Producers discuss viability of sunflowers in Vernon County

By Ben Holman

Nevada Daily Mail

Dorothy of "The Wizard of Oz" might feel at home in Vernon County this season since several area farmers are considering switching some soybean acres over to a crop commonly associated with Kansas -- sunflowers.

On Friday, around 20 area growers met at the Vernon County Fairgrounds to discuss the viability of growing sunflowers in Vernon County. "With price concerns over soybeans and the threat of rust this year, we wanted to give farmers some options on alternative crops," said Wayne Prewitt, University of Missouri Extension.

Dr. Rob Myers, executive director of the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, presented information to those who attended on production of sunflowers as well as marketing. "This isn't a crop that you can market at your local elevator, but there is a market for it in Missouri," he said.

"The first joke you hear about sunflowers is, 'well, they're a weed,'" he said. He said that the small sunflowers with the multiple heads that you see growing in the right-of-ways are natural varieties and not the same as commercial sunflowers. "The commercial type are not a weed problem."

He said that there were quite a few buyers in Missouri for the product and the five-or-so Vernon County farmers at the meeting who have already tried their hand at sunflowers attested to that fact. According to Myers, there are two types of sunflowers that producers can choose to grow: confectionery, which are meant for human consumption, and oilseeds, which are used in cooking oils and bird feeds.

He said that there were advantages and drawbacks to each type of seed. Confectionery seeds get a premium in the market of 18 to 19 cents per pound, but must meet stringent standards and are easily refused due to high moisture content, size and condition.

Nevertheless, seeds that are refused are not worthless because seed buyers will often purchase them to be sold as kernels-- at a lower price. In order to meet the standards for confectionery seeds, growers must aggressively manage crops because insects and disease can mean refusal for the food market.

Oilseeds do not require such stringent management because their main use is as a bird feed. According to Myers, U.S. consumers spend $12.2 billion-per-year on birdseed and that 85-90 percent of the sunflower acres in the United States are dedicated to growing for birdseed. This is the market where Myers sees the greatest potential for Missouri growers. There are many packagers of sunflower seeds in Missouri but very few growers -- close to 100,000 pounds of seeds are packaged in Missouri while only about 5,000 pounds are grown here. Myers says that Missouri growers have an advantage over producers in Kansas and the Dakotas -- the main producers -- in that the transportation costs will be lower.

Oilseeds can also be crushed for oil. One variety of oilseed, Nu Sun, according to Myers, is very popular with the food industry because it does not require hydrogenation and does not produce trans-fats, which are a growing concern among American consumers. Myers said that the food industry is so enamored with the product that the entire supply of the brand was purchased months before harvest last year. However, seeds grown for this purpose must be processed and transportation costs would be an issue, the closest sunflower oil plant is in Goodland, Kan., on the Colorado border.

The TJAI conducted a study on soybean and sunflower fields near Sedalia from 2000-'03 and found that sunflower crops produced about the same price value as soybeans. During the study period, soybeans brought in $206 per acre and sunflowers brought in $211 per acre, making them about on par with soybean acres. Sunflowers were also shown to have no negative affect on the following crop.

One advantage of sunflowers over soybeans, is their tolerance of drought conditions. If they receive enough moisture to get established, drought conditions generally don't affect yield. Sunflowers are also very tolerant of differing soil conditions; they do well in both sandy soil and heavy clay -- only wet soils seem to have a major negative impact on sunflowers. Sunflowers also respond well to nitrogen, but don't require as much as corn or milo. Sunflowers are also very competitive with weeds and once they are established, do a good job of shading weeds out. Sunflowers can be planted at a variety of times during the year -- they can be planted as early as corn or even as late as 10 days after soybeans, because they are more resistant to frost than soybeans.

However, sunflowers must be rotated, experts suggest sunflowers be worked into the rotation every four years.

Birds are a concern with sunflower crops and Dakota farmers report that approximately five percent of their crop is lost to birds in an average year.

Myers said that if birds are a concern, planting away from tree-lines and roosting places is one method of control. He also said that early planting can help limit bird losses, since early planted sunflowers can be harvested before birds begin flocking.

Tim Forkner, a producer at the meeting, said that he is planning on planting some acreage with sunflowers instead of soybeans this year.

"Four of the last five years, soybeans haven't done as well as we'd like," he said. He said that the choice of sunflowers was largely influenced by his son, Nathan, who felt that sunflowers would be a good option for them.

He said that he plans on planting the confectionery type of sunflower because the premium to be had is so great, "it's about 50 percent more than soybeans."

Forkner said that he has been watching Larry Balk to get an idea of how they'll do.

Balk said that last year he and another farmer decided to try a test plot of sunflowers near D Highway and that he was pleased with the results and plans on converting more acreage to sunflowers this year, "they might even take the place of some of my corn."

He said that his crop produced around 2,000 pounds per acre, but believes that numbers around 3,000 pounds are possible with proper management. He said that price was the main factor in his decision to go with sunflowers, "if you can raise 2,000-3,000 pounds per acre and get 19-20 cents a pound, it's a pretty easy decision," said Balk.

He also said that the heartiness of the crop was another consideration, sunflowers have a deep root system and are very drought tolerant.

Balk said that quality is what the buyers are looking for in confectionery seed, "big seed, that's what they pay for." He said that it's important not to crowd the rows so that the sunflowers aren't competing with each other.

"If they're too close together, you'll get small heads and small seeds, " he said, also noting hat scouting and proper management are important when producing seeds for the food industry.

"You've got to spray for bugs just as soon as you see them," he said.

Balk indicated that he plans on continuing to produce sunflowers for as long as its profitable, "If it'll pay like we think it will, there's no other crop that'll touch it."

For more information about sunflower production and the possibilities in Vernon County, contact Wayne Prewitt at the Vernon County Extension office at (417) 448-2560 or contact the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute at (573) 449-3518.