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Sunflower Briefs

Saturday, March 1, 2025
filed under: Sunflower Briefs

Steve Kent Is 2025’s NSA Gold Award Winner

        Steve Kent has been named the 2025 NSA Gold Award winner. This award, established in 1989, is given to individuals who have contributed extraordinarily to the overall sunflower industry, either through his or her occupation or through the National Sunflower Association. It is the highest award presented to individuals by NSA. The award will be presented to Kent during the 2025 NSA Summer Seminar, schedule for June 24-26 in Bismarck, N.D.
        Kent grew up in the west central Minnesota community of Morris, where he enjoyed various sports and outdoor activities. He attended college at North Dakota State University and graduated in 1978 with a degree in agronomy. Following graduation, Kent was hired by SIGCO Research, Breckenridge, Minn., in the production department. It was the beginning of a career in the seed industry that spanned 40 years.
        Kent held various production, sales and management positions during his 20 years with SIGCO Research/Agrigenetics/ Mycogen Seeds. In 1999 he was hired as president of Seeds 2000, based in Breckenridge, a position he held until 2012 when the business was sold to Nuseed. He remained with Nuseed for six years in an advisory role until retiring in 2018.
        Kent’s involvement with the National Sunflower Association has included various fundraising activities, chair of the NSA Research Committee and as a member of the selection committee for the Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship.
        Steve and his wife, Nancy, have four children and 10 grandchildren. In retirement, they relish traveling and attending many grandchildren activities. He also continues to enjoy fishing and hunting.

2025 Research Forum Presentations Online
        Those not able to attend the 2025 NSA Sunflower Research Forum can still learn about the latest in sunflower research. PowerPoint presentations of all the reports given at the Forum can now be found on the NSA website under the “research” tab. Visit https://www.sunflowernsa.com/Research/Research-Forum-PowerPoint-Presentations-Since-2008/2025/ to see this year’s presentations.
        Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and Texas A&M presented papers and posters on their work. For a historical look, all Forum presentations dating back to 2008 are available on the NSA website as well.

NDSU ‘Getting-It-Right’ Talks Now Available
        The ‘2025 Getting-It-Right in Sunflower Production’ video conference can now be accessed online. Covered topics from the January 30 presentations ranged from hybrid data, soil considerations and plant nutrition, to updates for blackbird, weed, disease and insect management, along with a market update.
        The program was conducted by North Dakota State University Extension specialists. Recordings and resources are available at https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/getting-it-right. Scroll to the conference video section and click the sunflower meeting link. Each individual talk has its own video clip. Additional publications and resources are also available under the sunflower conference.

2025 South Dakota Pest Management Guides
        South Dakota State University Extension has released the 2025 South Dakota pest management guides. They are available for free at https://extension.sdstate.edu/south-dakota-pest-management-guides. The guides provide updated recommendations for controlling weeds, insects and diseases in sunflower. In addition, they include a comprehensive index of what pesticides are labeled for South Dakota fields

Reminders for Proper Spring Drying, Storage
        As outdoor temperatures rise, stored grain requires attention to prevent losses. The stored grain temperature increases in the spring not only due to an increase in outdoor temperatures, but also from solar heat gain on the bin. Solar energy produces more than twice as much heat gain on the south wall of a bin in early spring as it does during the summer. Here are some recommendations from North Dakota State University:
        • Run aeration fans periodically to keep the grain temperature near or below 30 degrees until the grain is dried if it exceeds recommended storage moisture contents, and below 40 degrees as long as possible during spring and early summer months if it is dry.
        • Cover the fan when it is not operating to prevent warm air from blowing into the bin and heating the stored grain. Ventilate the top of the bin to remove the solar heat gain that warms the grain. Provide air inlets near the eaves and exhausts near the peak or use a roof exhaust fan.
        • Bin vents can become blocked with frost and ice when the fan is operated at temperatures near or below freezing, which may lead to damage to the roof. Leave the fill and access door open as a pressure relief valve when operating the fan at temperatures near or below freezing.
        • Natural air-drying for oil sunflower requires an airflow rate of 0.75 cfm/bu for up to 15% moisture. The drying should start when outdoor temperatures average about 40 degrees.
        Visit ‘Drying & Storing Sunflower’ on the NSA website (sunflowernsa.com) for more tips.

NDSU Pest Management App Convenience
        Tired of carrying around those thick pest management guides? Download the NDSU Pest Management app — it includes everything that is printed in pest management guides, plus more. For example, the app has full-color photos of weeds, insects and diseases. The app is available for both Apple and Android devices — just search NDSU Pest Management or go to NDSU Pest Management App | NDSU Agriculture and Extension. The app is free, thanks to funding from several commodity groups, including the National Sunflower Association. Producers who use the app also are encouraged to send comments and feedback to ndsu.pest.management@ndsu.edu.

Be Sure! This Growing Season
        Planters will be rolling soon, and the growing season will be under way. This year, BeSure! is back with its annual national campaign to promote best management practices. Agriculture stakeholders appreciate how neonicotinoid seed treatments, foliar sprays, soil drenches and granules increase yields and boost revenues, but they are also committed to protecting bees and other wildlife. This spring, growers and applicators can follow a few simple guidelines to BeSure! they’re using pesticides safely. To learn more visit: GrowingMatters.org/BeSure.

Magazine Story Suggestions Welcomed
        With another production season now imminent, the National Sunflower Association staff looks toward the next publishing season of The Sunflower magazine — which has been an industry fixture since 1975.
        “Our goal with the magazine is to provide news and articles of real interest and use to our readership — which consists mainly of sunflower producers around the U.S. and Canada,” says John Sandbakken, NSA executive director and magazine editor.   “Our ongoing objective is to provide timely, useful information, and we always welcome readers’ suggestions for potential topics or persons to interview for articles.”
          Story suggestions for the upcoming season can be submitted to johns@sunflowernsa.com.