How would sunflower fit in Corn Belt rotations?
There appear to be three major considerations for determining crop sequence with sunflower: 1) control of volunteer sunflower, 2) control of insects and diseases, and 3) effect of sunflower on the following crop. Crops following sunflower are often infested with volunteer sunflower plants. In corn they may be controlled with and are sensitive to applied or residual Atrazine. They may also be controlled with 2,4-D or Banvel type materials. In soybeans they may be controlled with Basagran applied post-emergence at the normal labeled rate. Sunflower seed, with its high oil content, will not persist for long periods in the soil. The extent of the problem with sunflower insects and diseases is not well known. Commercial acreage has not been extensive enough or persisted long enough for diseases to become a serious problem. In areas where large sunflower acreages are produced, most of the serious diseases have been controlled by incorporating resistance in the newer hybrids. There is an exte
