Mycogen Seeds is now offering the CLEARFIELD™ Production System for sunflower. This new technology combines the company’s high yielding sunflower hybrids with Beyond™ herbicide, delivering broad-spectrum postemergence grass and broadleaf weed control in all tillage systems. As the largest sunflower seed producer, Mycogen Seeds is one of an exclusive group of seed companies offering this production system.

"Currently we are offering NuSun™ sunflower hybrid 8N429CL with the CLEARFIELD trait but we expect to offer additional hybrids for future planting seasons," says Keith Porter, sunflower marketing specialist for Mycogen Seeds. "We are confident that these hybrids will perform very well. The CLEARFIELD Production System will allow the hybrids to thrive, even in fields with common cocklebur and marshelder weed problems."

Kansas State University researchers first identified the CLEARFIELD trait for sunflowers in 1997, when it was found in a population of wild sunflowers. The wild sunflowers were growing in a soybean field with seven years of continuous ALS-inhibitor herbicide use. Using traditional plant-breeding procedures, the wild sunflower was crossed with USDA cultivated breeding stocks, and the tolerance trait was maintained through several backcross generations. Four new CLEARFIELD germplasm lines were developed and made available to Mycogen Seeds, other seed companies and plant breeders. Mycogen Seeds incorporated the trait into its most advanced breeding stock to create an elite line of hybrids.

Since the CLEARFIELD trait for sunflowers is naturally occurring, and was cultivated and incorporated into germplasm with traditional plant breeding procedures, the CLEARFIELD technology is not a genetically modified organism (GMO).

"We’re excited to offer our new CLEARFIELD flower hybrid to sunflower growers. This system, including Beyond herbicide, will allow them to plant on an increased number of acres, including land that was previously overlooked due to weed problems," says Porter.

Beyond herbicide works with the CLEARFIELD trait in sunflower hybrids to provide broad-spectrum postemergence control of weeds in all tillage systems and recently received all United States and Canadian regulatory approvals. It should be noted that application of Beyond in conventional (non-CLEARFIELD) sunflowers results in significant crop injury and plant death.

To preserve the efficacy of the CLEARFIELD Sunflower Production System, and to prevent or delay herbicide resistance in the wild sunflower population and other weed pests, specific management practices need to be followed. These practices should span across crops and years to promote sound herbicide resistance management.

• Always grow CLEARFIELD sunflower in rotation with other crops, i.e. wheat/crop/sunflower.

• Use alternate (non-ALS) mode-of-action herbicides with activity on sunflower in the rotational crop, i.e. growth regulator or photosynthesis inhibitor.

• Do not plant CLEARFIELD sunflower on land with a history of a heavy infestation of wild (common or prairie) sunflower.

• Control wild sunflower in adjacent areas to CLEARFIELD sunflower fields (road ditches, field borders, fence rows) through the use of non-ALS herbicides and/or mowing prior to seed set.

To contact a Mycogen Seeds Sales Representative or dealer in your area to order CLEARFIELD sunflowers, visit the dealer finder section of our site.

Mycogen Seeds is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and is an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC. Mycogen is the leader in Silage-Specific™ corn and the largest sunflower seed producer, and is a leading producer of seed corn, alfalfa, soybeans and sorghum.