these cuts among the various farm bill titles, including commodities, conservation and, possibly, nutrition (the other titles, such as energy and rural development have, little spending to cut) — and that they would provide a legislative package to the Super Committee by November 1. The agriculture committees (or at least the staff for the chairs of the committees) did work seven days a week to craft a bill. However, November 1 came and went with no finished farm bill to submit. In fact, staff continued working through the weekend prior to the deadline trying to finish up the commodity title and keep its costs constrained to offer the Super Committee $23 billion in savings. But with the failure of the Super Committee almost a certainty on November 23, the agriculture committees ultimately chose not to submit a deficit reduction package. (Continued) © Archer Daniels Midland Company
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THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
9
However, there are many who would like to examine the product the agriculture committees were working on. Rumors ran wild the last couple of weeks prior to the collapse of the BCA effort over the content of the commodity title: • Direct Payments, Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) were to be eliminated. To replace them, producers were to be given two options — either a revenue program or a target price program — that supposedly would be chosen at the start of the farm bill, and by crop.
• The revenue program option would have provided crop-specific coverage at the farm level starting at 87% of a producer’s five-year Olympic average revenue, down to 75%. Once the 13% loss threshold was hit, producers would have received payments on 60% of planted and prevented planted acres, up to the farm’s aggregate combined base. • The target price option would have provided price-only protection on 85% of the production of the program crops, up to the aggregate combined crop base of the farm, if the national average price fell below the target prices. The target price option was
quite controversial in that it would have recoupled payments to production of crops, impacting planting decisions and distorting production in years when prices are near or below support levels. Furthermore, based on the experience of the 1980s and early 1990s noted above, it has been proven impossible to set target prices in a way that accurately reflects the value of crops relative to each other over time. The end result would be farmers once again “farming the program” instead of following market signals, just like they did “back in the ’80s.” And since all program base acres would have been available to the highest supported crop, it is highly likely that crops with relatively high target prices would have been planted on most if not all base acres on a farm, to the exclusion of other crops that are currently grown in rotation with them. Such a program would be devastating to smallacreage crops such as dry beans.
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Call Today to Discuss Your High Oleic Sunflower Seed Marketing Plans. 10
he National Sunflower Association joined six other commodity groups, including the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers and the U.S. Canola Association, in writing the agriculture committees to raise their concerns about the target price option. The groups stated: “We will not support a farm policy that distorts planting decisions and incentivizes producers to plant for a farm program rather than the marketplace. We know this is bad policy — costly, ineffective and simply unacceptable to our members and the American public.” Indeed, this target price program will face continued debate as the process of writing a farm bill begins anew under regular order. Writing a new farm bill will not be an easy process. The current farm bill authorization expires on September 30, 2012, one month before the general elections. It will be extremely difficult for the agriculture committees to write a bill, pass it in each chamber, conference it to reconcile the differences, and then pass a conference bill by that date. It will also be difficult to pass a simple one-year extension, given the budget problems facing the federal government. But failure to pass an extension would impose “permanent farm law” on production agriculture — an arcane set of price supports and allotments dating back to the Depression era — since farm bills are actually temporary amendments to various provisions of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1948 and the Agricultural Act of 1949. The combination of all the above will make the coming months more than interesting for those involved in agriculture policy work here in D.C. Stay tuned. ■
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
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Colorado Vote State’s Growers to Decide Whether to Increase Sunflower Assessment Level
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s a producer, knowing where your assessment dollars are spent and how they are used helps justify the investment. Colorado sunflower growers will soon have an opportunity to vote on an amendment to the Colorado Sunflower Marketing Order. The referendum will allow Colorado sunflower growers to vote on a sunflower assessment increase to a new rate of 6¢/cwt. Currently, the assessment is set by statute at 3¢/cwt. The increase will be invested in high-priority sunflower research projects that will discover yield improvement strategies such as disease and insect management, improved hybrid testing strategies and quality improvement to both oil and confection type sunflower. Leon Zimbelman, president of the Colorado Sunflower Administrative Committee, states, “Increasing the sunflower assessment will allow more investment into sunflower production research right here in Colorado. That will translate into more profit for Colorado sunflower producers.” Ballots will be mailed to current sunflower growers in Colorado. Growers will be instructed to cast their vote and mail it to the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). The CDA will count them and report the results to Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar. “The Sunflower Marketing Order is a key component of the industry, and I encourage our sunflower growers to actively participate in this process,” says Salazar. “I look forward to hearing from our growers concerning this important vote.”
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heckoff councils/commissions from the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas — and Colorado — currently participate with the NSA, as 50% or more of each state group’s annual revenue is directed to the national organization. Those funds are further enhanced with industry assessments, allowing the ability to expand that income even further with other grants, including a market development grant from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. NSA-funded research specific to Colorado producers over the last few years (since 2008) include: planting date and plant populations effect on Dectes; nitrogen management for irrigated sunflower; irrigation scheduling under limited water conditions; utilizing supplemental irrigation in southwestern Colorado; dryland crop rotations; monitoring of downy mildew, Verticillium and charcoal rot. Many projects are funded over multiple years and all involve the Colorado State University system or the USDA-ARS unit based at Akron, Colo. Another example of needed funding would be the value of the foreign market development for confection sunflower. The confection crop grown in Colorado fields is practically tailor-made for the Spanish in-shell market, and processors shop specifically for “High Plains” confections. Grower-funded money is matched by federal dollars to enhance market strategies in crucial export markets like Spain and Mexico. “The combination of assessment dollars and industry funds means everyone working together for the common good,” Zimbelman adds. “When one of my assessment dollars brings a 10-fold return, I consider that a great investment.” For more information on the upcoming assessment increase vote, contact Ron Meyer, executive director of the Colorado Sunflower Administrative Committee, at (719) 349-1101 (cell) or (719) 346-5571 (office). — Sonia Mullally ■
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Optimizing Sunflower Yield Special Supplement to The Sunflower Featuring Tips from ‘People in the Know’
Introduction .......................................... 2Y Choosing Your Hybrids ......................... 4Y Optimizing Weed Control / Northern .... 6Y Optimizing Weed Control / Southern .... 9Y Improved Sunflower Irrigation Mgmt. 12Y Mgmt. of Diseases in Sunflower ........ 14Y Optimum Insect Control ..................... 16Y Blackbird Control in 2012 .................. 19Y A Smoother Harvest ........................... 20Y
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â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Introduction â&#x20AC;&#x201D; D
uring the 30-plus years the National Sunflower Association has been in existence, there have been several occasions when a producer mentioned dryly that, due to the conditions, he â&#x20AC;&#x153;hadâ&#x20AC;? to plant sunflower. Such an attitude doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bode well for achieving top yields. Yet when looking at the yield data, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obvious the majority of you manage your crop to attain yields at the high end of the scale. Sunflower yields have been improving through the years. Some of that is due to improved hybrids; some to improved inputs (such as new weed control options). But a majority of it is due to hard work on the part of you, the producer. This insertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on reaching the top yield is obviously important for your bottom line. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also vital for the overall industry. The ability of sunflower products to be competitive in the food market is ultimately comes back to yield. Research scientists know there is a great deal of room for improving yields. Research plots are one indication on a perhybrid basis. But then there are the actual field data from commercial fields. It is not uncommon to hear yield reports of 3,000 lbs-plus on dryland fields. There even is the occasional report of 4,000 lbs/ac. So the potential definitely exists for bumping yields higher. The annual NSA crop survey has continued to identify plant spacing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or lack of uniform plant stand â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as the number-one reason for a surveyed field not attaining its yield potential. That, of course, is a head scratcher because there are so many variables that go into plant stand establishment. In conducting a few of the annual field surveys over the years, it was always a real pleasure to be in a field where the plants uniformly stand 10 inches apart and the head size is consistently seven inches in diameter. It is those fields that are consistently in that 3,000-lb category based on the calculated yield formula. This crop has a reputation to the effect that â&#x20AC;&#x153;everything living likes a sunflower field.â&#x20AC;? There is no question that sunflower has plenty of insect pests, some of which attack the seedling. But the new and improved seed treatments have gone a long way toward blunting those pests. Disease issues are always lurking. Downy mildew continues to be a real challenge despite better fungicide seed treatments and moreresistant genes. The list of pests goes on. But so do genetic improvements and registered crop protection products. More improvements are on the research assembly line. Over the years, I have heard lots of producersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comments about this crop. At the end of the day, though, the most common producer testament has been that sunflower has consistently provided profitable returns, year in and year out. In some cases you went so far as to say that sunflower saved the farm when overall conditions were very bad. We hope that you find a few meaningful tips and ideas in this insert to help increase your bottom line. That, in turn, is good for everyone else who is dependent upon this crop. We are always looking for your suggestions of what is working for you in your operation. The best to you in the 2012 season â&#x2013; and beyond. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Larry Kleingartner Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: Larry Kleingartner retired at the end of 2011 after serving as executive director of the National Sunflower Association for more than three decades. THEâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;SUNFLOWERâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;2012
— Tips For —
Choosing Your Hybrids
Photo: Don Lilleboe
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can be used for NuSun, but NuSun hybrids will not make high-oleic oil. Most confection companies have hybrids they prefer for their particular markets. 2. Yield is next most important, but there are other factors to consider. For oil-type hybrids, oil per acre is more important than just yield. This is the oil percentage times yield, and it is really the basis for payment. In these days of higher-priced sunflower, high-oil hybrids really do give you a very good advantage, as you can often get the total cost of seed back in your oil premium. At 2,000 lbs/ac and 48% oil, with $28/cwt sunflower the oil premium is $89.60 per acre. This would cover all your seed and weed control costs. At 1,500 lbs, 45% oil and again a $28/cwt market price, the premium is $42 per acre — way more than most hybrids’ seed cost. If you are growing hybrids with low oil percentage, it will cost you — unless you have a very large increase in yield. 3. Look at yields from several trials from several locales when evaluating a hybrid’s stability. I can always find at least one trial where even a poor hybrid will do well. It is hard to make a good hybrid look bad if you look at numerous trials. Moisture and weather patterns differ each year, so looking at data from other areas helps gauge stability. I know sunflower breeders who, to be sure of a hybrid’s stability, prefer to compare sunflower data from several different continents before releasing a hybrid. Sunflower is much more “movable” from one area to another compared to corn or soybeans. It is also necessary to look at LSD (least significant difference) when reviewing trial data. Sometimes there is no significant yield difference in the whole trial — even if there are several hundred pounds differences in yield among hybrids — because the LSD number is greater than those yield differences. 4. Risk Aversion — Here, I consider factors like disease resistance, stalk quality, maturity, shatter tolerance, etc. * John Swanson recently retired as sunflower product manager for Croplan Genetics. A 40-year veteran of the sunflower industry, he has been a sunflower producer near Mentor, Minn., for a similar length of time. He also serves on the National Sunflower Association Board of Directors. THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Hybrid Selection: A Grower Perspective 1. Decide which characteristics are “must haves.” For example: • Contract specifications or market choices dictate whether you need a confection type, hulling suitability, NuSun, high oleic, etc. • Hybrid maturity must be appropriate for your farm. • For me, herbicide tolerance and above-average head rot tolerance are “must haves.” For others, it could be things like plant height, high oil content, or rust or downy mildew resistance. These are “black and white” items. Depending on how many “must haves” are on your list, you may be left with a limited number of hybrids from which to choose. 2. About 75% of my acres will be planted to hybrids I’m familiar with and have had success with on my farm. 3. Plant your own strip trials. A few extra hours at planting and harvest can be well worth it. 4. Seek yield data from multiple locations and years. The diseases you have had in the past should dictate which one are most important for your farm. If you do not have to give up yield or oil, the more tolerant the hybrid, the less chance you will have problems. For downy mildew, hybrids with the PL15 gene have resistance to all races. Some with the older genes (PL6 and PL8) resistant only to the older strains of downy mildew. Sclerotinia tolerance can be for either stalk or head. At present, there are no totally Sclerotinia-resistant hybrids on the market. Breeding for this disease is very complicated, as there are several genes and modifiers that control it. There are improvements coming, thanks in a large way to the USDA/NSA Sclerotinia screening project. You can now choose hybrids with more tolerance to both head and stalk rot forms of Sclerotinia. Downy mildew resistance and rust resistance are available in many current hybrids. Phomopsis tolerance is also a good idea. 5. “Maturity” is not rated consistently among companies. It is usually possible to look at most companies’ hybrids and see which are earlier or later. Several companies use days from emergence to physiological maturity, which is 35 % moisture. Maturities will vary, depending on where a hybrid is being grown and what the growing season weather is like. 6. Confection hybrids have all the challenges of oils — except that of oil percentage. In addition, confections need to have the color, size and shape THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
By Kevin Capistran*
We’ve heard this a hundred times, but it is sound advice. You are looking for yield stability. 5. Not all yield trials are pertinent to your situation. Rely on the trials that best fit your situation. Look at trials with similar geography, tillage practices, irrigation scenarios. Make sure the trial wasn’t influenced by extreme weather, disease or insects. 6. Think “dollars per acre,” not just “pounds per acre.” Consider oil content or seed size premiums. 7. Some characteristics could help lower production costs. For example, an earlier hybrid can mean lower drying costs or less bird damage. Herbicide tolerance traits give a different cost of production. 8. Try a little bit of something new each year. ■ * Kevin Capistran, who farms at Crookston, Minn., is first vice president of the National Sunflower Association.
desired by the processor, along with a hull-to-nutmeat ratio that translates into test weight. 7. Herbicide Tolerance — I really believe the better the weed control, the higher the yield potential. SU- and IMItolerant hybrids give the producer better options for controlling weeds. It is
my belief that within a few years, most — if not all — sunflower hybrids will have one of these options or some other weed control option. 8. The overall performance of the hybrid will, in the long run, net you more money than choosing the lowestcost seed option. ■
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— Tips For —
Optimizing Weed Control In The Northern Plains
Photo: Don Lilleboe
By Richard Zollinger*
Editor’s Note: A number of similarities exist in terms of weed species and management strategies between the two major U.S. sunflower production regions. Simultaneously, however, there are some important differences. For that reason, we are presenting two sets of weed control tips — this one geared toward Northern Plains growers and one for Southern (High) Plains producers. That article begins on page 9Y. 1. Use rotation crops to reduce weed pressure. Herbicide choices for weed control in sunflower are less than for many other crops. To successfully manage weeds in sunflower, use the preceding crops to reduce the weed seed bank — especially for difficult-tocontrol weeds like Canada thistle, common ragweed, wild buckwheat, nightshade and biennial wormwood. Herbicides registered in corn, wheat * Richard Zollinger is extension weed specialist with North Dakota State University, Fargo. 6Y
and most other grass crops will control problem broadleaf weeds. Glyphosateresistant crops grown prior to sunflower can also reduce weed infestations from the popular and effective herbicide, glyphosate. Weed surveys conducted in North Dakota show that many common weeds that were a problem 35 years ago are still present today, even though many new and effective herbicide chemistries have been invented. The surveys show the same weeds are still here, but their populations have significantly been reduced. Crop rotation, along with herbicide rotation, may contribute to this seed bank reduction. 2. Know your weed spectrum. Correctly identifying weeds in your field is the first principle of weed management. If you do not know the weeds or mistake weed identity, the chosen herbicide will miss the mark. Herbicides are an expensive part of crop production, and choosing the right herbicide and the right herbicide rate is critical to controlling your particular weed spectrum. There are several examples of weeds that growers might mistake for
other weeds. Biennial wormwood is often confused with common ragweed, as is eastern black nightshade for redroot pigweed. Volunteer glyphosateresistant canola appears in fields out of nowhere, and growers might assume it is wild mustard. Bromes species, like downy brome and Japanese brome, are increasing all over North Dakota due to a wet cycle we are currently in. Some may mistake bromes for foxtail or wild oat. Many believe annual bromes will emerge only in the fall because of their winter-annual life cycle, but observation has shown they can emerge in the spring as well. Weeds resistant to different herbicides are continually appearing in fields. Waterhemp looks very much like redroot pigweed, but is much more difficult to control as it has become resistant to at least six different herbicide modes of action, including glyphosate. Your application of glyphosate may control most of the redroot pigweed but miss the waterhemp. Correctly identify your weeds and choose a weed management program that will control those weeds. 3. Use foundation treatments. It is likely that most sunflower production is in no-till or minimum-till conditions. Eliminating steel forces growers to rely more on chemical weed control. Foundation weed control is comprised of burndown and pre-emergence residual herbicides. The burndown application will likely be glyphosate plus another herbicide approved for use prior to planting sunflower. The endgoal of a burndown treatment is a weed-free seedbed, and it may require higher rates, depending on the weeds present. Residual pre-emergence herbicides can be applied after seeding but prior to sunflower emergence. Pre-emerge herbicides may not provide 100% weed control but will decrease a significant portion of the weed population. This will remove a lot of pressure from the postemergence herbicides to do all of the weed control work. North Dakota pesticide use surveys show very low foundation herbicide use in glyphosate-resistant crops. The 2008 survey indicated that only 4% of the soybean and 8% of the corn acres received a pre-emergence herbicide treatment, while 37% of the dry bean and 66% of sunflower acres were treated with a pre-emergence herbicides. Spartan and Prowl are popular herbicides applied pre-emergence in THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
sunflower. They control many “pivot” weeds in sunflower fields and provide season-long residual weed control. No broadspectrum postemergence herbicides are registered in sunflower, but Express is registered in ExpressSun sunflower and Beyond in Clearfield sunflower. A foundation herbicide program can benefit all three of these production systems. 4. Know your sunflower type. Current seed technology may make it hard to remember where each crop was planted. Roundup Ready crops, Roundup Ready/STS soybean, Liberty Link crops, Clearfield crops and ExpressSun sunflower are some herbicideresistant technologies available. Misapplication of the wrong herbicide on a herbicide-resistant crop will result in severe injury. Clearfield sunflower and ExpressSun sunflower both allow ALS-inhibiting mode-of-action herbicides for weed control. Express is from the sulfonylurea (SU) chemistry and Beyond is an imidazolinone (IMI); but both are ALSinhibiting mode-of-action products — which might make a grower think it doesn’t matter which herbicide is used on which type of sunflower. But only Beyond can be used on Clearfield sunflower, and only Express can be used on ExpressSun sunflower. These technologies are herbicide-specific, and using any other ALS herbicide, whether SU, IMI, TPS or SACT herbicide chemistries, will result in severe sunflower injury and plant death. 5. Spray small weeds. Herbicides are more effective on small weeds. Growers routinely wait until most weeds have emerged before spraying their postemergence herbicides. By waiting, early emerging weeds can be quite large at the time of application and may not be controlled. Spraying when weeds are small will allow herbicides to give more-consistent weed control and control of “marginally” controlled weeds. A foundation herbicide program will support earlier applications to small weeds. The type of weed resistance has changed from the resistance we saw back in the 1990s. Weeds that developed resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in past decades exhibited an “on/off” response like a light switch. Either they were highly susceptible or highly resistant. Resistance to glyphosate is different. Small weeds are much more susceptible to herbicide phytotoxicity, and resistance increases
as plants get bigger. Spraying when weeds are small will result in better overall weed control. 6. Respect the one. “Respect the one” has reference to how resistance biotypes show up in fields. It usually starts as one or just a few plants in a patch in a field. When a plant naturally mutates and produces seed giving rise to resistance to a certain herbicide, or if weed seed from a resistant plant is transported into that field, a few plants will escape the respective herbicide.
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
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Some growers may see the small patch and think it is a sprayer skip or nonperformance from the herbicide due to a variety of reasons. Growers may not suspect the small patch is the beginning of weed resistance in the field; and if the plants are allowed to develop seed, that small patch can quickly grow to encompass most of the field in the following years. If the plants were physically removed from the field (by hand weeding or rogueing), in essence the resistant
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genes would be eradicated and the problem stopped dead in its tracks. Many “older and wiser” growers I talk to confirm that pulling errant weeds was a normal practice many years ago, but has gone into hibernation due to the many effective herbicides presently on the market giving near-complete weed control. 7. Optimize herbicide activity with appropriate adjuvants. Most postemergence herbicides require one or more adjuvants to optimize herbicide effectiveness. Adjuvants are broadly classified as surfactants, oils and fertilizer. Herbicide labels may allow a broad array of adjuvants, but rarely specify one particular adjuvant type. Adjuvants are not regulated, thereby allowing an overabundance of adjuvants — even within adjuvant classes. Some adjuvants work and some don’t. Unbiased third-party adjuvant testing is rarely done, making it harder for growers to choose effective adjuvants. NDSU is one of the few universities that has an adjuvant and formulation testing program. Much of the information is printed in the annual North Dakota Weed Control Guide.
In general, methylated seed oil (MSO) adjuvants are more effective than crop oil concentrate (COC or petroleum oil) adjuvants, while COC are more effective than nonionic surfactants (NIS). Label direction must be followed with addition of adjuvants, as some may be too aggressive and compromise crop safety. Always add a fertilizer source — either 28% urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) or ammonium sulfate (AMS) — if the label allows. The ammonium increases
penetration, absorption and translocation of most all systemic herbicides on the market. 8. Use adjuvants at the right rates. Many oil adjuvants are recommended on a % volume basis (e.g., 1% v/v). Growers who use a high spray volume of 15 to 25 gpa will have sufficient oil adjuvant to enhance herbicide activity. However, most growers in the U.S. use a lower spray volume because glyphosate is the principle herbicide used and glyphosate is more active in low spray volumes. Weed control will be reduced when growers apply low spray volumes of 5 to 10 gpa and use oil adjuvants on a % volume basis reduced because there will not be sufficient concentration of the adjuvant in the spray tank for the area covered. Research at NDSU has shown that oil adjuvant applied on an area basis (e.g., pt/A) will significantly increase herbicide activity — regardless of spray volume used — and will result in better weed control. The general rule of thumb for oil adjuvants is to apply at 1% v/v (label directions from most postemergence herbicides) but not less than 1.25 pt/A. ■
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THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
— Tips For —
Optimizing Weed Control In The Southern Plains By Phil Stahlman*
1. Prevent weed seed production in the preceding crop and fallow period. Individual plants of most weed species can produce hundreds to thousands of seeds. Preventing weed seed production in the preceding crop and/or fallow period prior to planting sunflower reduces the number of weeds to be controlled in the sunflower crop. The higher the weed density, the greater the possibility some weeds may escape control to compete with the crop and/or interfere with harvesting. There are few options to control escapes or late-emerging weeds in sunflower. No herbicide is registered for use over-the-top (postemergence) to control emerged broadleaves in conventional sunflower; only in herbicide-resistant hybrids is this possible. Then, only Beyond® can be applied in Clearfield™ hybrids and only Express® in ExpressSun™ hybrids. (See Tip #5 for additional information on Clearfield and ExpressSun sunflower technologies.) 2. Knowledge of history is the key to success. Knowledge of field history, including weed presence, crop rotation and herbicide use, will help anticipate which weed species are most likely to occur — a necessity in selecting an appropriate herbicide program. Some herbicides, such as Prowl® H2O and generic products containing pendimethalin or trifluralin, control grass weeds more effectively than broadleaf weeds; while Spartan® controls several common broadleaf weeds but very few grass weeds. Dual Magnum® controls several annual grasses and some small-seeded broadleaf weeds. In most instances, however, mixtures of complimentary herbicides, such as Spartan plus Prowl H2O or Dual Magnum, are needed for satisfactory broadspectrum weed control. * Phil Stahlman is research weed scientist with Kansas State University, Hays. THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
If the previous crop was grain or forage sorghum or Roundup Ready® corn, soybean or possibly cotton, then volunteer plants of the previous crop will be hard-to-control weeds in sunflower. Whereas glyphosate can be used to control volunteer grain or forage sorghum plants prior to planting sunflower, glyphosate will not control volunteer plants of Roundup Ready crops. Grass herbicides such as Select®, Select® Max, Assure II®, Poast® or various generic products containing clethodim or quizalofop will control volunteer corn and grain sorghum plants — but not volunteer plants of cotton or soybeans. These herbicides will also control many late-emerging annual grasses. In-crop control of emerged susceptible weeds can be achieved by applying glyphosate using specialized spray hoods between rows; but there is risk of crop injury, and few growers are set up to make this type of application. 3. Start clean and stand tall and evenly spaced. Whether using conventional tillage, reduced or minimum tillage, or a no-tillage production system, it is essential to plant sunflower into a weed-free seedbed for maximum production potential. Early spring weed growth in a no-tillage system often requires at least two burndown applications ahead of sunflower planting. Because of low crop population and wide row spacing, sunflower is most vulnerable to weed interference early in the growing season before plants are large enough for leaves to shade weeds growing between plants within rows and between crop rows. Lack of uniformity in plant spacing and skips within planted rows allow sunlight penetration through the canopy to the benefit of weeds and detriment of the sunflower. Weeds flourish in skips, and species such as cocklebur and devil’s claw can interfere with harvesting. 4. Know the critical periods of weed interference. There are two critical peri-
ods of weed interference, and both are influenced by weed density and environmental conditions. The first critical period is the length of time weed control must be maintained to prevent yield loss. The second critical period is the length of time weeds emerging simultaneously with the crop can compete before reducing crop yield. Numerous studies have shown that two to four weeks of weed control in sunflower is needed to prevent yield loss. At Hays, Kan., longspine sandbur plants emerging two weeks later than sunflower developed about 80% fewer tillers and 50 to 80% fewer burs, compared to plants emerging simultaneously with sunflower. Sandbur plants emerging four weeks later than sunflower developed few tillers and produced fewer than six burs per plant. Recent studies in Nebraska and Europe showed the length of time weeds can remain in the crop grown without use of a preemergence herbicide also was two to four weeks after emergence. By then, sunflower has three to four leaves. Use of a pre-emergence herbicide extended the allowable time of weed presence without reducing yield by about two weeks. 5. Not all sunflower types are the same. Most herbicides registered for use in sunflower can be used on both confection and oilseed types. Herbicide-resistant sunflower hybrids possess a trait that confers resistance to specific herbicides. Currently, there are only two such sunflower technologies: Clearfield sunflower with resistance to Beyond herbicide and ExpressSun sunflower with resistance to Express herbicide. Though both Beyond and Express have the same acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting mode of action, misapplying Express on Clearfield sunflower or Beyond on ExpressSun sunflower — or applying any ALS-inhibiting herbicides to any sunflower hybrid — will result in severe injury or plant death. Sunflower hybrids of either of these herbicide-resistant technologies currently are not as common in the central/southern Great Plains as are traditional sunflower hybrids. Growers planting either of the herbicide-resistant sunflower types must be vigilant against misapplication of Beyond or Express to traditional sunflower — and must take precaution to avoid spray tank contamination when spraying traditional sunflower following herbicide application to herbicide-resistant sunflower. 6. Use the right rate at the right 9Y
time. Length of residual weed control from soil-applied herbicides is affected by many factors. The temptation is to use the lowest possible rate to minimize cost without considering soil type differences within fields, time of application or variable environmental conditions. Though low rates of most herbicides can be quite effective under favorable conditions, consistency of performance and length of residual weed control frequently are improved by using higher recommended rates for specific soil type and organic matter content. Herbicides applied a few days up to three weeks preplant generally will not provide effective weed control as long into the growing season as will applications made after planting (assuming adequate moisture for activation both times). So higher rates usually are recommended for early preplant applications compared to pre-emergence applications. The probability of timely activating rainfall is increased with early
preplant application, which may omit the need for and offset the cost of an added burndown treatment at planting. 7. Tip 6, Second Verse: Kochia and Palmer amaranth control. Kochia has long been a common weed in sunflower, and populations of Palmer amaranth are on the increase. Kochia mostly germinates from March through midJune when conditions are favorable, whereas Palmer amaranth can emerge as late as August and still produce seed. Lower rates of many soil-active herbicides have dissipated by then. Spartan effectively controls several common broadleaf species, including Russian thistle, Palmer amaranth and kochia (including ALS- and glyphosateresistant biotypes); but higher rates are needed on fine-textured soil with high organic matter content. At Hays, Kan., Spartan has generally provided better broadleaf weed control than either Prowl H20 or Dual Magnum. Preplant Spartan treatments 14 days or more be-
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fore planting generally have provided better weed control (especially kochia) and crop tolerance than pre-emergence applications at planting. Spartan Charge® (sulfentrazone plus carfentrazone) and Spartan Advance® (sulfentrazone plus glyphosate) have enhanced burndown characteristics compared to Spartan. However, Spartan Charge will not control emerged grass weeds, so glyphosate should be added if grasses are present. Dual Magnum is effective on Palmer amaranth, but once again higher rates are needed for season-long control. Tank mixtures of Spartan and Dual Magnum provide more-complete weed control than what is provided by either herbicide alone. 8. Use appropriate adjuvants at the right rates. Labels of most postemergence herbicides specify the use of one or more adjuvants to aid performance. The primary function of non-ionic surfactants is to increase spray coverage on plant surfaces, while crop oil concentrates, methylated seed oils and nitrogen fertilizer solutions (to a lesser extent) primarily facilitate penetration and uptake of herbicides through leaf surfaces. Surfactant use rates typically range from 0.25 to 0.5% volume to volume (12 qt/100 gal), while the recommended use rate for crop oil concentrates and methylated seed oils is 1% volume to volume (4 qt/100 gal) or not less than 1.25 pt/A when spray volume is less than 10 gallons per acre. Another category of adjuvants includes water conditioners and pH modifiers. Ammonium sulfate (AMS) is both a nitrogen source and a conditioner of hard water due to high cation concentration. The addition of AMS to spray solutions containing glyphosate is recommended at rates of 8.5 to 17 lbs dry ammonium sulfate per 100 gal of spray solution (or 2.5 to 5 gal of liquid AMS per 100 gal). AMS in solution disassociates and the sulfate binds with cations in the spray solution, thus preventing the development of herbicide (especially glyphosate)-cation complexes that tend to have lower absorption into plant leaves. Most herbicide solutions have slightly acidic to neutral pH. Adjuvants marketed as pH modifiers lower the spray solution to pH 3.0 or less, so that the herbicide molecules are less prone to binding with positively charged salts that inhibit herbicide activity. Research on such products’ effectiveness has resulted in mixed findings. ■ THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
— Tips For —
Improved Sunflower Irrigation Management
Photo: Don Lilleboe
By Freddie Lamm, Danny Rogers, Joel Schneekloth & Rob Aiken*
I
rrigation management of sunflower starts with the same premise as any other crop — namely, to mitigate the effects of yield-limiting water stress with the ultimate goal of increasing net farm income. To accomplish this goal, producers must carefully manage many factors. Some of these factors are related and some interact with each other in different manners, requiring delicately balanced irrigation management decisions. As the new cropping season approaches, here are some tips for improved irrigation management. 1. Management with Respect to Previous Crop — Although it may seem odd to begin a discussion of irrigation management of sunflower by consider* Freddie Lamm is irrigation engineer with Kansas State University at Colby; Danny Rogers is extension agricultural engineer with KSU, Manhattan; Joel Schneekloth is water resource specialist for Colorado State University, based at Akron; and Rob Aiken is crop research scientist with KSU, Colby. 12Y
ing the previous crop, this is an important topic when the ultimate goal is to maximize net farm income. Previous crops leave behind residual soil assets, such as soil water and nutrients, which can be used to offset input costs in the coming year, thus requiring the producer to consider net farm income in a multi-year horizon. For example, irrigated corn requires ample supplies of water and nutrients late in the cropping season to ensure optimum yields. So producers often choose sunflower as a rotational crop after corn in order to utilize the residual soil water and nutrients. In addition to the economic benefit, producers obtain environmental benefits from reduced usage of scarce water resources and reduced potential of nutrient leaching. Producers should evaluate the available soil water in the profile prior to planting so that they can wisely manage their irrigation inputs. 2. Management with Respect to Post-Sunflower Cropping — The crop following sunflower should also be considered in irrigation management in a multi-year cropping system. Sunflower is a deep tap-rooted crop that
can deplete the soil water profile to a greater extent and depth than most crops. The soil water profile may not be recharged to a great extent over winter because of the relatively low winter precipitation in the semi-arid Great Plains. Sunflower production has been found to reduce the yield of subsequent crops when soil water reserves are deficit; but it may actually increase the yield of the subsequent crop when soil water is adequate. Sunflower seed and oil yield sensitivity to water stress is greatest during the period immediately prior to flowering through seed formation (R3 to R7). Concentrating irrigation applications during this period not only benefits the sunflower, but also partially replenishes depleted soil water reserves that may be needed by the following crop. However, any concentration of irrigation to a specific growth period requires adequate irrigation capacity [i.e., flow rate/area (e.g., gpm/acre, inches/day)] and a reliable irrigation system that is not subject to frequent breakdowns. 3. Management with Respect to Split-Cropping Scenarios — Sunflower is often grown in split-cropping scenarios with a second crop, such as corn, under center pivot irrigation systems. This allows better management when the system has an insufficient irrigation capacity or when restrictions are placed on total irrigation amount. Although sunflower and corn have very similar peak crop water use (evapotranspiration or ET) rates, sunflower has a shorter growing season and a total seasonal crop water use that is approximately 20% less than corn. Additionally, the sunflower peak ET rate period is approximately 15% shorter in duration and is typically shifted later in the growing season, away from the critical silking period in corn. Irrigation needs are greatest for sunflower in August (when planted in early to mid-June), while corn requires more irrigation in July. Producers with lower-capacity irrigation systems or a limited seasonal water supply may plant an earlier-maturing corn hybrid and attempt to fully irrigate the corn through the critical reproductive period — and then concentrate irrigation on the sunflower later in the season. 4. Management with Respect to Agronomic Practices — Because the overall goal is to increase net farm income, the optimization of agronomic practices for higher-input production THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Figure 1. Relative crop yield (ration of predicted to maximum) as related to irrigation system capacity using 39 years of actual weather data in a modeling simulation at Colby, Kan.
systems (i.e., pumping costs and irrigation system depreciation costs) is necessary. For example, greater yields that are expected under irrigation can be limited by disease, weeds and insects. Producers might be tempted to accept a few percentage points yield reduction under nonirrigated cropping; but this might be a costly mistake for irrigated cropping. Also, producers should select optimal planting dates and seeding rates (plant population) for high production and oil content in their region. Nitrogen fertilization should be closely matched with irrigated yield goals because excess nitrogen can reduce both seed yield and oil content. Sunflower typically requires 65 lbs of nitrogen (N) for each 1,000 lbs of seed yield; but this requirement should account for all sources of N (e.g., previous cropping, manure, residual soil levels, mineralization, nitrate N in irrigation water, etc.). Germination and obtaining sufficient and uniform stands can be a problem with sunflower production, so good seeding equipment and seeding practices should be used. Producers should be prepared to provide light irrigation applications to enhance germination and crop establishment if needed and should regularly evaluate the germination status. Heavy irrigation applications at planting should be avoided to prevent crusting and excessive cooling of the soil, but light applications may still be beneficial if heavy rainfall has caused crusting. 5. Management with Respect to IrTHE SUNFLOWER February 2012
rigation Capacity — Sunflower is thought to be better able to withstand short periods of crop water stress than are corn or soybean — and the duration of peak water needs is shorter. So sunflower can be a good choice for marginal-capacity irrigation systems. Because relative yield reductions are less for sunflower than corn and soybean (Figure 1), many producers choose to deficit irrigate sunflower, resulting in an annual irrigation amount that is often four to five inches less than with fully irrigated corn or soybean. Since the ultimate severity of drought conditions cannot be known prior to the growing season, producers may want to plant a portion of their production area to sunflower in order to reduce their overall crop production risk. Decision support software programs are available to evaluate cropping options and land/water allocations (e.g., Crop Water Allocator at http://www.mobileirrigationlab.com).
6. Management with Respect to Weather Conditions — Irrigation scheduling is typically defined as “determining when to irrigate and how much to apply.” Looking to the future, a more conservation-oriented and economically profitable definition can be stated as “delaying any unnecessary irrigation with the hope that the cropping season ends before the next irrigation is needed.” The crucial meaning of these two alternatives is not fundamentally different, but the complexity of “perfect” irrigation scheduling is best illustrated by the second definition. Fortunately, producers can easily make great strides at improving irrigation management while on the difficult journey toward that “perfect” management. The easiest way to accomplish this task is through day-to-day irrigation scheduling for the entire season. In the Great Plains, weather-based irrigation scheduling water budgets have been shown to be a highly effective and easy-to-implement scheduling method. These water budgets (also known as checkbook irrigation scheduling) are based upon calculations or measurements of crop water use (ET), a withdrawal and deposits of precipitation and irrigation. When the budget (checkbook) reaches a predetermined level, irrigation is applied. Many states in the Great Plains have automated weather stations that provide the necessary weather information required in water budget irrigation scheduling, and some states also have software for easy management of the irrigation scheduling process (e.g., KanSched2 from K-State Research and Extension, available at http://www.mobileirrigationlab.com). In addition, total season, day-to-day irrigation scheduling aids the producer’s decision process in the majority of previously mentioned topic areas and helps in determining initiation and termination of the irrigation season. 7. In Conclusion — Irrigated sunflower production need not be a daunting task. The goal of increasing net farm income is the same for all crops. Some of the topics above overlap, but careful attention to these tips should help producers improve their overall irrigation management of sunflower. For additional information, see the High Plains Sunflower Production Handbook, which is available online at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/crpsl2/ MF2384.pdf. ■ 13Y
— Tips For —
Management of Diseases in Sunflower Sclerotinia-susceptible (center) and -tolerant (left & right) hybrids
By Sam Markell & Robert Harveson*
Photo: Tom Gulya
D
iseases are a fact of life with virtually any crop, including sunflower. It has been estimated that for every one crop grown, you have 100 different diseases. Fortunately, only a handful are present at any given time or are challenging enough to the crop that we need to actively manage them. However, disease management is a moving target, and the most destructive diseases one year may not be the same diseases the following year. For example, different diseases cause problems in wet cycles than in dry cycles. (How much Sclerotinia head rot occurs in drought years?) . . . Pathogen race changes occur (think rust or downy mildew). . . . And a myriad of other factors, ranging from plant stress to host resistance, influences the diseases we have to manage. Effective disease management can * Sam Markell is extension plant pathologist with North Dakota State University. Robert Harveson is plant pathologist with the University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff. 14Y
make a big difference in final sunflower yield and quality. Below are some key “general” points that will help you manage disease in sunflower, and in most of the other crops on your farm.
1. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) — Pathologists drop this acronym frequently, but for good reason. The simple concept is that you want to use multiple strategies to manage disease, not just one. Although pathologists tend to talk about miscellaneous (and sometime nebulous) potential negative consequences when growers rely on one management technique (how often have you heard us say “fungicide resistance development” or “race change”), the concept for a single grower is much simpler. IPM reduces your chances of a management failure occurring. If the resistance doesn’t work, you might be covered because you rotated well, are prepared to put down a fungicide, etc. 2. Know the Enemy — There is an increasing amount of information avail-
able to help in disease identification and management. The National Sunflower Association does an excellent job of providing good pictures and key points about diseases that you are likely to see. Pathologists realize that differentiating diseases can be difficult, and as a result, questions and/or submissions to county agents, research extension centers and diagnostic labs are encouraged. Similarly, the NSA and the universities will try to get critical information out as diseases are occurring. Whether through the NSA website, the NDSU Crop & Pest Report or radio spots, it is important to stay informed. 3. Find the Enemy — Scouting is one of the most important parts of disease management. If you are uncertain what disease(s) you have, it is very difficult to make informed decisions about specific management tools. For example, if you find out your ’flowers have downy mildew, then the next time you can go back in that field you might want to plant a downy mildew-resistant (DMR) hybrid or use a different seed treatment. Similarly, foliar fungicides are most effective at the early stages of an epidemic. If you get behind on rust, for example, you can be “toast.” Furthermore, foliar fungicide applications would not be effective in managing downy mildew; thus, correctly diagnosing the problem is critical . 4. Rotation — Sunflower growers typically are very good at rotations. Four-year rotations are generally recommended. Almost all pathogens will be hurt by this length of rotation. They don’t disappear, but there’s a reason why growers don’t plant ’flowers on ’flowers. Also, be aware of Sclerotiniasusceptible crops in the rotation. Dry beans, canola and potatoes are all quite susceptible to Sclerotinia and are not the best choices for inclusion in sunflower rotations. 5. Resistance — For a variety of reasons, selection of a hybrid is perhaps the most important decision you make. Although pathogen changes are frequent with several diseases, there are some growers who get hit often with the same disease. Maybe it’s micro-climate, maybe it’s bad luck; but, if you anticipate getting rust, plant a resistant hybrid. If you had lots of downy mildew in the field you are going back into you, try to get a DMR hybrid. Be aware that resistance does not guarantee control. None of the resistTHE SUNFLOWER February 2012
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
The familiar uredial stage of rust / Photo: Robert Harveson
ant varieties confer “immunity.” As an example, a new race of the downy mildew pathogen was identified, which calls into question the DMR status of hybrids if you have the new race. 6. Fungicide Seed Treatments — Most, if not all, sunflower seed comes treated. There is good reason for this. Downy mildew is the most important pathogen that you try to manage with seed treatments, but other root rot pathogens lurk. There is a limited amount of information concerning the pathogen spectrum found underground on sunflower; but in most crops, seed treatments will help protect the germinating seed during the most important part of the plant’s development. Establishment of a healthy stand is critical for a healthy crop. 7. Foliar Fungicides — On most crops, multiple diseases can be managed with foliar fungicides. On sunflower, the most important disease to manage is rust. Recent research has shown that rust pressure can reduce yield and test weight dramatically. In general, the time to pull the trigger is when rust severity on the upper leaves approaches 1%. However, this tended to correlate pretty well with the R5 growth stage (bloom), and an R5 application when you have rust often resulted in less yield loss and better disease control. The exception occurs if you see lots of rust in the vegetative stages, which likely mandates multiple (and early) applications. Research on the management of other diseases with fungicides, most notably Sclerotinia head rot and Phomopsis stem canker, is under way. In both cases, disease reduction with fungicides has been observed in preliminary data. Due
to the lack of information (and availability of fungicides), we are not yet ready to make concrete recommendations. That being said, the situation changes fast, so stay tuned. 8. Stay Engaged and Adapt — The world changes quickly in agriculture. In the future, we would anticipate diseases and disease management will be different. We may have new diseases (or races) to worry about, new resistance in hybrids to combat them, and new fungicides and new recommendations to go with them. The more knowledge you have about disease management, the more likely you are to be able to manage diseases in a changing world. ■
15Y
— Tips For —
Optimum Insect Control Pheromone Trap / Credit: Janet Knodel, NDSU Entomology
By Janet Knodel*
S
unflower producers can minimize insect pest damage by adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies — including monitoring for pests, using economic thresholds and combining various pest management strategies when available.
1. General Knowledge on Insect Identification — General knowledge about how to identify insect pests and also beneficial insects is an important
first step for effective IPM. Pests need to be identified accurately because economic thresholds and control measures vary for different species. Many insects are beneficial, which may help reduce numbers of injurious insects. Recognizing which species are pests and which are beneficial is important. Extension specialists and crop consultants should be able to help producers identify pests and beneficial insects and provide information about insect pest management. There are online
Growing Season Calendar Indicating Time of Occurrence of Major Insect Pests in the Northern Great Plains Region
guides to help, such as Sunflower Production A-1331 and Integrated Pest Management of Sunflower Insect Pests in the Northern Great Plains E-1457, both from the NDSU Extension Service. 2. Monitoring Pest Population Levels — Sunflower fields should be evaluated regularly to determine pest population levels. A weekly field check is usually sufficient, but field checks should be increased to two or three times a week if the number of pests is increasing rapidly or if the number is approaching an economic threshold. Sunflower pests are not distributed evenly throughout a field, and fields should be checked in several locations. Some insect pests, such as banded sunflower moth, are concentrated in areas of a field or are more abundant near the edges of a field than in the middle. Determining the extent of a pest population on the basis of what is found in only one or two small areas of a field is not recommended. At least five sites per 40-acre field should be monitored to collect accurate information on the population density and extent of the pest infestation. Sampling sites should be at least 75 feet in from the field margin to determine whether an entire field or only a portion of the field requires treatment. When infestations occur primarily along field margins, treating only the margins of the field can reduce unnecessary expensive inputs and still provide economic control. In most cases, 20 plants per sampling site should be examined, sampling in a Z or X pattern through the field. Pheromone traps are commercially available for monitoring banded sunflower moth and sunflower moth. A sex pheromone (chemical) attracts the male moth into the trap. There are various types of traps for monitoring adult moths. Pheromone trapping of moths should primarily be used to determine whether moths are emerging or present in the area, and to determine their local populations. For banded sunflower moth, research shows that using trap catches is not a reliable way to determine treatment thresholds. However, for sunflower moth, insecticide applications should be considered when pheromone traps catch an average four moths per trap per day from the R3 through R5 growth stages. * Janet Knodel is extension entomologist with North Dakota State University, Fargo.
16Y
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Banded Sunflower Moth Adult / NDSU Entomology
Insect Pest Banded sunflower moth Dectes stem borer Grasshopper Neotephritis finalis (seed maggot) Red sunflower seed weevil Sunflower beetle Sunflower midge Sunflower moth Sunflower stem weevil The calendar on page 16Y is intended simply as a guide to when fields should be checked for possible presence of various sunflower insect pests. 3. Use of Economic Injury Levels and Economic Thresholds — One major component of an IPM program is determining when tactics should be implemented to prevent economic loss. Economic loss results when pest numbers increase to a point where they cause crop losses that are equal to or greater than the cost of controlling the pest. An economic injury level (EIL) is defined as the pest density that will cause economic damage. An EIL recognizes that treatment is justified for some pest species while others are not of economic importance. An economic threshold (ET) is the level of pest density at which tactics must be applied to prevent an increasing pest population from causing economic loss. Usually the ET is lower than the EIL. The ET has been defined most extensively for economic insect pests. Fewer ETs have been established for non-economic pests, such as sunflower root weevil or sunflower bud moth. The ET varies significantly among different pest species. Economic thresholds also vary with pest development stages. Crop price, yield potential, crop density, cost and effectiveness of control, and environmental conditions influence the ET and EIL. Generally, ET increases as cost of control increases, and decreases as crop value increases. Established ETs for major sunflower insect pests are summarized in the “Quick Reference Guide” on page 18Y. 4. Cultural Control — Cultural control strategies, such as staggered or delayed planting dates, can modify the cropping environment and often mitigate pest densities. Planting date is a sustainable method for effectively reducing yield loss and/or oil reduction
caused by several insect pests. The above table summarizes research on planting dates for selected insects. 5. Chemical Control — Insecticides are a primary pest management strategy used for the control of sunflower insect pests in the United States, and there are many effective insecticides available. There currently are five different modes of actions, 15 different active ingredients, and more than 45 insecticides registered for insect control in sunflower. To reduce any potential risk of insects developing genetic resistance to insecticides, producers should treat only when populations exceed the ET. If applying more than one application during the growing season, using the full rate of insecticide and rotating modes of action (e.g., pyrethroids, organophosphates, neonicotinoid) will help prolong the effectiveness of available products and reduce the risk of insecticide resistance. Insecticide selection should take into account efficacy (kill), residual activity, resistance management, worker safety, price, availability and preharvest interval. Once the decision to treat has been made, correctly applying and timing the spray application to achieve maximum control is critical. To optimize foliar coverage, growers should increase pres-
‘Best’ Planting Dates to Reduce Damage (Northern Plains Region) Early = early to mid-May Late = late May to mid-June Late Late Early Late Early Late Late (or staggered planting dates) Late Late sure (40 psi), increase carrier (10 gallons per acre (gpa) of water by land, 3-5 gpa by air) and use small droplet-size nozzles. Proper timing depends on the targeted insect pest. For most of the head-infesting insect pests (such as banded sunflower moth and red sunflower seed weevil), the “best” sunflower plant stage at which to treat is the R5.1 growth stage, or when pollen shed is just beginning. Confection sunflower generally needs two or three applications of insecticide to protect against insect pests due to the industry’s standards for low insect damage. In contrast, oilseed sunflower usually requires at least one well-timed insecticide application. Application at an earlier growth stage may be warranted if monitoring reveals higher-than-normal pest activity. For flowering sunflower fields, foliar insecticides should be applied early in the morning or late in the day to minimize adverse effects on honey bees and other pollinators. It is also a good idea to select more bee-friendly insecticides, if possible. For example, one common sunflower insecticide, Asana® XL (esfenvalerate), actually has a bee repellent in the it that makes these fields unattractive for pollinators after treatment. Be sure to communicate with and notify local beekeepers at least 48 hours before the insecticide application. The use of neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments, such as Cruiser® 5FS (thiamethoxam), has increased dramatically in sunflower during the past several years. In the 2008 Pesticide Use and Pest Management Practices in North Dakota (W-1446 NDSU Extension Service), 92% of sunflower acreage in North Dakota was treated with an insecticide seed treatment or an insecticide/fungicide combination. One of the results of increased usage of insecticide seed treatments has
Sunflower Beetles / Pat Beauzay, NDSU Ent.
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
17Y
been the general decline of populations of sunflower beetles. This was a fairly common economic insect pest of sunflower in the northern Great Plains in the 1980s. We also have seen the loss of the older chemistries of insecticides, such as lindane (an organochlorine) in 2007, due to health and environmental risks. These older insecticides applied to the soil or seed were very effective against sunflower stem weevil and wireworms and had long residual activity. Unfortunately, some of the newer neonicotinoid insecticides are not as effective in killing sunflower stem weevils. 6. Host Plant Resistance — Host plant resistance uses the plant’s own ge-
netic defense mechanisms to reduce the damage from insect pests. There are three major mechanisms of host plant resistance: 1) antixenosis — plants are not preferred by insects; 2) antibiosis — plants have an adverse effect on the biology of insects; and 3) tolerance — plants have inherent abilities to withstand the attack of insects. Genetic resistance offers an alternative pest management strategy that can decrease economic losses from sunflower insect pests while also reducing input costs. It likewise can be integrated with pest management strategies, such as cultural and biological control. Resistance to certain sunflower insect
pests (banded sunflower moth, sunflower moth, sunflower midge and sunflower stem weevil) has been identified in some developed sunflower germplasm and in some native sunflower species. The nature of the resistance mechanisms resulting in the reduced seed damage in the germplasm merits further investigation. ■ Knodel, J.J., G. Brewer, and L. Charlet. 2007. IV. Pest Management – Insects. In Sunflower Production, D.R. Berglund (ed.), NDSU Ext. Serv. A-1331 (EB-25 Revised). 26-53 pp. Knodel J.J., L.D. Charlet, and J. Gavloski. 2010. Integrated pest management of sunflower insect pests in the Northern Plains. NDSU Ext. Serv. E-1457, Feb. 2010.
Quick Reference Guide to Major Sunflower Insects — Occurrence, Injury & Economic Thresholds (E.T.) — Cutworms (several species) E.T. – 1 per sq. ft. or 25-30% stand reduction. Appear in early spring when plants are in the seedling stage, chewing them at or slightly above ground. Palestriped Flea Beetle E.T. – 20% of the seedling stand is injured and at risk to loss due to palestriped flea beetle feeding. Scout for flea beetles by visually estimating population on seedlings or using yellow sticky cards placed close to the ground. Sunflower Beetle E.T. – 1 to 2/seedling (adults), or 10 to 15/seedling (larvae). Adults appear in early June, larvae shortly thereafter. Both adults and larvae chew large holes in leaves. Sunflower Bud Moth E.T. – None. First generation adults appear in late May to mid-June, second generation adults in mid-summer. Larvae from 1st generation damage terminals and stalks whereas 2nd generation larvae feed in receptacle area. Longhorned Beetle (Dectes) No scouting method or E.T. has been developed. Adults are present from late June through August. Larvae tunnel and feed in the petioles and stem pith and girdle the base of plants. Stalks often break at the point of larval girdling. Sunflower Stem Weevil E.T. – 1 Adult/3 plants in late June to early July. Adults appear in mid to late June with larvae in stalks from early July to late summer. Thistle Caterpillar (Painted Lady Butterfly) E.T. – 25 percent defoliation provided that most of the larvae are still under 1.25 inch in length. Adults appear in early to mid-June with larvae appearing shortly thereafter. Larvae chew holes in leaves. Sunflower Midge E.T. – none. Adult emergence begins in early July. Larvae feed around head margin and at base of the seeds causing shrinkage and distortion of heads. 18Y
Sunflower Seed Weevils E.T. – Generally 8 - 14 adult red sunflower weevils per head (oil) and one per head (confectionery). Adults appear in late June to early July. Treat for red sunflower seed weevil at R5.1 to R5.4. Larvae feed in seeds from mid to late summer. Sunflower Moth E.T. – 1 to 2 adults/5 plants at onset of bloom. Adults are migratory and usually appear in early to mid-July. Larvae tunnel in seeds from late July to late August. Banded Sunflower Moth E.T. – Use either egg or adult sampling methods for determining E.T. Sampling should be conducted in the late bud stage (R-3), usually during mid-July. Adults appear about mid-July to mid-August. Larvae present in heads from mid-July to mid-September. Lygus Bug E.T. for confection sunflower only – 1 Lygus bug per 9 heads. Two insecticide sprays are recommended: one application at the onset of pollen shed or 10% bloom, followed by a second treatment 7 days later. Sunflower Headclipping Weevil E.T. – None. Adults appear in mid to late July and create feeding punctures around stalk just below the heads. Heads drop off. Note: The insects discussed above are listed in the order that they are likely to occur throughout the growing season; however, the various insects may or may not appear, depending upon overwintering survival and environmental conditions as the season progresses. This table is intended simply as a guide to when fields should be checked for possible presence of the various insects known to infest sunflower. SOURCE: Sunflower Production A-1331 (Revised EB-25 Revised). 2007. D.R. Berglund (editor). NDSU Ext. Serv. THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
— Tips For —
Blackbird Control in 2012
Photo: Don Lilleboe
By Phil Mastrangelo*
M
ake blackbird damage management a part of your sunflower production plan. Planning is everything. A proactive approach to address blackbird damage, if it occurs, is a much better strategy than a reactive approach. Use your previous experiences to help prepare for each sunflower growing season. The following six tips should be incorporated into the production plan to help reduce the effects of bird damage.
1. Avoid planting sunflower near large stands of cattails. The Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and South Dakota is heavily dominated by wetlands that have cattails as the primary vegetative cover. Cattail-choked wetlands provide ample nesting and roosting habitat for blackbirds. Consequently, the highest populations of blackbirds in North America are also found in the Prairie Pothole Region. Sunflower fields that are planted in close proximity to large concentrations of blackbirds can sustain more than * Phil Mastrangelo is the state director for USDA-ARS-Wildlife Services in North Dakota. THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
20% damage. Sunflower producers should avoid planting in those areas where large concentrations of blackbirds are likely. Producers should also consider removing as much cattail habitat as they can. This can be accomplished by burning, disking or through the application of approved herbicides. 2. Harvest sunflower as early as possible. Efforts should be taken to reduce the amount of time sunflower is exposed to bird damage. The less time blackbirds have to feed on the crop equates to less overall damage to the crop. Growers should consider using desiccants to allow an earlier harvest of the sunflower crop. Recent advances have provided newer products that desiccate sunflower and also provide broadleaf weed control. 3. Rely upon other cultural practices to reduce the potential for blackbird damage. In addition to managing cattail habitat and the use of desiccants, sunflower producers should consider other cultural practices for reducing the impacts of blackbird damage. For example: • Neighboring farmers should coordinate the planting date of their sunflower fields to reduce the potential for some fields maturing early and being more susceptible to bird damage.
• Plant “decoy crops “ in close proximity of cattail wetlands to divert blackbirds away from commercial sunflower fields. • Plant larger acreage of sunflower to spread the damage over a broader area. • Delay fall plowing of harvested grain fields to provide an alternative food source for blackbirds. • Practice good weed and insect control in sunflower crops to reduce potential food sources for blackbirds before the sunflower seeds ripen. 4. There is no “silver bullet” for resolving blackbird damage. Managing blackbird damage requires planning, persistence, commitment and the realization that no single method or technique will resolve the problem. Considerable effort has been taken to find the best method to resolve the blackbird problem. The “best method” is to use as many methods as possible. In addition to the previously mentioned cultural practices, a bird harassment program should also be initiated. Most (75%) of blackbird damage to sunflower occurs within two and a half weeks after petal drop, so a harassment program should begin early — before blackbirds become habituated to feeding in sunflower fields. It is much easier to disperse birds shortly after they arrive in fields compared to birds that have been feeding in fields for several days or weeks. Harassment techniques include the use of propane cannons, pyrotechnics and shooting. Propane cannons will disperse birds if they are deployed early, are moved to different locations, are elevated to allow the noise to project above the tops of the crop, and are maintained to ensure that they continue to operate properly. Pyrotechnics are noise-making projectiles fired from pistols. These devices travel considerable distance, so they help can help disperse birds from the interior of sunflower fields. Shooting blackbirds helps reinforce the harassment provided by propane cannons and pyrotechnics, so all three methods should be employed. Federal and state laws allow the killing of blackbirds that are damaging crops or pose a threat to crops. Recent changes in federal regulations require that nontoxic ammunition be used when shooting blackbirds to protect crops. Also, sunflower producers must provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with an annual report detailing the types and 19Y
20Y
— Tips For —
A Smoother Harvest By Tim DeKrey*
Photo: Don Lilleboe
numbers of blackbirds killed each year. Chemical repellents are registered to protect sunflower from blackbird damage. These products should be used according to their label and would be more effective if applied shortly after birds are detected in fields. While there have been varying reports of the efficacy of chemical repellents, producers should still consider them as an option for mitigating blackbird damage. 5. Contact USDA Wildlife Services for assistance. USDA Wildlife Services deploys field personnel to help mitigate blackbird damage in North Dakota and portions of South Dakota. The field staff can help producers develop a plan to manage blackbird damage. Wildlife Services also has a supply of propane cannons available for loan at no cost to the producer. Wildlife Services will also distribute small quantities of pyrotechnics at no cost to producers. However, sunflower producers should plan on purchasing their own equipment to ensure that they can deploy harassment devices when needed. The cannons and pyrotechnics owned by Wildlife Services should be viewed as supplements to what the sunflower producers have in their own inventory. Wildlife Services’ field staff is also available to assist producers with the dispersal of blackbirds from troublesome areas. The demand on the field staff time is often high, but they will assist as many producers as possible. Similar to Wildlife Services’ equipment inventory, the assistance provided by field staff should be viewed as a supplement to the efforts undertaken by sunflower producers. Producers who incorporate blackbird damage management into their sunflower production plan will be better prepared to reduce the effects of bird damage. 6. Heavy bird damage typically occurs near edge of sunflower fields, but that doesn’t imply that the same of amount of damage is evenly distributed throughout the field. Producers should not be surprised to see heavy bird damage on the edge of their sunflower fields. This is typical. However, that same level of damage may not be evenly distributed across the entire field. Walking toward the center of the field often indicates the variability in damage to the entire crop. Therefore, producers should not assume that their field is a complete loss and then stop any further efforts to mitigate the bird damage. ■
1. Plant some of your sunflower acreage to an early maturing hybrid to get started sooner on your harvest. It will also give you an opportunity to make sure your equipment is properly maintained and adjusted prior to harvesting the main portion of your crop. 2. Scout your fields as the crop is maturing, checking for diseases like Phomopsis and Sclerotinia; also, to determine whether desiccation may be warranted to speed drydown for earlier harvest on fields that may have disease or other issues. Those fields should be harvested first. If you don’t have the time to scout, consider hiring a qualified person to do it for you. 3. As part of the scouting process, do yield estimates. The National Sunflower Association has worksheets and a formula to assist with developing yield estimates that are quite accurate, if you pull enough samples. This can help you line up adequate storage and aeration if temporary storage is needed. 4. If storing sunflower seeds on your farm, make sure your bins are ready: fans operational, heaters and stirring equipment in good operating condition, etc. Even new equipment can have issues, as we found out the hard way on a one-year-old bin we used for sunflower. Also, rodents can create problems with buried service wires to bins and by chewing up sen-
sors in drying equipment. 5. Clean all harvesting equipment thoroughly — especially if you’re producing in-shell or hulling-type ’flowers. There can be literally bushels of corn or soybeans left behind if you still have uncleaned combine hoppers, unswept hoppers on trailers, unclean swing augers, etc. Processors don’t like surprises. 6. Once the small grain harvest is over, examine your sunflower head to at least remind yourself of any maintenance issues carrying over from the previous year’s harvest season. 7. Start harvest with a really clean combine — and keep it clean to help avoid fire issues. There may be some shielding that provides areas for dust and trash to accumulate that could be removed without affecting combine performance. (But, don’t compromise safety!) 8. If you have a field with a weed problem for whatever reason, consider screening the sunflower seeds as they go into storage. Doing so may slow you down, but it also can prevent storage problems due to weed seeds and wet plant materials. ■ * Tim DeKrey farms near Steele, N.D. He is a current director and past president of the National Sunflower Assn. THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Photo: Don Lilleboe
No Room for Mediocrity
Four Growers Who Achieve Consistently Strong Sunflower Yields Discuss Their Approach to This Crop
H
igher is better when it comes to yield. That’s no secret. Higher yields mean more money in the bank at the end of the year. Just about every grower has hit a highyield home run over the years. But what does it take to “hit one out of the park” every year? Achieving a ton or better-yielding sun-
flower is dependent on a number of factors. It starts with the right seed and then a little cooperation from Mother Nature to get it planted at the optimal time. Other important elements are proper fertilization, as well as good weed, insect and disease control. Some things are controllable; some are not. Here’s a profile of four growers who say consistency is key.
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Tom Bargen Nora, Neb. This Nuckolls County farmer’s operation is located just a few miles from the Kansas border in southeastern Nebraska. Bargen, who has been growing sunflower for more than 20 years, is a self-described renegade. Other than his own acres, there are very few, if any, sunflower fields in the area. But he’s a loyal fan of the crop and keeps it in his rotation for several reasons — with the main one being its consistent performance. “It works for us,” Bargen says, “Years ago, we got into sunflower because of a specific insect problem in our milo. It’s turned out to be a perfect fit for a broadleaf in our rotation.” That rotation typically consists of two wheat crops, milo, sunflower and then back to wheat. Bargen’s full-season sunflower yields this past year ran 2,066-2,145 lbs/ac, with the shining star being his double-crop sunflower at 2,400 lbs. Bargen plants early, mainly because of his rotation, which includes planting winter wheat for seed production after sunflower. “We like to get our sunflower in and up out of the ground and then get back into winter wheat,” he explains. “We’ve tried early and late over the years, trying to avoid the Dectes (long-horned beetle) problem we have.” It starts with hybrids with good oil content potential. His weed control package includes a preplant application of Spartan and a subsequent shot of Beyond on his Clearfield sunflower. All are important components, but Tom Bargen thinks the real “secret to success” with sunflower lies in the fertility strategy. His ’flower fertility program depends on soil test results, with the goal of 100 to 120 lbs of actual nitrogen per acre. He injects the liquid N along with sulfur prior to planting. Harvesting at higher moisture is not an issue, given Bargen’s air drying setup. They start taking the ’flowers off at the end of August or first part of September. “We try to get them off a little wetter to save quality and have less trash in the bin,” Bargen says. “In my area, it’s warm enough in the fall that seed dries down in hurry. It’s not unheard of to have 20% moisture one day, down to 15 the next, and then down to seven that same afternoon.” “We plant all non-GMO crops and have been entirely no-till since 1988,” Bargen notes. “We have to think two years ahead. We plan ahead and don’t deviate. That’s been our key to consistent and rising yields over the years.” Maximizing clean, productive ground is the goal for Bargen and his operation.
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Todd Yackley Onida, S.D. This central South Dakota farmer is not acquainted with Nebraskan Tom Bargen, but they seem to be on the same page when it comes to sunflower: the fertility plan is the key element to achieving consistently high yields. The Yackleys planted 6,500 sunflower acres this past year, with final yields ranging from 2,200 to 2,750 lbs/ac, along with good oil and test weight. They depend on a soil test in late fall or early spring. The Yackleys are just starting to get into variable rates and zone management. “We shoot for a nitrogen rate of 100 to 130 actual, based on the soil test,” Todd says. “We also throw in a little starter fertilizer at planting.” Consistently high yields may sound like an impossible dream for some due to highly variable environmental factors year after year, but Yackley says you start with good seed, have your planter in top-notch condition and pay attention to detail. Yackley thinks they are just starting to see the true benefits of being in a no-till system for more than 15 years. They start the season with a full rate of Spartan at preplant and then add Prowls H2O behind the planter. They’ve had very minimal weed pressure, with this year being the best in years. They’ve had some issues with stem weevil in the past, but Yackley says if they go after the grasses later in the season they will add an insecticide, given the value of the ’flowers. The Yackley sunflower operation has been virtually disease-free in recent years, and Todd credits rotation for that. They follow a spring wheat/winter wheat/ corn and then sunflower or soybean sequence. They also have some ground that goes corn/corn and then sunflower. The least disease issues, he says, are in the field where they stack corn on corn and then follow with sunflower. That ground has also produced the best sunflower crops in recent years. That rotational benefit is what Yackley says keeps them growing sunflower every year — that and the excellent return on investment. They plan on increasing their acres in the 2012 growing season.
ing there; yet we had 1,700-lb sunflower,” Sehn explains. He’s stuck with ’flowers all these years because it continues to be a top money maker. And achieving yields above 2,000 lbs/ac every season is not just a goal; it’s an absolute must. “We get disgusted with ’flowers under a ton,” Sehn says. This past season, his 750 acres of high-oleic sunflower came it at around 2,250 lbs/ac. His rotation is typically spring wheat, winter wheat, corn and sunflower. One quarter of land that has had some “soggy”
soil the last few years has a tighter rotation of almost exclusively corn and sunflower. Sehn likes to plant around May 20. Over the years, he’s tried earlier (as early as May 10), but has backed off and had better luck avoiding the insect issues by planting just slightly later. He credits his no-till practices for the clean ground they have, but yet he never skips the Spartan application prior to planting his sunflower. Sehn has had some issues with stem weevil in the past, but has found that by dropping the plant population just slightly
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Darrel Sehn Linton, N.D. This Emmons County farmer says he got into sunflower almost 15 year ago for two main reasons: to make money and the fact that the crop does well on dry soil. The traditionally dry region of south central North Dakota has seen its share of drought prior to the recent wet cycle. “There were years in there that we couldn’t combine the wheat because there was noth-
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
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to 20,000 at planting and ending up with about 18,000 facilitates larger stalks that stand up to the insect damage, should it show up. Because of the dryer conditions over the years, he’s had very little occurrence of disease in his ’flowers. Sehn puts his dry fertilizer down in a 2x2 band with the planter, with the goal of total 200 pounds of urea and phosphorus — a practice that he affirms is much more effective than simply broadcasting the fertilizer. Sehn also is adamant about planting depth. “I’m a firm believer in planting a little shallower,” he explains. “I’m very watchful to get our ’flowers planted at a depth of one to one and a half inches. It’s a delicate thing sometimes, because I think some guys plant them too deep and the sunflower struggles with emergence; but at the same time, we have to be mindful that they aren’t too shallow.” This North Dakotan is sticking with sunflower because of the profitability — and the consistency it gives him compared to other crops in his traditionally dry area. “We are far enough west in North Dakota to where soybeans are sketchy year after year. Sunflower goes after that moisture when we need it,” Sehn explains. “We’ve had very few crops under 1,500 lbs, and in all these years only one 30-acre field that
we had to abandon and didn’t harvest. I don’t think you can say that year in and year out about a lot of other crops.”
Dean Gerving Mandan, N.D. This central North Dakota farmer planted 7,000 acres of sunflower in 2011 near the Missouri River in partnership with his brother, Glen. Their crop of hullers was the only thing that made them money this past season, which has prompted them to plan on planting even more in 2012. They shoot for a ton every year and have achieved their goal consistently. The Gervings like to plant earlier rather than later, aiming for around May 25 with the goal of being done by no later than June 10. This past year, due to wetterthan-usual conditions, they planted a few acres on June 17 and did “OK.” They rotate wheat and sunflower — sometimes growing two years of wheat and then into sunflower and back to wheat. They turned to sunflower years ago to break up the sawfly problem in wheat. One of the Gerving brothers’ main objectives is keeping their fields clean. They plant Clearfield hybrids. “Following wheat, the sunflower ground will often get
two burndowns — one after the wheat comes off and then again with Spartan at preplant. We also go with a shot of Beyond mid-season,” Dean explains. Their fertilizer plan is a one-pass strategy of 100 lbs of N with the planter. They also throw in a blend of micronutrients of sulfur and phosphates. The Gerving operation also believes in using whatever is available to ensure a good crop. They spray for seed weevil and use a fungicide consistently on every acre for rust and downy mildew issues (that can be severe some years). “We treat sunflower as any other primary crop; not a secondary, like so many other guys tend to do,” Gerving notes. “We look at the money we stuck into our wheat last year with little return. We don’t skimp on our sunflower, and it’s a money maker for us every year.” Because of this, the Gerving brothers plan to increase their acres this coming year. It’s safe to say that most growers have the same motivation: economics. But everyone’s operation is just a little different. The common thread running through these four growers’ stories is one of making their sunflower a priority. It’s a philosophy that can result in a big payoff. — Sonia Mullally ■
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THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Another Window on Irrigation Water’s Effect on Crop Yields Colorado USDA Group Measures Yield Per Unit of Water Actually Consumed
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n these times when maximizing crop water-use efficiency is more important than ever, a team of Colorado-based USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists believes there’s a better way to measure how irrigation water affects a crop’s yield. Traditionally, that impact is gauged on the basis of “increased yield per unit of irrigation water applied.” But the ARS Water Management Research Unit (WMRU) at Fort Collins is measuring it in terms of “yield per unit of water actually taken in (consumed) by the crop.” That type of measurement, called a “crop water productivity function,” eliminates all water that does not enter a plant’s roots. It’s an important distinction in this era of growing pressure to “make more with less” when it comes to irrigation water supplies. That’s especially true in farming
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
areas where nearby municipal and industrial users are buying up farmland in order to obtain that land’s water rights — one example being along the Front Range of Colorado. This different approach reflects “the actual strain on groundwater supplies, because water used by crops is effectively ‘lost,’ while most unused rain and irrigation water returns to groundwater or flows into streams for use downstream,” points out Tom Trout, research leader of the WMRU team. “We’re trying to figure out a way we can sustain irrigated agriculture in the best condition possible — and still free up the water that needs to go to the cities,” Trout explains. It’s also important for farmers to know, as well as possible, how valuable their water is to crop growth if and when the day comes when those water rights are being sold, he adds.
The 2011 season marked the fourth year of a study to determine how much water is actually consumed by four crops common to the High Plains region: corn, wheat, sunflower and pinto beans. Trout and his colleagues are growing these crops in rotation on a 50-acre limited irrigation research farm near Greeley, Colo. ARS operates the farm collaboratively with Colorado State University at Fort Collins, which is about 30 miles northwest of Greeley. Trout’s WMRU colleagues on this study include agricultural engineer Walter Bausch and plant physiologists Dale Shaner and Louise Comas. The data from this study will be used by the Fort Collins ARS Agricultural Systems Research Unit to develop a computer “decision support” model to provide farmers with documentation of water savings and information on the economic viability of limited irrigation, crop by crop, to help in their decision making.
Will Limited Irrigation Save H2O? Farmers using limited irrigation do not give crops the full irrigation amounts needed for maximum yields. Instead, they use partial irrigations timed to critical growth stages. The WMRU team designed the original study to see whether limited irrigation is best economically for each of the four crops, and to help farmers with irrigation timing and amounts and other options. The four
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crops are being grown with six levels of irrigation: 100% (full irrigation); 85%; two at 70%; 55%, and finally 40% of full irrigation. The 40% level equates to what is essentially a dryland farming situation in this part of Colorado. In terms of irrigation efficiencies, furrow (surface) irrigation has relatively low efficiency, compared to overhead applications. “As you go up the ladder, sprinkler irrigation would rank fairly high in terms of efficiency,” Bausch points out. “You can get up into the 70, 80 and 90% efficiency range, depending on the type of nozzle package that’s on the sprinkler.” Drip irrigation is even more efficient. The WMRU team is using drip irrigation in its research project, with the tapes placed on the soil surface rather than being buried (as is typical in commercial applications). While drip is rarely used commercially on large-acreage crops like the four in this study, the team went with drip irrigation “because we have very good control of the amount of water we’re putting on — and there’s very little waste,” Bausch explains.
“Even though it’s a surface drip system, the soil surface doesn’t get all that wet. It’s a band, 12 to 16 inches wide. And after the plant develops a canopy, the soil surface is pretty shaded. So evaporation is minimal.” The research farm was set up to enable precision water control and accurate field measurements of water consumed. Use of drip irrigation eliminates the many variables found in furrow and overhead sprinkler irrigation. A series of meters and valves measures irrigation amounts. A field weather station helps the scientists predict the rate at which water is consumed — both transpired through plant leaves and evaporated from the soil surface. Actual soil water depletion is measured by moisture sensors down to six feet. Irrigation timing is based on both the predicted rates of crop water use and the soil water depletion measurements. A “high boy” platform with digital cameras, infrared detectors and an infrared thermometer is driven through the plots weekly to monitor crop growth and leaf temperature, an indicator of crop water deprivation.
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Four seasons of corn data (2008-2011) showed yields varying from 210 bu/ac for full irrigation down to 80 bushels for the lowest irrigation level. The team found that the corn plants on one acre of land need to consume about 600,000 gallons of water — from irrigation and rain — to produce 200 bushels of corn. “After an initial amount of water to get the corn growing, the consumption rate stayed about the same through all six levels of irrigation—about 2,000 gallons per bushel of corn,” Trout says. This flies in the face of the traditional belief that crops use water less efficiently as they get more of it. But in this experiment, Trout found that while that’s true in terms of drops of irrigation water applied or rainfall, it is not necessarily true in terms of drops of water consumed. In other words, there is little reduction in the amount of water corn takes in to produce each bushel, despite the reduction in the amount of irrigation water applied. This may make limited irrigation less attractive financially, at least for corn, in this region. “Corn farmers might do better financially to use full irrigation on a portion of their irrigated acres, rather than limited irrigation Tom Trout spread over all the acres,” Trout says. “They could then sell or lease the water rights on the nonirrigated acres. Another option would be to grow a different crop that requires less water, if the economics of limited irrigation work for that crop.” These results are preliminary, he emphasizes, and may vary with changes in the timing of water applications, type of crop or variety of corn.
Sunflower Results
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Sunflower data are available for three growing seasons at the Greeley location — 2008, 2010 and 2011. Rainfall during those three growing seasons amounted to 7.5, 6.0 and 4.0 inches, respectively. After a fall or spring strip-till pass, the sunflower was planted during the first week of June each year into heavy corn residue. As would be expected, sunflower plant height was highest with the 100% and 85% irrigation levels, and lowest at the 40% level. The increased canopy cover with even the 55% irrigation versus 40% contributed to better yields in 2010 and 2011. Temperature measurements indicated that the sunflower canopy is cooler than the air temperature, which in turn suggested that
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
Instrumentation Used to Calculate Crop ET
the sunflower was not experiencing crop water stress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The plant growth period between R3 (latter bud stage) and R6 (ray flowers wilting) is very sensitive to crop water stress; consequently, adequate irrigation during this period is critical to minimize plant water stress and boost crop yield,â&#x20AC;? Bausch points out. In terms of the yield:water relationship in sunflower at the Greeley site, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the 2008 data indicate smaller responses to the deficit irrigation treatments due to fairly high soil moisture to start the year and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;untimelyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; precipitation,â&#x20AC;? Bausch explains. Overall, across the three years, â&#x20AC;&#x153;water production function based on applied irrigation curves downward as the water application decreases,â&#x20AC;? he observes, meaning that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the marginal productivity of irrigation water (i.e., additional yield per unit of additional water) is relatively low near full irrigation.â&#x20AC;? Walter Bausch On the other hand, the water production function for yield based on evapo-transpiration is relatively straight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This implies that sunflower is equally efficient in its use of every additional unit of water consumed (about 180 lbs per inch of water applied) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the marginal value of the consumptively used water is fairly constant over a wide range of water applications,â&#x20AC;? Bausch reports. The water use numbers for sunflower in 2010 and 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the best data years â&#x20AC;&#x201D; showed that it required about 17.5 inches of water consumed to produce a little over 3,000 lbs/ac of sunflower seed. This is equivalent to about 180 lbs/inch or 150 gal/lb [compared to corn at 22.5 inches to produce 210 bu (12,000 lbs) or 2,500 gal/bu or 45 gal/lb]. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thus, at full irrigation, corn produces about three times the seed yield per unit water,â&#x20AC;? Trout says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For sunflower, this rate of water use stayed pretty constant as we reduced irrigation. We got about 2,000 lbs/ac of seed with 12 inches of water consumed; and we were still getting decent yield (1,650 lbs) with 10 inches of water. However, with corn, 10 inches will not produce yield in this area; it takes about 13 inches of water to get any consistent yield. Corn has much higher potential water productivity, but sunflower is more drought tolerant.â&#x20AC;? So what is the bottom line for sunflower, based on these three years of limited irrigation research at Greeley? Although corn is more productive with good water supply, sunflower is more drought tolerant and will produce more dependably with a poor water supply, according to Trout and Bausch. For both crops, if the cost of your water is based on irrigation amount, deficit irrigation can be beneficial because it uses rainfall and stored water more efficiently. However, if the value of your water is based on consumption, you will likely be better off to reduce your acres and irrigate at near full water requirements, state the ARS scientists. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Lilleboe â&#x2013; Note: Part of this article consists of information provided in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Growing Crops and Saving Water in the West,â&#x20AC;? written by Don Comis, from the August 2011 issue of Agricultural Research, a publication of the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
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Mona’s Granola Sunflower a Primary Ingredient in Florida Entrepreneur’s Products
Slow & Steady Growth At the time, Gale wasn’t even set up for the order from the St. Petersburg, Fla.based grocery store chain. She immediately contacted the owner of a small bakery and persuaded them to bake the granola, using her recipe. She wasn’t about to blow her big break. Mona used $3,000 of her savings to start her company years ago. She’s since parlayed that money into a successful business, beyond her wildest dreams. Over the years, some things have changed. Production grew along with the sales, moving to bigger bakeries to keep up with the requests. New and improved packaging was designed. What began with a glass mason jar and an oval family picture label transitioned to the custom stand-up bags with a clear window so it is easy to see the quality of the actual granola, rather than just a picture. After 30 years, there’s also a lot that’s still the same when it comes to Gale’s philosophy of creating a wholesome product with simple, high-quality ingredients. Another thing that hasn’t changed is that photo on her label. It still features a photo of Gale with her two sons, who are now grown and off on their own in the business world. Her children were, and still are, a big part of her story. They both have contributed to the products’ success in establishing the mail order side of the business as well as helping out with promotion. Gale recently offered some insight behind her grassroots success story and her product that features sunflower seeds as one of the major ingredients. — Sonia Mullally
Photos: Mona’s Granola
How did the idea behind Mona’s Granola originate?
I
n 1981, Mona Gale was a Florida housewife and college student with a good recipe, lots of energy, persistence and a desire to be in business for herself. She knew she had a good product because of how many times her friends and neighbors uttered these five simple words, “Have you tried Mona’s granola?” Gale set out on a mission to propel her homemade concoction onto the shelves of the popular grocery stores. Some 30 years ago, the young stay-at-home mother of two young boys found herself in the office of
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the CEO of a popular grocery store chain, pitching her hand-made product from a glass jar. At first the answer was no; but after she insisted he taste her granola on her second visit, things changed in a big way. Unfortunately, the lid of the jar was jammed a bit, so Gale twisted a bit harder . . . and harder. It finally popped off and the granola went everywhere — onto the executive, his desk, chair and floor. But he tasted it and promptly ordered 25 cases. With that simple order, the door opened for Mona’s Granola.
I had been studying nutrition books for years and biology since I was a child — how fabulous the multiple layers of the skin and complexity of the human body! As I learned about deficiency symptoms and the connection to the healing through vitamins and minerals, I researched the foods with those nutrients. From there I created a very sunflower-rich healthy cereal and called it the familiar name “granola.” I ate it all the time, shared it, and requests led to the plan to put it in the stores. When Publix Markets tested it, it sold out! How would you describe your company and product philosophy? Always knowing how everything we do begins with the energy of feeling good, I insist on only using the best-quality ingredients available. I have a new foundation called SuperStars, with our motto [being]
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
SuperStars Today – Leaders Tomorrow! Its mission is to provide guidance, resources and education for improving health through physical fitness and nutrition.
proper health. It is exceptionally important to the health of the skin, hair and attributed to things like proper wound healing. Can you describe the production process comparing the startup to how things are done now?
How did you progress from your homemade kitchen recipe to where you are today?
Much of our process remains the same, by hand mixing. But we are about to go to a much larger production capacity using much higher technology this year.
It begins with a vision, ignoring any negative comments from others who can't see my own vision. Still, I listen to my own inspiration. I had a formula, decided on the image, created the product — then followed every door that opened! The first major door that opened was when someone suggested Publix. With that chance, everything began! What led you to see a need for something different in the granola marketplace almost 30 years ago?
Cost for your most popular size package? Our 11 oz packages are $3.99 in the store or $5.99 delivered anywhere in the U.S. and Canada by mail order. Mona Gale today (above) and with her two sons (below) — now grown up — when the three served as the faces for the still-used Mona’s logo.
There was no healthy, tasty granola on the shelf at the time. How do you stand out from the General Mills, Kelloggs, Quaker of the cereal aisle? Better quality — with 40% sunflower seeds, rich with nuts and no sugar, yet still taste delicious! I am a real person. People can talk to me. Who can a consumer talk to at the big companies? There is no Mr. or Ms. General Mills. With our new box about to go into production, new nutritional video series and children’s foundation, the way we stand out is only beginning.
Where is your product available? Our product is available in the Publix supermarket chain in the five southeastern states only at this time. We are speaking to many new accounts, but getting appointments is a challenge. It’s also available through Amazon.com and our own website at www.monasinc.com. What’s on the horizon for your company?
zinc — so important, for example, to healing and the prostate.
Why sunflower kernels?
You use sunflower and/or soy oil? Why sunflower oil?
They are so rich in protein, vitamins and minerals — especially the trace mineral
Sunflower is high in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that must be consumed for
We have several things coming up. I have a new line of cookies. One is rich in sunflower seeds, for breakfast on the go. I am searching for a new co-packer who has the capacity for a multi-pack that is compatible with a grocery store. In terms of promotions, we have a series of nutritional videos on our website. We’re also working with SuperStars Foundation with pro athletes giving sports tips. Another thing we’re working on is new packaging in recycled paper cereal stylebox with a sealed bag inside. ■
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30 Years Ago Excerpts from the February 1982 Issue of The Sunflower
NSA Convention Excerpts / “Sunflower Breeding: A Look to Tomorrow” / W.W. Roath, USDA-ARS, Fargo, N.D. — “Present experimental efforts will continue to result in long-term increases in yield. These increases will be small and subject to year-to-year variation. I believe that current limitations to yield lie outside of the yield potential possessed by the present generations of hybrids. Yields in excess of 3,000 pounds per acre have been obtained. While the reasons for not consistently obtaining such yields are many and varied, they probably fall into three areas: (1) pest resistance; (2) agronomic adaptability; and (3) management. “Susceptibility to Sclerotinia head and stalk rot is probably the greatest disease threat to sunflower. We have identified parental lines with tolerance to this disease. Unfortunately, this tolerance is not necessarily reflected in their respective hybrids. Certain biological antagonists to Sclerotinia have been identified and are receiving considerable emphasis as possible control methods. All of these systems (plant tolerance and biological control) have not to date afforded adequate protection for the crop.” 2,500 Attend SIGCO Day — “ ‘Farming will not only survive, but farmers will prosper in America,’ stated an optimistic Merrill Oster, president of Professional Farmers of America, Cedar Falls, Iowa, at the fifth annual SIGCO Sunflower Day in Wahpeton, N.D., on January 12. Oster was one of several speakers addressing the crowd of approximately 2,500. “During the 1980s, Oster predicted, crop prices will climb, and we will see soybeans hitting $17 a bushel, corn getting up to [$7] a bushel, and wheat at $10. ‘There are windows of opportunity for you in forward contracting and futures marketing,’ he told the farmers presents. ‘Smart marketing can be the salvation of the family farm.’ ”
You Know He’ll Go No-Till This Season / Gary Grinaker — “Don’t try to tell John Leppert no-till on sunflower won’t work. Last fall the Sarles, N.D., grower took off his third successful notill crop. “Leppert has converted his farming operation to no-till since he first tried it on 150 acres four years ago. In 1981 everything but the edible bean portion of his farm (including 170 acres of confection sunflower) went into no-till. . . . “The savings comes in time and equipment. Back in his plowing days, Leppert would traditionally put 1,000 hours a year on his tractor. Now his John Deere 4430 can handle 950 acres in just 260 hours, with another 100 hours spent in his John Deere 4020 and field sprayer. ‘I couldn’t possibly put in this much acreage in this amount of time with conventional tillage,’ Leppert observes. ‘With conventional tillage, you have to fall plow, put on anhydrous, spring cultivate, pick rocks, seed, spray and harrow. This year (1981) Jack (Ridley, his hired man) harrowed one day, I sprayed the next, and Jack followed with the drills.’ . . . “Leppert utilizes two altered Haybuster drills for planting his no-till sunflower. In the past he had employed circular cylinders to hold the seed over the proper seed cups for 30-inch rows. In 1981 he planted his sunflower in 18-inch rows, which resulted in about a 10-day earlier drydown and also enhanced weed control. Alternate fertilizer tubes are used; thus, the fertilizer is banded on either side of the sunflower row.”
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Flower Power, Inc. — One Year Later / Don Lilleboe — “[Will] veg oils work well in the farmer’s tractor without producing detrimental side effects over the long term? A group of North Dakotans met that question head-on this past year. Flower Power, Inc., a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Grand Forks, N.D., was formed in late 1980. Its objective was to test various sun oil/diesel fuel blends in totally unmodified tractor engines under actual field conditions on the farm. . . . “The project included 10 tractors at the beginning of the season, with two more added after spring planting. The four Case and four Allis-Chalmers tractors were provided to the growers on lease through local dealers, while with John Deere, four new engines were installed into tractors owned by the growers. Six of the tractors were run on a 25/75 percent sun oil/#2 diesel blend, while the other six ran on a 50/50 mixture. . . . “Viscosity — thickening of the oil in colder temperatures — presented very few problems during the cooler fall months. “By season’s end, 11 of the 12 tractors were still operating. (One failed due to excessive blowby and struck compression rings, apparently caused by a polymerization of the sun oil partially resulting from the use of an inferior grade of lubricating oil.) All told, they had accumulated 6,360 tractor hours. Total fuel consumed was 36,065 gallons of which 13,170 were sunflower oil. On average, horsepower hours per gallon looked as good as, if not better than, the Nebraska ratings for these tractors.” Rolling in the (Sun) Oil — “We’ve all heard of women’s mud wrestling contests. . . . The latest item now, though, is oil wrestling — and that’s cooking oil, not petroleum. Certainly lady mud wrestlers in the East apparently switch over to oil on occasion because: (1) the fans can get closer without leaving dirty; and (2) after a few minutes of the match have gone by, you can still tell who’s who. And when they do use an oil, it’s usually sunflower oil. As one lady combatant put it, ‘It doesn’t taste as bad as mud, and it’s good for the skin and hair.” ■
THE SUNFLOWER February 2012
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