NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota
State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
May 14, 1998
Very careful management is required to get sunflower yields of 2,000 pounds per acre or better. Getting the crop into the ground at the right time is the first essential management step, according to Duane Berglund, North Dakota State University extension agronomist.
"Sunflower producers need to be well organized and prepared to move when field conditions are correct," says Berglund. "Seed, fertilizer, herbicides and machinery should be on hand, ready to go."
Berglund offers these suggestions for getting sunflowers off to a good start:
* Plant quality seed. Yields will be down if seed is poor. Seed germination should be high, seed of uniform size with no cracking and free of disease.
* Plant hybrids proved and tested in North Dakota through university trials that show high yield potential, disease resistance, sunflower midge tolerance (if in a midge-infested area) and high percent oil content.
* Plant from May 15 to June 1 to get high yields and minimize frost, disease and insect problems. Planting sunflower beyond June 10 is risky. Date-of-planting trials in North Dakota have shown no yield reduction when planting is delayed till later May compared to early or mid-May.
* Plant to correct populations, which depend on soil type and moisture conditions. For oilseed sunflowers, strive for 20,000 to 24,000 plants per acre on heavy soils, 16,000 to 20,000 plants per acre on lighter sandy soils and low rainfall areas. For narrow row sunflower in row width spacings of 15 inches or less, increase the populations by about 4,000 plants per acre, depending on the soil type. For confectionary sunflower, populations of 15,000 to 18,000 plants per acre are recommended. For both sunflower types it's generally recommended to overplant seed by 15 percent to obtain desired plant populations at harvest.
* Plant at depth of 1½ inches if moisture is good. Deeper depths may be necessary under dry conditions, but not more than 3 inches. Larger-sized seed is best for deep planting. Always seed to moisture.
* Apply herbicides labeled and recommended for weed control in sunflower. Always follow label information for best results. Thorough soil incorporation in two directions is a must for many preplant-incorporated herbicides.
* Fertilize for desired yields by use of soil tests. Nitrogen is perhaps the most important nutrient required for high yields. As a general rule, 5 pounds of actual N is required for each 100 pounds of sunflower seed yield desired. A 2,000 pound per acre sunflower crop requires 100 pounds of total N.
* Monitor early for insect problems, primarily cutworms. Cutworms can damage sunflower seedlings prior to emergence and immediately following emergence. A limited number of insecticides are cleared for use. Consult your county extension agent for assistance.
"Sunflower is a high-management crop, one that needs a whole lot of scouting," says Berglund. "Producers need to constantly monitor their sunflower fields by walking them on a weekly basis—or even more often at critical periods when pest problems are likely."
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Source: Duane Berglund (701) 231-8135
Editor: Barry Brissman (701) 231-7866