2026 NSA Research Forum
Location: Holiday Inn; Fargo, ND
Start Date: Jan 07 2026
End Date: Jan 08 2026
REGISTRATION

Registration is now open. Scroll down the page to complete the registration form. Be prepared to pay with a VISA, Mastercard, or American Express. Registration fee is $165 until January 5, 2026 at noon. At that time, registration will close and registration at the door will be $190. The Forum will be an in-person event. No refunds will be given after December 23, 2025.
WEDNESDAY (1/7/2026) MORNING SCHEDULE
7:30-8:20
Hot Breakfast – Dakota Hall
Sponsored by Pioneer®
 
8:25
Welcome to the NSA Research Forum
William Underwood, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND
Introductory Remarks and Announcements
Moderator: Sam Markell, NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND
NOTE: Presenting author shown in bold in program schedule
 
8:30
2025 National Sunflower Production Survey: Yield, Management Practices and Diseases
Ana Carcedo, NDSU, Department of Plant Sciences, Fargo, ND
 
9:30
2025 National Sunflower Production Survey: Insects
Jarrad Prasifka, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND
 
9:50
Current Status of Red Sunflower Seed Weevil in North Dakota
Janet Knodel, Patrick Beauzay, and Victor Gomes, NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Adam Varenhorst, SDSU, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dept., Brookings, SD; Patrick Wagner, SDSU, West River Research Extension, Rapid City, SD; Bradley McManus, Philip Rozeboom, SDSU, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dept., Brookings, SD
 
10:10-10:40
Poster Session (authors will be present at their posters) and Break
Break sponsored by Nufarm®
 
10:40
Red Sunflower Seed Weevils in South Dakota: 2025 Efficacy Study Results
Adam Varenhorst, SDSU, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dept., Brookings, SD; Patrick Wagner, SDSU, West River Research Extension, Rapid City, SD; Philip Rozeboom, Bradley McManus, SDSU, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dept., Brookings, SD; Patrick Wagner, Patrick Beauzay and Janet Knodel, NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND
 
11:00
Within Field Dispersion of Seed Weevil Damage in Central South Dakota Sunflower
Jeffrey Cluever, Zachary Tarble, and Jarrad Prasifka, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND
 
11:20
Hyperspectral Imaging and LiDAR Applications in Dectes Stem Borer Management in Sunflowers
Dristy Bajimaya, Maitiniyazi Maimaitijiang, SDSU, Geography & Geospatial Sciences Dept., Brookings, SD; Ricardo Pinto, MSU, Northern Agricultural Research Center, Havre, MT; Pappu Yadav, SDSU, Ag & Biosystems Engineering Dept., Brookings, SD; Adam Varenhorst and Govinda Shrestha, SDSU, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dept., Brookings, SD
 
11:40
Using Parasitic Wasps and Insect Pathogens to Improve Red Sunflower Seed Weevil Management in Sunflowers
Govinda Shrestha, Dipak Khanal, SDSU, Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Dept., Brookings, SD
 
12:00-1:15
Lunch – Dakota Hall
WEDNESDAY (1/7/2026) AFTERNOON
1:15
Introductory Remarks and Announcements
Moderator: Brandt Berghuis, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI
 
1:20
Mechanizing Sunflower Seed Count and Insect Damage Detection
Sunil Mathanker, Jarrad Prasifika, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Fargo, ND
 
1:40
Sunflowers, Cover Crops, and Bees: a 4-Year Adventure
Karl Roeder, Jesse Daniels, Eric Beckendorf, Angela Wagner, USDA-ARS, North Central Ag Res. Lab, Brookings, SD; Jamieson Botsch, Austin Peary State University, Clarksville, TN; Vanessa Corby-Harris, USDA-ARS, Honey Bee Research Lab, Tucson, AZ; Shannon Osborne, USDA-ARS, North Central Ag Res. Lab, Brookings, SD
 
2:00
Efficacy of Foliar Fungicides Against Phomopsis in Sunflowers
Karthika Mohan, Sam Markell, Jessica Scherer, Bryan Hansen and Febina Mathew, NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Megan McCaghey, Alexis Passolt and Peter Aspholm, University of MN, Department of Plant Pathology, St. Paul, MN; Robert Harveson and Allison Rickey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
 
2:20
Response of Sunflowers to Cell-Free Culture Filtrates Produced by Phomopsis
Karthika Mohan, NDSU, Fargo, ND; William Underwood, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND; Sam Markell, NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Megan McCaghey, University of MN, Department of Plant Pathology, St. Paul, MN; Febina, Mathew, NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND
 
2:40
Establishing a Sunflower Rust Research Program at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Brandt Berghuis, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI
 
3:00-3:30
Poster Session (authors will be present at their posters) and Break
Break sponsored by Nufarm®
 
3:30
Update on USDA Sunflower Pathology Progress
William Underwood, Lauren Carlson, Michael McWood, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND; Srushtideep Angidi, Israt Zaman NDSU, Department of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND 
 
3:50
Update on the Determination of Rust (Puccinia helianthi) Virulence and Associated Rust Projects
Zachary Ittel, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Brandt Berghuis, Dept. of Plant and Earth Science, U of Wisconsin-River Falls; Jessica Scherer, Kaylie Schlecht, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Robert Harveson, UNL, Panhandle Research and Ext. Ctr., Scottsbluff, NE; Febina Mathew, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Brent Hulke, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND; Bryan Hansen, Sam Markell, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND
 
4:10
Sunflower Broomrape (Orobanche cumana), a Serious Parasitic Weed, Identified for the First Time in the U.S. in a Washington State Ornamental Sunflower Field
Charles Block, Iowa State University, Ames, IA; Tom Gulya, USDA-ARS, Retired, Santa Rosa, CA; Robert Harveson, UNL, Panhandle Research and Ext. Ctr., Scottsbluff, NE; Sam Markell, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Fargo, ND; Malcolm Ryley, Susan Thompson, University of Southern Queensland, DOONA, Queensland, Australia
 
4:45-6:45
Social Hour & Hors d'oeuvres – Dakota Hall
THURSDAY (1/8/2026) MORNING
7:30-8:20
Hot Breakfast – Dakota Hall
Sponsored by Pioneer®
 
8:25
Introductory Remarks and Announcements
Moderator: Jarrad Prasifka, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND
NOTE: Presenting author shown in bold in program schedule
 
8:30
Genomic Prediction in Hybrid Sunflower
James McNellie, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND; Alison Stone-Pokrzywinski, Department of Plant Sciences, NDSU, Fargo, ND; Brent Hulke, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND
 
8:50
Sunflower Seedling Salinity Tolerance Assay
Joseph A.M. Barham, Department of Plant Sciences, NDSU, Fargo, ND; Brent Hulke, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND; Qi Zhang, Department of Plant Sciences, NDSU, Fargo, ND; Tom DeSutter, NDSU, School of Natural Resource Sciences, Fargo, ND; James McNellie, USDA-ARS, Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center, Sunflower Improvement Research Unit, Fargo, ND
 
9:10
Spring Burndown Weed Control Options in Sunflower
Brian Jenks, NDSU, North Central Research Ext. Ctr., Minot, ND
 
9:30
Kochia Control with Combinations of Pre-Emergence Herbicides
Kirk Howatt, Joseph Mettler, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Fargo, ND; Brian Jenks, NDSU, North Central Research Ext. Ctr., Minot, ND; Caleb Dalley, Hettinger REC, Hettinger, ND
 
9:50
Conclusion & Meeting Wrap-Up
SPONSORS

Due to the generosity of our sponsors, Research Forum costs are kept at a minimum. Thank you to:
LODGING

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn in Fargo for January 6th-8th. The reduced NSA rate expired December 6, 2025; however, the Holiday Inn will honor the special NSA Research Forum room rate of $119 (plus tax) per night for a standard room if there are rooms available but you must ask for our block. Call the Holiday Inn directly at 701-282-2700 and ask for the National Sunflower Association Block. For those of you flying into Fargo, the Holiday Inn offers courtesy van service to and from the airport. The hotel is located at 3803 13th Avenue S (South of the West Acres Shopping Center). Ample parking is available.
MEALS

It is presumed you will be attending all meal functions.  These include a hot breakfast, lunch, and social hour on Wednesday and then breakfast on Thursday.  The meals are provided courtesy of our sponsors.
NOTICE

Persons who require reasonable accommodation, special meal, or alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, language translation or interpretation, etc.) should contact NSA at least one week prior to the meeting.  NSA will accommodate reasonable requests.  This meetingis open to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability.
QUESTIONS?

Contact Tina Mittlesteadt at (701) 328-5138 or by email tinam@sunflowernsa.com

Register: Items marked with an * are required.
Registraton Cost: $165
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* 2026 Registration fee -- $165
* Wednesday Breakfast - $0
* Wednesday Noon Luncheon - $0
* Wednesday Social Hour - $0
* Thursday Breakfast - $0
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