A successful harvest depends not only on crop conditions but also on properly functioning equipment. While you can’t eliminate all harvest losses, you can identify the source and adjust harvest equipment for optimum performance.

Maximizing yield starts with correct planting, and correct planting starts with adjusting the planter to the proper settings. Carefully check planting equipment before you hit the field this spring.

Sunflower maturity must be determined to accurately time desiccation and harvest. Applying a desiccant to sunflowers at physiological maturity can help flowers dry down faster, enabling earlier harvest. Desiccating also can help avoid rot issues and reduce the time the crop is vulnerable to birds.

Sunflowers are grown in many parts of the country and planting dates vary considerably from region to region. Both early and late planting dates have associated benefits and risks.

Protect your crop by scouting sunflower fields for insects, which can appear at different crop maturity stages throughout the growing season. Establish action thresholds for each insect based on population to help determine when an insecticide application is economically sensible.

Soil acidity is one of the primary fertility issues that can limit crop growth. High levels of acid can reduce nutrient availability, restrict root growth and increase the toxicity of some elements. Soil acidification occurs naturally as the result of rainfall, plant growth, breakdown of organic matter and the application of ammonia fertilizers. Applying lime reduces soil acidity and is a source of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg).

Strip-till is a conservation system that uses minimum tillage. It combines the soil-drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage with the soil-protection advantages of no-till by disturbing only the soil that will contain the seed row. Strip-till rows are usually about 8 to 10 inches wide. Because special equipment is required for this type of tillage, understanding what is needed for a strip-till system can help you determine if it’s the right practice for your fields.

Ensuring fertility is critical to maximizing sunflower yield and profit, but applying fertilizer improperly could result in crop damage and yield loss. Soil tests can help determine nutrient availability and deficiencies.

Sunflowers are very adaptable and can be grown under different environmental and soil conditions. Several university studies illustrate how sunflowers planted at varying populations, depending on the environment, can result in similar yields. When determining planting populations, consider environmental, agronomic and marketing factors to maximize yield and profit potential.

Downy mildew is a soil-borne fungus that infects sunflowers shortly after germination and again at the four- to eight-leaf stage. It also can lead to a secondary infection if spores are splashed or blown on the leaves. New strains of downy mildew have overcome genetic resistance in some sunflower hybrids.

Sunflower growers have many choices when choosing sunflower market segments that best fit their farming operations. Understanding the risks and benefits of each market will help a grower decide which can be the most profitable in any given year.

Growers across the High Plains are constantly looking for the crop option with the most return opportunity per acre. Sunflowers as a late-planted double crop bring production challenges, but offer lower inputs with high crop value to maximize profit potential.

Cutworms can devastate sunflower plant stands if left unchecked and untreated. Perhaps their biggest asset is grower underestimation of the damage that can occur. Before planting, consider best practices for protecting your crop.

Sclerotinia, or white mold, is a fungal disease that cripples sunflower yield potential. Caused by sclerotia, a soil-borne fungal body, it has evolved to become one of the sunflower industry’s most damaging problems.

Sunflower rust is capable of wiping out yields throughout sunflower-growing regions. Scouting is essential to preventing widespread damage.

Growers in dry areas are constantly looking for the crop option with the highest return per acre. Sunflowers perform in dry conditions because of deep, aggressive root systems. With high crop value, low input costs and multiple marketing opportunities, sunflowers may help maximize profit potential.

Historically, sunflower stem weevils have mostly caused sunflower stalk lodging damage. However, in recent years the longhorned beetle also has become a concern. Growers who can identify the problem can escape the financial penalty.