SUNFLOWER A Native Oilseed with

Growing Markets

OverviewSunflowers have a long history in Missouri, datingback at least a thousand years to when they werecultivated in fields by Native Americans. Althoughmodern sunflower cultivars were not grown widelyin the U.S. until the 1970s, there were tests ofsunflower oilseed processing by the SoutheastMissouri Sunflower Growers’ Association in Mis-souri in 1926. Sunflowers are well adapted toMissouri conditions, even though their primaryproduction has lately been in the Northern andWestern Plains. Sunflower acreage has been increas-ing over the last few years in Missouri, with severalthousand acres now produced.

New government policies are making it more eco-nomically favorable for sunflowers, primarily theavailability of oilseed loan deficiency payments(LDPs) for sunflower. The growing size of thesunflower market, both for oilseed and birdseed uses,is creating new opportunity to add sunflowers to croprotations in Missouri. Sunflowers can be plantedfrom April through July, including as a double cropafter wheat.

By adding sunflower to an existing crop rotation,pest problems such as corn borer or soybean cystnematode can be reduced. Sunflower is shorterseason than most crops, so can be planted later orharvested earlier, helping spread out work load.Sunflowers are efficient at extracting water from thesoil profile, especially in sandy loam soils, and canoften tolerate drier conditions better than other crops.

Growth and DevelopmentSunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a broadleafplant that emerges from the soil with two largecotyledons. Emergence will take four to five dayswhen planted an inch deep in warm soil, but will

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take a few days longer in cooler soils or whenplanted deeper. Soil crusting can make it difficult forthe large seedlings to push out of the soil. Sunflow-ers grow rapidly, producing large, rough leaves. Ifplanted in early June, sunflowers in Missouri will bein full bloom after about two months in early August,and be mature by late September. Current sunflowervarieties in Missouri reach an average of six feet inheight, varying between five and seven feet depend-ing on planting date and soil conditions. Afterreaching their full height and blooming, heads oncommercial cultivars turn downwards, designed tomake it harder for birds to eat the seed.

A field of sunflowers in bloom is a striking sight, andmany farmers remark about the pleasure they, andpeople passing by, get from seeing the flowers. Eachsunflower head, or inflorescence, is actually com-posed of two types of flowers. What appears to beyellow petals around the edge of the head are actu-ally individual ray flowers. The face of the head iscomprised of hundreds of disk flowers, that eachform into a seed (achene). Commercial sunflowershave flowers that are self-compatible for pollination,meaning they do not require a pollinating insect,although some studies have shown bee pollinatorsproviding a slight yield boost. Sunflower heads turnwith, or track, the sun early in their development, butlater stay east-facing before facing downwards.Some farmers like to plant their rows north and southso that the heads can lean into the row space, ratherthan bumping against an adjacent plant, causingsome seed to fall.

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How to Grow Sunflower

Sunflowers work well as a full season crop in rota-tion with corn, soybeans and/or sorghum. As adouble crop after wheat, sunflowers are an equallygood choice with soybeans for the southern half ofMissouri, and are a very good choice for the northernpart of the state. Regardless of whether they aregrown as a single crop or double crop, sunflowersshould not be planted in the same field more thanonce every three to four years. Sunflowers, likesoybeans, do not leave very much residue, so onerosive fields consider seeding a fall cover crop aftersunflowers. Sunflowers generally grow best on welldrained soils, are tolerant of clay loam or silty clayloam soils and perform comparatively well on sandyloam soils. They should not be grown on wet soils,but may be a good choice for bottom ground thatdoesn’t dry out until early summer, since the sun-flowers can be planted relatively late.

Variety SelectionMost major seed companies have several varieties ofsunflower available. Almost all commercial varietiesof sunflowers are hybrids, so new seed should bepurchased each year. Companies have been activelydeveloping new hybrids of sunflowers with betterdisease resistance and higher yields. Special typeswith unique seed oil characteristics have beendeveloped through conventional plant breeding (notbiotech), including “NuSun” sunflowers, that arehigher in oleic acid in their seed oil than conven-tional oilseed sunflowers. Reflecting market de-mands, many companies are releasing NuSun variet-ies, that are considered mid-level in their oleic acidcontent (there are also “high-oleic” varieties avail-able that are desired for certain food and industrialuses). Variety test comparisons in Missouri haveshown a considerable difference in yield of availablevarieties, but similarity in height and maturity. Forthe birdseed market, oil percentage does not matter,but selecting a variety with high oil content may beworthwhile for a vegetable oil market. To get thelatest information on variety performance in Mis-souri, and for a list of seed sources, refer to theJefferson Institute publication on sunflower varieties(phone 573-449-3518).

PlantingSunflowers should be planted 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep.Row spacing studies have shown that sunflowers donot yield better in narrow rows, whereas wide rowsare preferable to allow cultivating for weeds or use arow crop header. Sunflowers are not particularlysensitive to seeding rate, since head size (and seednumber) per plant will increase in a thinner stand.Seeding rates can be from 15,000 to 25,000 plantsper acre. Sunflower seeds vary in size, so seedingrate based on weight must take into account seedsize, but will be roughly 3 to 4 pounds per acre.Number 2 sunflower seeds are largest, while number5 are smallest. Most sunflower seed available issized as a 3 or 4. Size of the seed can affect whattype of planter modifications are necessary, such asbuying new seed plates or finger pickups.

Planting sunflower can begin anytime after soilshave warmed to 50°F. (April) through mid-July. It’snot a bad idea to plant sunflower on a couple ofdifferent dates to reduce risk and spread out laborload. Planting early can allow sunflower to beharvested before corn and soybeans, and will helpavoid bird damage. Planting late can allow plantingafter other crops are done, and is less likely to havedamage from sunflower moth. Double crop plantingafter wheat works well with sunflower and can bedone in the northern part of Missouri since sunfloweris more frost tolerant than soybeans in the fall.

FertilitySunflower has modest fertility needs, but doesrespond to nitrogen. When following soybeans inthe rotation, roughly 50 to 70 lbs. N/acre is appropri-ate. Following a non-legume, about 80 to 100 lbs.N/acre is suitable. Animal manure or a legume covercrop can reduce or eliminate need for N fertilizer.One option is to spring plant a legume cover, such asAustrian winter peas in early April, let the legumegrow for 2 months, then incorporate the legume andplant the sunflower in early June. This approach caneliminate the need for N fertilizer if good legumegrowth occurs. For sunflower planted double cropafter wheat, apply about 60 lbs. N/acre if the wheatstubble is tillage incorporated, or about 80 lbs. N/acre if the sunflower is grown no-till in the residue.P and K should be applied based on soil test recom

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mendation: for double cropping, extra P and K forthe sunflower can be applied to the wheat the previ-ous fall. On sandy soils, sunflower is often respon-sive to extra potassium fertilizer. Sunflower appearstolerant of soils with a pH down to 5.5, but considerliming if the pH is below 6.0, to improve nutrientavailability in the soil. Starter fertilizer for sun-flower will usually be beneficial only in cool soils ofearly spring, and should not be placed in directcontact with the seed.

Weed ControlOne of the real advantages of sunflower is that itsvigorous growth and robust size make it very com-petitive with most weeds. However, weeds must notbe allowed to get a head start on sunflower. Weedscan be controlled either through herbicides or tillage,but most sunflower producers in Missouri make useof both, applying a preplant herbicide and then rowcultivating at least once after the sunflower seedlingsare established. Some of the preemergence herbi-cides* available for sunflower are Treflan, Prowl,Sonalan, and Eptam, all of which are primarily grassherbicides with control of some broadleafs. For2002, a broadleaf herbicide called Spartan was givena temporary Section 18 registration for conservationor minimum tillage use in Missouri. A section 18application has been submitted for Spartan for use onsunflowers again in 2003. For grass control aftersunflowers have emerged, Poast and Select areavailable, but no post-emerge broadleaf herbicidesare available. Prior to planting, Roundup or paraquatcan be used as a burn-down, and in the rare situationwhere a harvest aide (dessicant) is needed, paraquator sodium chlorate can be used. Instead of herbi-cides, two alternative methods of weed control are touse cover crops (such as rye or winter annual le-gumes), or to use a stale seedbed technique (till thesoil 7-10 days prior to planting to stimulate weedseed germination, then till again just before plantingto kill those weed seeds).

InsectsSunflower is similar to corn in that a lot of insectslike to eat it. Some insects are occasionally a prob-lem, and a few are worth scouting for, possiblyneeding treatment once in awhile. At the seedling

stage, there is rarely a problem unless a heavyinfestation of cutworms are present. As the plantgrows, many insects feed on sunflower foliage,including grasshoppers and caterpillars, but seldomdo they cause economic damage. The real stage tobe scouting for insect pests is once the flower budhas begun to develop. Head clipper insects whichattack the stem right below the head can cause thewhole head to fall off, but are not too common. Themain threat to sunflower in Missouri is sunflowermoth or banded sunflower moth. Ideally, the adultmoths should be identified through scouting, and ifpresent in sufficient numbers, should be sprayedbefore larvae become established. Once the eggshave hatched and larvae have moved inside the headand seeds, insecticide control is very difficult. Laterplanting (June or July) can help avoid sunflowermoth in most years. A number of broad spectruminsecticides are labeled* for sunflower, includingAsana, Baythroid, Furadan, Endosulfan, Lorsban,Parathion, Permethrin, Stryker, and Warrior. Certainorganic insecticides may also be used, including Btproducts and pyrethrin. It is best to avoid sprayingan insecticide when honey bee pollinators arepresent.

DiseasesAlthough a number of diseases have been identifiedfor sunflowers, just as with other crops, relativelyfew diseases have been seen in Missouri. In coolwet soils, seeds or seedlings may be attacked byfungi, so seeds are typically treated with fungicide.Various leaf and foliar diseases will cause surfacespots or yellow patches, but do not impact yield.Probably the greatest disease threat to sunflower issclerotinia (white mold), which is also found insoybeans, canola, and certain other broadleaf plants.Using good rotation practices, including not plantingsunflower in a field more than every three to fouryears, can reduce likelihood of disease.

*Pesticide products are mentioned in this guide onlyas a starting reference point for product use, and arenot a guarantee that a label for the product isapplicable to Missouri. For latest information onuse of a pesticide, consult the product label or acompany representative.

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HarvestSunflower seeds are generally physiologicallymature when the back of the flower head is yellow.When the head turns brown on the back, seeds areusually ready for harvest. In some cases, harvestingat high moisture may be useful to avoid bird damageor reduce loss from lodging or seed shatter. Platform(wheat), row-crop, and corn heads have all been usedsuccessfully with sunflower. Row-crop heads areperhaps the best choice because they can be usedwithout modification. Corn heads need to be modi-fied with a stationary cutting knife before use withsunflower. Platform heads can be used withoutmodification, but often have a higher amount of seedand head loss than a row head. Adding pans to thefront of the platform and/or modifying the reel canimprove efficiency.

Combine settings must be adjusted for sunflowerversus other crops. Airspeed should be lower, due tothe lighter weight of sunflowers. The concaveshould generally be run wide open (on a rotarycombine, a rotor-to-concave setting of 3/4 to 1 inchis appropriate). A bottom screen of 3/8 inch, and atop screen of 1/2 to 5/8 inch is typical. Cylinderspeed should usually be in the range of 250 to 400rpm. The overall goal of the threshing processshould be passing the head through nearly intactthrough the combine, or in a few large pieces, withall developed seed removed from the head. If thehead is being ground up into small pieces, there willbe excessive trash in the grain.

StorageDuring colder periods, sunflower can be safelystored at 10% moisture or less, but during warmermonths the storage moisture should be at 8% or less.When taking a moisture reading on sunflower seedsthat are being dried in a bin, keep in mind that thehull dries faster than the kernel. Thus, a moisturereading taken on sunflower being dried may beartificially low; to get a more accurate reading, placesome seed in an airtight jar overnight and takemoisture reading the next day, after the hull andkernel moisture have equalized.

Bins with perforated floors work better for dryingsunflower than those with ducts. If aeration is notavailable, sunflower should be rotated between bins

to avoid hot spots developing in the stored grain.When excessive trash is present in the harvestedgrain, cleaning before storage can greatly reduceincidence of storage problems. Ambient air can beused to cool and dry sunflower. If heated air is used,generally a 10°F. increase in temperature overambient is sufficient to increase rate of drying. Beaware that sunflower dries more rapidly than corn orsoybeans, and should be monitored to avoidoverdrying.

Sunflower drying has a higher risk of fire hazardthan some crops. The primary problem is that smallfibers rub off the sunflower hulls and float in the air,and these fibers readily burn. A few tiny fibersburning will not necessarily start a fire, but if com-bined with overdried grain, may lead to a bin fire.Avoiding use of propane heat with an open flamewill eliminate this risk, but if heat must be usedcertain precautions can be taken. The air intake forthe dryer blower can be turned into the wind, allow-ing clean air to pass over the burner rather than airwith sunflower fibers. Monitoring the bin during hotair drying, and avoiding overdrying, can greatlyreduce the risk of a bin fire.

Other key steps in storage include cleaning the binand grain handling equipment before storage, andmonitoring the bin for insects. Avoid creating a peakor cone of grain at the top of the bin, since moistureand possibly insects, will tend to congregate in thatspot. Sunflower grown for the snack food (confec-tionery) market must be handled with extra care,cleaned well, and be free of insect damage to meetfood grade standards.

Test weight (pounds of seed per bushel) of sunflowerwill vary because of different seed sizes, but typicaltest weights for oilseed sunflowers are 28-32 lbs./bu.(U.S. grade standard is only 25 lbs./bu.). Due to thelow test weight, high sided semi-trailers are oftenused when sunflower is hauled long distance in orderto carry more grain and reduce transportation cost.

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UsesOf the roughly 3 million acres of sunflowers that aregrown each year in the U.S., up to 90% are theoilseed type. A significant fraction of the oilseedharvest goes for birdseed production, but most of theseeds are processed into vegetable oil. Of the seedsprocessed for oil, about equal thirds are dehulled,partially dehulled or left with hulls on for processing.When hulls are removed, they become a very lowvalue byproduct, most often burned for fuel.

Vegetable oil use. Use of the oil from sunflower forcooking first occurred in Russia in the 1800s.Though sunflower is native to the U.S., it was notseen as a vegetable oil source here until the last 50years, and really only began to be significantlygrown for this purpose about 25 years ago. Sun-flower is lower in saturated fats than most vegetableoils. The development of NuSun varieties that aremid-level in oleic acid has spurred further interest inusing sunflower oil in food preparation. NuSun oilhas the primary advantage of being more stable thanmost vegetable oils and not needing to be hydroge-nated to improve shelf life.

Livestock use. After the oil is extracted from thesunflower seed (the oil is about 40 to 45% of theseed by weight), the remaining seed material (meal)is fed to livestock. The nutrient value of sunflowermeal depends primarily on the type of processing ithas gone through: (1) whether the oil was mechani-cally pressed (expelled) from the seed, or solventextracted (which removes more of the oil), and (2)the degree to which the hulls were removed prior tooil processing. If part or all of the hulls remained onthe seed prior to oil extraction, then the meal willhave higher fiber content but lower protein and fat.Solvent extracted sunflower meal will have a proteinpercentage around 41% if dehulled, and around 28%if hulls are left on the seed. Fat content of solventextracted meal is roughly 1%, and roughly 9% inmechanically pressed seed meal. A good source ofinformation on the various types of sunflower mealand their feed values for various animals is thepublication “Sunflower Meal Use in LivestockRations,” available from the National SunflowerAssociation (phone 888-718-7033). Regardless ofthe method of sunflower meal manufacture, the mealcan serve as the sole source of supplemental proteinin diets for beef or dairy cattle.

Snack food use. Although whole seed, or confection-ery, use of sunflower in the U.S. is only about 10-20% of the crop each year, it is a premium market.Prices for confectionery sunflower run significantlyhigher than oilseed sunflower. Most of the confec-tionery sunflower is sold for snack food. Reportedlyin Russia, sunflower seeds are such a popular snackfood that people carry packets of them around intheir pockets, making them even more popular thanpeanuts are in the U.S. Some confectionery sun-flower finds its way into processed foods, such asgranola bars, multigrain breads or other baking uses.Confectionery sunflower varieties have seeds that arelarger, easier to dehull, lower in fat and are typicallystriped or white (oilseed types are almost alwaysblack, but can be white or striped).

Birdseed use. No nationwide statistics are kept onsunflower birdseed usage, but it is certain thathundreds of thousands of acres are used for thispurpose. Sunflower is considered the premiumcomponent in most birdseed mixes, and is pricedhigher than other typical birdseed components suchas sorghum, millet, or cracked corn. Althoughconfectionery sunflower that doesn’t meet foodgrade standards is usually sold into the birdseedmarket, most of what is used for birdseed is theoilseed type. From a packagers perspective, theoilseed type is used because it is cheaper thanconfectionery. However, the reason birdseed feedingbooks recommend use of the oilseed type is due to itsthinner hulls and smaller seed size, making it easierfor small songbirds to eat. Birds do not care if thesunflower seed is striped or black, but most buyerswant black seed for uniformity in what they package.

Markets and EconomicsIn Missouri, the easiest way to market sunflower isto the birdseed market. Most sunflower producerssell to a regional birdseed packager, but some sell toa local retail store, or sell directly off their farmalready packaged for consumers. Three of the biggersunflower birdseed buyers are Pennington Seed insouthwest Missouri (phone 417-637-5979), BuchheitCorp. in southeast Missouri (phone 573-547-4569) andKeller and Sons near northeast Missouri (Quincy, IL,phone 217-228-6700). In theory, birdseed pricesshould be unaffected by what happens in the vegetableoil market, but unfortunately they are, at least at the

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wholesale level. Sunflower oilseed prices, includingbirdseed, follow soybean prices. Farmers thatdirectly sell their own packaged birdseed obviouslyhave more control over their pricing, but still have tokeep an eye on competitors’ prices.

Confectionery sunflower prices do not track soybeanprices quite as closely, but will generally followbroad swings in the price of vegetable oils. Manycurrent or potential sunflower producers are inter-ested in confectionery sunflower prices because oftheir higher price. Unfortunately, with this higherprice comes more demanding production and han-dling requirements to get a high quality, undamagedseed suitable for the human food market. Althoughthere is not currently an established buyer’s networkfor confectionery sunflowers in Missouri, this is aproduct that lends itself to direct marketing.Whether selling wholesale or direct, sunflowergrowers should get experience by growing theoilseed type before even considering growing theconfectionery type. Most Missouri sunflowerproducers should plan to grow the oilseed varieties.

With the emergence of NuSun and high oleic typesof sunflowers, opportunity exists to grow one ofthese speciality oil sunflowers and receive a pricepremium, typically 10-20% over regular oilseedprices. Until markets develop further for thesespecialty oil types, Missouri growers will be requiredto ship them to out-of-state markets, but in a fewcases there may be a price advantage to growing oneof these types. Contact the Jefferson Institute forinformation on buyers (phone 573-449-3518).

The economics of growing sunflowers for birdseedare fairly similar to growing soybeans. Seed cost isabout $15 per acre and weed control costs should besimilar to soybeans. Fertilizer will cost more thansoybeans, mainly because some form of nitrogen isneeded with sunflowers. Most years, an insecticidewill not be needed, so the other production cost isharvest, which is similar to soybeans or corn. Anextra cost with sunflowers is created by the distanceof transporting them to market. In some cases thiscan cost a penny a pound or more, depending ondistance to market.

Recent Missouri sunflower prices have been $10-12/cwt., but prices can vary considerably. Prices fromsome birdseed buyers in Missouri have been 10 to20% higher than in the Plains states, since they haveto normally pay to bring the sunflower from severalhundred miles away. With the loan deficiencypayment, total income from 1999 to 2002 was about$12/cwt. in Missouri. Past production studies haveshown average yields of around 2000 pounds peracre for full season sunflower, and 1500 pounds peracre for double crop sunflower. Yield potential forboth types of production is as much as 25-35%higher than these averages, when soils and rainfallare not limiting. Net income from full seasonsunflower appears to be comparable to corn orsoybeans in Missouri. Double crop sunflowers oftenprovide better income than double crop soybeans innorthern Missouri. Reasons to grow sunflowersinclude:(1) to have a double crop option in north Missouri;(2) to have a drought tolerant option, especially onsandy loam soils;(3) to reduce pest pressures through rotations;(4) to spread out labor or risk;(5) to have a crop that can be direct marketed.

For Further InformationA number of print and web-based materials areavailable for free or at low cost from various exten-sion and non-profit organization offices. For Mis-souri producers, the Jefferson Institute has a freesunflower information kit that goes into detail onseveral aspects of producing and marketing sunflow-ers (call 573-449-3518). The National SunflowerAssociation has good information on their website(www.sunflowernsa.com) as well as print bulletinsand brochures. There is additional information atwww.jeffersoninstitute.org.

Written by Robert L. Myers, Ph.D.Published by the Jefferson Institute, Columbia, MO, anon-profit research and education center support-ing crop diversification (ph: 573-449-3518). Develop-ment of this publication was funded by the USDA-CSREES Fund for Rural America program, as part of acooperative project with the University of Missouriand other universities.

www.jeffersoninstitute.org Revised 10/02

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