Sunflower Planting Date x Variety Trial Dr. Heather

Sunflowers are being grown in the Northeast for their potential to add value to a diversified operation as fuel, feed, fertilizer, and an important rotational crop. However, pest pressures from seed-boring insects, disease, and birds can limit yield and quality, making the crop less viable for existing and potential growers. Addressing some of these pest pressures with agronomic management strategies may help mitigate yield losses. One pest control strategy that has been shown to avoid pests is through manipulation of planting date. To evaluate the impacts of altered planting dates on sunflower pests and yields across varieties, an on-farm trial was designed and implemented by the University of Vermont Extension’s Northwest Crops & Soils Program in 2017