Sunflower growers in Kansas (KS), Minnesota (MN), North Dakota (ND) and South Dakota (SD) were surveyed by mail about pest problems and pesticide use in 1997. The survey was similar to those of previous surveys (1, 2, 3, 4).
A four page survey form (Figure 1) was mailed on November 15, 1997 to 8,114 selected growers on the mailing list of the National Sunflower Association's magazine The Sunflower. The survey form was mailed to all 2,400 KS growers, all 1,400 MN growers, 25% of the 9,459 ND growers (2,364 contacted), and 75% of the 2,600 SD growers (1,950 contacted). Responses to the survey were confidential and a self-addressed stamped envelope was enclosed for returning the completed survey form.
Survey respondents identified the county and state where they grew sunflower; acres planted to oilseed and confection sunflower, irrigated and non-irrigated acres; planting dates; major production problems encountered; major insect, disease and weed problems encountered; percent bird damage, bird species causing damage, amount of money and time spent on attempts to control bird depredation; pesticides used, rates of pesticide used, degree of control experienced with each pesticide and targeted pests for each pesticide; weed control from herbicide use and other weed control practices; use of Folicur fungicide in KS and ND; and non-chemical disease management.
A major objective of the survey was to provide data on pesticide use, use rates and targeted pests for pesticides to be regulated or reregistered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This included the insecticides Furadan (carbofuran), Lorsban (chloropyrifos), and the parathions (ethyl, methyl and 6-3 ethyl methyl) and the herbicides Eptam (EPTC) and Poast (sethoxydim). Respondents were asked the targeted pests for various pesticides used, the rates used and their efficacy.
Ranking of Sunflower Production of States Surveyed. North Dakota was first nationally in 1997 in all sunflower production, oilseed sunflower production and confection sunflower production. North Dakota had 51% of all, 50% of oilseed and 56% of the nation's confection acreage. North Dakota had 1,470,000 sunflower acres planted in 1997 and 1,410,000 acres harvested, with a yield of 1,321 lb/A and production of 1,862,900,000 lb. The value of the 1996 North Dakota crop, when 1,165,000 acres were harvested, was $206,524,000. South Dakota ranked second in all sunflower, oilseed sunflower and confection sunflower production. Kansas ranked third in all sunflower and in oilseed sunflower production and Minnesota ranked fourth in all sunflower and oilseed sunflower production. Texas and Nebraska ranked third and fourth, respectively, in confection sunflower production (5, 6).
Total planted acreage in the four states surveyed was 2,665,000 acres, or 91% of the
nation's 2,920,000 planted acres. Planted oilseed acreage in these four states was
2,160,000 acres, or 94% of the nation's 2,292,000 planted oilseed acres. Planted
confection acreage in these four states was 505,000 acres, or 80% of the nation's 628,000
planted confection acres (6).