Article Archives
2025 NSA-Funded Research Projects
Saturday, March 1, 2025
filed under: Research and Development
Photo: Don Lilleboe
Since its inception, the National Sunflower Association has remained committed to providing funds to public researchers to stimulate new or continue ongoing sunflower research that leads to disease- and pest-tolerant hybrids, better cropping practices and ways to reduce production costs.
Research is mainly funded with checkoff funds from Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. To increase the pool of financial resources, the sunflower industry also pitches in. The NSA Confection and High Plains committees contribute a portion of their funds to research projects. These funds come from sunflower industry members not included in the checkoff.
In addition, the North Dakota State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE) and the Manitoba Crop Alliance based in Canada also contributed funds to various projects this year.
The NSA Board of Directors met in late February and approved just over $241,685 in research project funding for 2025. Here is the list of this year’s funded projects. — John Sandbakken, NSA Executive Director
Evaluating Red Sunflower Seed Weevils for Pyrethroid Susceptibility
Principal Investigators: Adam Varenhorst, Patrick Wagner, Philip Rozeboom and Bradley McManus, South Dakota State University, and Janet Knodel, Patrick Beauzay and Victor Gomes, North Dakota State University
Project Objectives: In South Dakota, the red sunflower seed weevil (RSSW) is a major insect pest of sunflower each year. This project will evaluate efficacy of currently labeled and non-labeled foliar insecticides for RSSW in North Dakota and South Dakota. For these treatments, adjuvants that may enhance insecticidal activity will be included. Data generated from the efficacy trials may be utilized to obtain emergency registration for products that significantly reduce RSSW populations for the following growing season.
Researchers will evaluate field failures of pyrethroid insecticides for control of RSSW to determine if pyrethroid resistant RSSW exist in North Dakota. RSSW adults will be collected from farmer problem fields in North Dakota to test them for resistance using pyrethroid active ingredients registered in sunflower.
Research results from North Dakota and South Dakota will be compiled to produce extension articles addressing the results of these objectives. A fact sheet will be developed addressing the efficacy results for North Dakota and South Dakota and to address the issue of RSSW resistance to pyrethroids. The 2025 insecticide screening results will be submitted to peer-reviewed Arthropod Management Tests. Overall results will help develop management recommendations for the 2026 growing season.
The NSA Confection Promotion Committee provided $15,000 for this project.
Funded Amount: $34,425
Determining Fungicide Effectiveness to Manage Phomopsis Stem Canker
Principal Investigators: Febina Mathew and Karthika Mohan North Dakota State University, Megan McCaghey, University of Minnesota, and Peter Kovacs, South Dakota State University
Project Objectives: The objectives of this study are to evaluate effectiveness of fungicides as well as fungicide application timing for management of Phomopsis stem canker under field conditions in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. If this research is successful, the effective fungicides determined from this study will be used for developing and providing fungicide recommendations to sunflower producers for the management of Phomopsis stem canker. The Manitoba Crop Alliance provided $1,500 for this project.
Funded Amount: $14,305
Determination of Rust (Puccinia helianthi) Virulence in the Northern Great Plains
Principal Investigators: Sam Markell, Febina Mathew and Zachary Ittel, North Dakota State University, Brent Hulke, USDA-ARS, and Bob Harveson, University of Nebraska, Scottsbluff
Project Objectives: The objectives of this study are to determine the pathogen virulence (determine races) that occurs throughout the Northern and Central High Plains. That knowledge will inform breeders (and pathologists and geneticists) and seed companies as they develop and/or market successful hybrids. In addition, a new ‘differential set,’ which adequately represents the known rust resistance genes, will be developed and can be used into the future. Lastly, a plant pathology graduate student will be educated as a sunflower pathologist.
Funded Amount: $31,321
Spring Weed Burndown Options for Sunflower
Principal Investigator: Brian Jenks, North Dakota State University
Project Objectives: Evaluate crop tolerance and kochia control in sunflower with non-labeled burndown herbicides compared to current standards. This study will determine the effectiveness of non-labeled herbicides for preplant/preemergence kochia control. If these herbicides are effective and can be labeled, they will provide farmers with another option to control glyphosate-resistant kochia prior to sunflower emergence.
Funded Amount: $10,000
Kochia Control with Combinations of Pre-Emergence Herbicides
Principal Investigators: Kirk Howatt, Joseph Ikley, Brian Jenks, Caleb Dalley, Michael Ostlie and Jeff Stachler, North Dakota State University
Project Objectives: Kochia has been a persistent problem in North Dakota agriculture for decades. It is adapted to arid and semi-arid environments that include much of central and western North Dakota. Even in eastern North Dakota, with more-regular precipitation, kochia thrives in sandy soil textures where drainage readily removes excess soil moisture, which in turn results in generally dry surface soil conditions. This research will determine the most effective residual herbicide that does not require mechanical incorporation for kochia control in sunflower. It will also identify whether two-way mixtures of sulfentrazone, pendimethalin, S-metolachlor and pyroxasulfone result in synergistic kochia control. For this project, $6,265 was provided by the North Dakota State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE) and $4,000 by the Manitoba Crop Alliance.
Funded Amount: $21,000
Extending the USDA Sunflower Breeding Program
Principal Investigators: Brent Hulke, USDA-ARS, and Richard Horsley, North Dakota State University
Project Objectives: Expand evaluation of sunflower test-cross hybrids to central South Dakota and continue double-crop trials in Kansas. Ensure continuity of the line development program for early (i.e., double-crop compatible) and mid-maturity (i.e., full season for the Dakotas) sunflower parental lines. Bring genomics assisted methods to both the early and mid-maturity programs.
This project will allow USDA breeders to achieve faster genetic improvement for sunflower with more and earlier information on genetic potential. This, combined with additional data from field trials, should accelerate genetic progress, with the resulting lines and relevant data being made available to the benefit of seed companies and producers.
Funded Amount: $116,134
2025 NSA Sunflower Production Survey
Principal Investigators: Ana Carcedo, Victor Gomes and Febina Mathew, North Dakota State University, Patrick Wagner, South Dakota State University, and Jarrad Prasifka, USDA-ARS
Project Objectives: The survey is conducted biennially prior to harvest. Volunteers from all levels of the sunflower industry visit sunflower fields to survey crop conditions. Teams survey for yield and production practices, weeds, insects, diseases and bird damage. The survey will be conducted in the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas. Manitoba, Canada, will also be included. Survey data help guide the NSA Research Committee in setting research priorities. An amount of $8,625 was provided by the North Dakota State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE) for this project.
Funded Amount: $14,500
And a Final Word . . .
There is always risk in growing any crop. As an industry, we need to constantly look for ways to increase profitability to sunflower producers by mitigating risk and make producing sunflowers easier in order to keep producers interested in this crop. Investing in research that provides innovation, opportunity and productivity will always be the cornerstone of the National Sunflower Association to achieve this goal.