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jm. 11-14-2012 18:03:49 75.105.64.52 Report to Moderator	Skip are you basing that on experience or what. We have no problem on a two year rotation have raised them year after year with out yield reduction but did have pest problems. Just wondering what you base those thoughts on. Might also depend on the part of country.. [Reply]   [No Email]
skip33652 11-14-2012 21:29:07 68.69.73.158 Report to Moderator	Re: Bagging sunflowers in reply to jm., 11-14-2012 18:03:49   Sunflower are native to the area and disease weed pressure takes off in short period of time. It is real hard to keep field relativly free of wild sunflower and kocia when they grow wild in the ditch. Disease will really knock yields if soil pathogens are not reduced. The experts would realy like us to move to five year break. Unlike a soybean which is not native to US. you can plant beans on beans on beans here if you choose. If you live in russia sunflowers on sunflowers may be good idea.I believe That Groton (If not Groton somewhere real close)south dakota has a sign outside of town," welcome to the sunflower capitol of the world" you won't find a sunflower for over a 100 miles) for reasons I previosly explained. All of us in our area of western South Dakota raise them because they seem to continue to make some money and fit real well in our rotation. but all agree they are pretty miserable to raise. Weed control , pest control, obtaining sufficient and uniform stands, and combining can be real hassles.anyone that thinks combine fires are not a real threat have not cut sunflowers . My combine smoldered for 10 days one year while we cut them. yes I have some experience Paul [Reply]  [No Email]
Traditional Farmer 11-15-2012 05:08:34 67.233.70.253 Report to Moderator	Re: Bagging sunflowers in reply to skip33652, 11-14-2012 21:29:07   Here in the Eastern US I can plant Sunflowers anywhere and have yet to see them ever develop any type of disease about the most trouble free plant around.Of course there are no wild Sunflowers growing here either.I usually plant an acre or two to feed the chickens and hogs,just cut off the heads and let them have at it.Also make a great addition to deer plots. [Reply]  [No Email]