NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

September 17, 1998

Sunflower Field Tour Set for Sept. 24

A sunflower field tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the North Central Research Extension Center (NCREC) in Minot. A key feature of the tour will be discussion of the NuSun™ hybrids.

Leading off that discussion will be USDA research geneticist Jerry Miller from Fargo. He will provide research data to demonstrate that the performance of NuSun hybrids is comparable to traditional oilseed sunflower. Weather permitting, those attending can walk the research plots and view the NuSun hybrids.

The NuSun hybrids produce an oil considerably higher in oleic acid than traditional oil sunflower. As a result, the oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acid, as are canola, peanut and olive oils. This characteristic has benefits for food manufacturers, consumers and sunflower producers, says Jay Fisher, NCREC director.

Because the oil derived from NuSun hybrids contains more oleic acid and only a trace of linolenic acid, hydrogenation is not required. Hydrogenation is a process by which hydrogen is introduced into oil to improve its stability, which extends the shelf-life for certain types of processed foods such as crackers. Hydrogenation is a costly process for food manufacturers, and it also produces trans fatty acids that behave like saturated fat in the human body and raise health concerns for some. NuSun oil also has a high smoke point, which makes it desirable for deep-frying.

Due to the processing and nutritional attributes of NuSun oil, sunflower industry officials expect demand to be significant. In fact, Larry Kleingartner, executive director of the National Sunflower Association says demand for oilseed sunflower could double within the next few years. The majority of oilseed sunflower production currently occurs in the central and northern plains states. In 1997, North Dakota produced 50 percent of the U.S. sunflower crop.

Kleingartner will discuss market opportunities for NuSun and other sunflower products as part of the sunflower field tour, Fisher says. In addition, producers will learn about new products available for weed control in sunflower from Brian Jenks, NCREC weed scientist. Also, Jan Knodel, extension crop protection specialist, will provide input on sunflower pests of economic concern, and Mark Zarnstorff, NCREC agronomist, will detail successful strategies for narrow-row sunflower production.

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Source: Jay Fisher (701) 857-7679

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136