Sunflower
Much more
abundant in drouthy sites and years.
Resistance to seed insects can be improved by the presence of a dark colored "armor"
layer in the seed coat. Resistance to midge has been suggested but is not currently
effective. Only currently approved insecticides should be used for control of insects.
Birds can be major pests in sunflowers. Especially important are blackbird, goldfinch,
dove, grosbeak and sparrow. Many approaches to disruption of feeding have been tried,
including scarecrows, fright owls, aluminum strips that flutter in the wind, and carbide
exploders. No techniques are 100% effective, as birds will adapt to many of these
techniques. However, in many environments, some attempt is wan-anted. Currently, no
chemicals are approved for bird control in sunflower.
I. Harvesting:
Sunflowers are generally mature long before they are dry enough for combining. Seed
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