Sunflower growers go into the New Year with something they’ve wanted for years—options.

In the past, weed and soil insect control were problems without adequate solutions.  Now, two new technologies give sunflower growers options to prevent further crop loss and promote higher yields for the upcoming growing season.

“Newly approved sunflower labels, like Beyond herbicide® and Cruiser® seed treatment for seedling insects, give growers new tools to reduce risk and add value,” said Kevin Wall, sales manager of SEEDS 2000, Breckenridge, MN in a recent interview.

The CLEARFIELD* Production System for sunflower is a unique production system comprised of herbicide-tolerant hybrids and Beyond herbicide to manage marshelder, wild mustard, cocklebur, green foxtail (pigeon grass), additional foxtail species and other tough grasses and broadleaf weeds. Beyond is the only post-emergence herbicide that provides contact and residual control of a wide range of both broadleaf and grass weeds in sunflowers.  CLEARFIELD sunflower and all other CLEARFIELD crops are recognized as non-GMO by international regulators.  

In December, Beck Ag Com, Inc., on behalf of BASF Corporation, held a AgTelePanel with specialists and sunflower growers from North Dakota.  They discussed weed control, timing and economics of using Beyond herbicide®.

Dr. Rich Zollinger, Extension Weed Specialist with North Dakota State University (NDSU), Fargo touched on the competitive value of some of the weeds being economically efficient.

“You get a healthy patch of wild oat and they can decimate the sunflower yield.  Beyond is just an excellent grass and broadleaf control herbicide,” said Zollinger.

Growers also recognize the economic benefit. 

 “I know that if I wouldn’t have used it, they wouldn’t have yielded 500 pounds and I’m sure they made at least 1500 or more,” Stan Naumann of Linton, ND said.  “I guess it was about $16 an acre for Beyond.  You definitely get what you pay for.   The fields were clean and I was totally satisfied.”

While Beyond can be used as a stand-alone product, BASF recommends Prowl® followed by Beyond as the best weed control program for the sunflower grower desiring residual control of several weed species, including ALS-resistant kochia.  Prowl followed by Beyond provides full-season control of the broadest spectrum of both broadleaf and grass weeds, resulting in higher yields, according to BASF.

Cruiser® seed treatment insecticide offers sunflower growers a crop protection tool for the management of damaging early-season soil and foliar insects.  Cruiser aids in better stand establishment and more vigorous plant development to help growers protect the yield potential of their sunflower crop. 

Commercially applied by seed companies at a low use rate, Cruiser is active against sunflower beetle, wireworm and striped flea beetle.  Currently, Cruiser is the only seed treatment option labeled for sunflower. 

 “Cruiser gives growers a way to control soil insects, which can devastate a crop stand without much warning,” said Dr. Phillip Glogoza, extension entomologist at NDSU commented. “Often, it is difficult to determine if soil insects, such as wireworm and seed corn maggots, are present in a field at damaging levels until it is too late.”

Farmers that are aware of soil insect problems based on survey or a field’s history have the option of using Cruiser in advance to help prevent crop damage in their fields.  Growers who suspect they have a problem, may want to consider Cruiser to help ensure good stand establishment and a healthy crop.

The pale-striped flea beetle has caused some special concerns with stand establishment in areas of South Dakota.  The insect can move in quickly to feed on emerging seedlings and can cause rapid stand losses.

“As long as the flea beetle problem in North Central South Dakota exists, farmers in that area may want to explore the seed treatment technology as a way of protecting seedlings from extensive feeding,” Glogoza added.

Sunflower growers will be doing just that.  They will not only identify the problem but take the second step and explore their option for the best way to use ‘tools to reduce risk and add value’ to their sunflower crop in the New Year.

Seeds 2000, Inc., is a privately held company specializing in the development and marketing of various seed and technology products direct to farmers. 

CLEARFIELD Production System and Beyond are trademarks of BASF Corporation.  Prowl herbicide is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation.
NuSun is a trademark of the National Sunflower Association
Cruiser, Powered by Cruiser and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.