Rodney Agnes of Legacy Seeds in North Dakota loves working with sunflower growers. He says their hard-working spirit and eagerness to adopt new technology and keep up with market demand keeps him inspired.
Rodney Agnes | Legacy Seeds
District Sales Manager
“Farmers who grow sunflower have done a lot of work to educate themselves and get set up for it. They know why they’re growing it and what market demand they’re meeting. They’re set up for growing this crop. They have the capacity, the dryer system. They went out and got the planter or a header for the combine. It takes time to build up the infrastructure to be a serious sunflower grower,” he says.
“Sure, I can sell you a hybrid that will grow in almost any field, but the farmer has to be committed to it. Those farmers are the ones growing up to 5,000 acres of sunflower.” That need to commit is the first thing he tells people thinking of getting into sunflowers, but it’s not as hard as it sounds. He says it’s possible to test the waters to see if you like growing it without necessarily making too much of a financial investment.
“The growers who are wanting to dabble in it might grow anywhere from 150 to 500 acres and just kind of establish themselves with the crop and put it into the rotation. It can take a little time to get a feel for it. You don’t have to go big or go home; it’s possible to ease into it slowly and see if it’s for you.”
Agnes says the market opportunities coming down the pipe are going to have more growers looking at sunflower. “Contracts are going to get very aggressive. You’re going to see the prices go up to where I think there’s going to be a lot of farmers taking a really hard look at this and starting to dabble a little bit more in it, and the ones who before just dipped their toe in the water are going to put some more acres in,” he says.
For those just getting into it, he has some advice for things to think about. “You’re going to need a good aeration bin. You don’t want to take it off too wet, because then you’re going to have trouble. If you do have a small dryer, that can help when it comes to what we often call a ‘snow crop’ up here in North Dakota. Also, patience is a virtue. A lot of people harvest their soybeans in the fall and that’s it, they’re tired and want to be done. But when you see per acre what you can make on sunflower, I think people are willing to stick it out a bit longer for that return.”
For those wanting to explore sunflower or ramp up acreage, he advises being careful not to get into a rotational pinch.
“With sunflowers, the field you planted them in tends to be really dry the following year, because the sunflowers really go down and tap a lot of that stored moisture. So that’s something to keep in mind if you’re limited in acres.”
Agnes is especially excited about some new Nuseed hybrids. Falcon is part of the Express® portfolio. Strong agronomics and excellent stalk strength make for a low management season. With consistent yields from East to West, Falcon is a staple in the Nuseed lineup and works well for crush and bird food.
N4H422 CL has consistently high test weights and uniformly clean stalks. A black seed coat with above average oil content makes it an ideal hybrid for the bird food or the oil-crush market.
Finally, N4H470 CLP delivers an all-around win on the farm. With excellent agronomics including solid stalks and roots, plus the added benefits of downy mildew resistance and improved weed control with the Clearfield® Plus production system, growers will achieve solid yields and top-end oil content, Agnes adds.
