Sunflowers

2003 Colorado Sunflower Performance Trial Results

Due to the drought in 2002, Colorado dropped from 4th to the 5th largest producer of sunflowers in the U.S., producing 63 million pounds of seed on 105,000 harvested acres. To assist Colorado sunflower producers to make the best hybrid sunflower seed decision, CSU’s Crops Testing personnel evaluate commercial oil and confection sunflower hybrids at four different dryland locations and at one irrigated location in eastern Colorado.

The results of our 2003 sunflower oil and confection trials are shown below. The irrigated oil and confection trials at Idalia were quite good despite hail damage suffered on July 29. All dryland sunflowers suffered from drought again in 2003, receiving only scant and sporatic rainfall from July to harvest. We were able to harvest the dryland trials at Cheyenne Wells, Akron, and Wray but, due to excessive variation in plot to plot yield, only the Akron trial could be statistically interpreted. The dryland trial at Haxtun was not harvested.

A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used for all trials. Dryland trials at Haxtun and Wray consisted of four row plots 72 feet long while dryland trials at Cheyenne Wells and Akron of four row plots 32 feet long and the irrigated trial at Idalia consisted of four row plots 32 feet long. The target plant population for dryland oil hybrids was 15,000 seeds per acre while the target plant population for dryland confection hybrids was 12,000 seeds per acre. The target plant population for irrigated oil hybrids was 18,000 seeds per acre while the target plant population for irrigated confection hybrids was 15,000 seeds per acre. Seed yields are reported in pounds per acre adjusted to 10% moisture content. Oil content is reported as % oil at 10% seed moisture content.

Dryland confection sunflower variety performance trial at Akron¹in 2003 with the percent of seed by screen size.

Dryland oil sunflower variety performance trial at Akron¹ in 2003.

Hybrid	Yield	Moisture	Test Weight	Plant Height	Density	Lodging	Oil
	lb/ac	%	lb/bu	in	plants/ac	%	%
Red River RRC 2010	1502	5.2	29.1	58	15834	0	35.5
Interstate/Garst Hysun 454	1219	4.9	30.5	47	16383	0	39.3
Red River RRC 2011	1179	5.0	28.1	51	15927	1	38.1
Mycogen SF260	1041	5.1	25.8	41	16403	0	37.2
Interstate/Garst IS 4049	1003	4.9	25.5	53	15967	0	37.7
Triumph 645	993	5.1	26.0	51	16669	2	39.5
Mycogen 8N421	953	5.0	28.6	49	17008	0	38.9
Triumph 667	949	4.9	30.4	37	17628	3	39.3
Interstate/Garst IS 6767	918	5.0	28.3	45	16732	0	38.9
Fontanelle 902NS	914	5.0	25.1	47	16441	0	39.0
Pioneer brand 63M80	894	4.9	27.5	47	16226	0	38.8
Triumph 665	892	5.0	28.8	44	15777	1	38.3
Pioneer brand 64M60	891	5.1	27.7	48	16445	1	36.6
Pioneer brand 63M91	881	5.0	27.7	46	16128	0	37.8
Mycogen 8488 NS	822	5.0	29.5	49	16740	0	38.5
Mycogen 8377 NS	804	5.1	28.2	46	16880	0	38.2
Interstate/Garst Hysun 450	804	5.3	28.8	40	16521	0	37.5
Mycogen SF270	737	5.0	29.0	40	16941	2	38.1
Average	966	5.0	28.0	46	16481	1
LSD(0.30)	181

¹Trial conducted on the Jason Shook farm; seeded 6/25 and harvested 10/28.

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Dryland confection sunflower variety performance trial at Cheyenne Wells¹ in 2003 with the percent of seed by screen size.

Hybrid	Yield	Moisture	Test Weight	Plant Height	Density	Seed Size
						Percent	Percent	Jumbo Percent
	lb/ac	%	lb/bu	in	plants/ac	above 20/64	below 20/64	above 22/64
Sigco Sun Rustler	629	8.3	25.0	46	12368	22.2	72.4	5.4
Sigco Sun Goliath RT	439	9.0	23.4	42	11969	34.4	62.8	2.8
Average	15	8.6	24.2	44	12168

¹Trial conducted on the Dennis Campbell farm; seeded 6/16 and harvested 10/14.

*Yields could not be interpreted statistically due to variation caused by severe late season drought.

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Dryland oil sunflower variety performance trial at Cheyenne Wells¹ in 2003.

Hybrid	Yield	Moisture	Test Weight	Density	Plant Height	Lodging	Oil
	lb/ac	%	lb/bu	plants/ac	in	%	%
Pioneer brand 64M60	843	6.6	27.5	15917	48	0.8	38.9
Mycogen 8N421	776	6.3	29.1	16594	47	0.8	39.7
Mycogen 8488 NS	705	6.4	29.1	15020	47	1.0	37.7
Interstate/Garst Hysun 454	687	5.8	30.0	15645	46	1.8	38.4
Pioneer brand 63M80	649	6.0	26.3	13970	45	4.8	39.4
Pioneer brand 63M91	616	5.7	28.6	15987	44	3.8	39.2
Seeds 2000 Charger	606	6.1	29.5	13160	48	4.0	37.4
Interstate/Garst IS 4049	596	5.8	29.9	14916	48	3.3	39.0
Kaystar 9501	528	6.0	29.8	15971	46	2.0	37.1
Kaystar 2020NS	502	6.0	28.7	15340	39	2.3	37.6
Mycogen 8377 NS	485	5.7	26.4	15898	45	2.7	39.1
Interstate/Garst Hysun 450	470	6.1	30.0	15559	41	0.9	37.8
Seeds 2000 Blazer	455	6.1	27.5	15620	39	4.4	38.3
Mycogen SF187	451	5.7	28.5	17010	44	1.2	36.8
Interstate/Garst IS 6767	424	6.1	29.9	15546	41	3.5	39.7
Mycogen SF270	357	5.6	26.7	16675	39	2.0	39.0
Average	572	6.0	28.6	15552	44	2.5

¹Trial conducted on the Dennis Campbell farm; seeded 6/16 and harvested 10/14.

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Irrigated confection sunflower variety performance trial at Idalia¹ in 2003.

Hybrid	Yield	Moisture	Test Weight	Plant Height	Density	Lodging	Hail Damaged2	Seed Size
								Percent	Percent	Jumbo Percent
	lb/ac	%	lb/bu	in	plants/ac	%	%	above 20/64	below 20/64	above 22/64
Seeds 2000 Grizzly	2441	7.2	22.3	60	13595	0	4	69.5	18.9	11.6
Sigco Sun Goliath	2120	7.6	19.8	57	13937	1	31	51.7	23.1	25.2
Seeds 2000 X3987	1966	8.1	20.8	64	13698	0	24	61.6	11.7	26.7
Triumph 777C	1939	8.1	19.5	70	13647	0	20	41.9	7.0	51.1
Triumph 757C	1845	7.9	18.6	61	12973	2	5	37.0	8.4	54.6
Red River RRC 7015	1823	8.3	19.8	64	14023	0	51	63.1	10.5	26.4
Triumph TRX2352 C	1800	8.3	19.9	61	14202	0	26	40.4	18.6	41.0
Red River RRC 2582	1796	7.7	22.7	61	15042	0	26	53.7	30.6	15.7
Royal Hybrid 118	1733	9.2	22.2	67	12924	0	59	51.8	8.2	40.0
Red River RRC 2215	1678	7.8	21.0	59	13382	0	30	63.7	9.5	26.8
Red River RRC 2213	1402	7.8	22.6	61	15178	0	40	67.9	22.6	9.5
Sigco Sun Rustler	1327	7.8	23.7	62	13631	0	41	61.5	17.6	20.9
Royal Hybrid 318	1128	10.3	20.9	62	13614	0	56	70.5	15.6	13.9
Average	1769	8.2	21.1	62	13834	0	32
LSD(0.30)	353

¹Trial conducted on the Dennis Towns farm; seeded 6/17 and harvested 10/25.
²Hail damaged plants were plants where growing point was terminated or plant became deformed.

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Irrigated oil sunflower variety performance trial at Idalia¹ in 2003.

Hybrid	Yield	Moisture	Test Weight	Plant Height	Density	Lodging	Hail Damaged2	Oil
	lb/ac	%	lb/bu	in	plants/ac	%	%	%
Interstate/Garst Hysun 450	2737	4.5	31.0	55	16454	0	13	39.6
Interstate/Garst IS 4049	2635	4.5	29.6	64	17016	1	5	38.7
Croplan CL380 NS	2622	4.8	31.2	62	16675	0	1	38.8
Pioneer brand 63M91	2602	4.5	31.9	60	17147	0	0	40.7
Triumph 645	2596	4.6	28.1	65	16471	1	3	41.8
Interstate/Garst Hysun 424	2565	4.5	30.5	57	17222	1	1	40.7
Triumph 658	2545	4.5	28.4	62	16175	1	2	42.0
Fontanelle 902NS	2544	4.6	27.7	64	15851	0	1	41.7
Kaystar 9501	2521	4.8	31.8	66	17016	0	17	35.5
Kaystar X3002	2499	4.5	32.1	60	16262	2	5	37.5
DEKALB EXP38-30NS	2447	4.4	30.0	60	17333	0	0	40.9
Mycogen 8488 NS	2429	4.7	31.8	62	17356	0	5	40.3
Mycogen 8N421	2398	4.5	30.9	58	17152	3	12	40.0
Mycogen SF260	2381	4.3	29.4	54	16607	0	1	41.4
Triumph 665	2336	4.7	29.6	65	17006	0	2	41.6
Interstate/Garst IS 6767	2251	4.4	31.9	57	16656	0	1	41.9
Pioneer brand 64M60	2235	4.6	27.2	61	16388	0	0	37.6
DEKALB EXP3880 CL	2220	4.6	27.9	55	17353	0	3	36.2
DEKALB DKF33-33NS	2213	4.5	30.9	55	15835	0	1	35.6
Seeds 2000 Blazer	2210	4.4	28.5	53	16022	1	5	39.7
Croplan CL385 NS	2205	4.4	31.4	51	17764	0	15	40.1
Kaystar 2020NS	2202	4.5	30.6	54	17154	1	19	38.8
Red River RRC 2011	2173	4.8	27.7	58	17557	0	7	38.3
DEKALB EXP31-22NS	2170	4.4	30.0	53	17288	0	7	41.4
Triumph 636	2160	4.4	26.7	63	16320	0	1	41.4
Croplan CL308	2094	4.4	31.3	54	17011	0	2	43.7
Interstate/Garst Hysun 454	2082	4.4	28.3	58	16743	1	11	40.1
Triumph TRX3221	2034	4.3	32.5	43	17016	2	2	41.7
Triumph 667	2004	4.4	29.3	49	17900	2	2	43.3
Red River RRC 2010	1936	4.6	28.7	58	16594	0	26	36.0
Mycogen SF270	1871	4.5	30.6	50	17628	0	3	37.8
Pioneer brand 63M80	1846	4.3	30.7	56	17288	2	2	40.1
Triumph 620CL	1843	4.4	29.5	53	16873	0	1	37.8
Croplan CL345 NS	1813	4.5	31.5	57	16811	2	9	39.7
Interstate/Garst Hysun 521	1759	4.7	32.0	53	17492	1	0	37.1
Mycogen 8377 NS	1743	4.8	31.8	57	17000	0	9	38.4
DEKALB DKF30-33NS	1738	4.6	30.1	56	17078	0	4	35.7
Average	2234	4.5	30.1	57	16906	1	5
LSD(0.30)	340

Dryland oil sunflower variety performance trial at Wray¹ in 2003.

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