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2012 NSA Research Priorities
The National Sunflower Association (NSA) provides grants to public researchers to stimulate new or additional work that may result in lower production costs, increased quality and higher yields. Resolving Sclerotinia continues to be a high priority. Grant requests for this disease must be directed to the National Sclerotinia Initiative. Please go to their site for details www.whitemoldresearch.com. There is a concentrated research effort in this disease from wild accessions to fungicide trials and everything in between. Researchers are urged to consider additional or new directions in Sclerotinia sunflower research.
The list below specifies ‘areas of interest' outlined by the NSA research committee. This is not an exclusive list and all production areas of research will be considered by the committee.
All applications will be reviewed by the NSA research committee in middle January and the NSA board of directors will make final funding decisions in late February or early March. Applicants will be informed shortly thereafter.
| 2012 RESEARCH AREAS OF INTEREST | | PRODUCTION ISSUES | - Irrigation timing and other issues related to irrigation of sunflower with emphasis on limited irrigation.
- Blackbirds: Innovative and new approaches to reduce damage.
- Factors related to achieving an adequate plant stand. This could include: planter calibration and other planter issues, early season sunflower plant screening for stand, seeding depth, soil temperature/moisture, seedling vigor, seed biology, insects/diseases and other.
- Rotation studies with other crops before or after sunflower looking at a broad range of aspects from yield, soil water use, disease and insect interactions, nitrogen utilization and more. Preference for farmer field studies.
- Fungicide application for control of diseases and enhance yield. Issues of timing and tank mixing with insecticides/herbicides are of interest. There is a strong preference for using labeled fungicides and the efficacy of adjuvants. Preference for the control of Phomopsis and Sclerotinia.
- Double cropping sunflower after winter wheat.
- Fertility management for irrigated sunflowers. Studies relating to timing and quantity of nitrogen applications for fertigation of irrigated sunflowers.
- Identify techniques to reduce/eliminate combine fires in sunflower harvest.
- Design planting scheme with tramlines to minimize field damage when using a highboy applicator for pesticides including desiccants.
- Identify methods for hulled confection sunflower planting seed to enhance planting ease and establish desirable plant stands/spacing. Issues of interest include hulling methods, integrity of seed germ/membrane and seed coating.
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| INSECTS | - Long-Horned Beetle (Dectes): Interest in multiple approaches to minimizing damage including date of planting/harvesting, efficacy of stay green hybrids and the use of experimental insecticides.
- Controlling insects through conventional insecticide means, seed treatments or other innovative techniques.
- Screen hybrid and breeding material for midge and other insect resistance.
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| WEEDS | - Palmer Amaranth and glyphosate resistant Kochia are species of great concern.
- Interest in innovative weed control techniques related to existing labels and to test experimental or new-to-market herbicides for potential sunflower application.
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| DISEASES | - Phomopsis and Phoma are of concern throughout the production region. Proposals dealing with short and long term control strategies will be of interest. Determining species of the disease is considered very important.
- Rust including identifying races and the control of rust via genetic resistance and fungicide application.
- Verticillium has also been identified as a disease of concern. Proposals dealing with short and long term control strategies will be of interest.
- There is continued interest in downy mildew with the development of new races and fungicide efficacy.
- Charcoal rot is of interest since it is common to sunflower, soybeans and corn.
- Sclerotinia proposals should be directed to the National Sclerotinia Initiative.
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