Request for Sunflower Performance Trials Entries

Both dryland and irrigated oil and confection type sunflowers are important crops in Colorado, with 73,500 acres of sunflower planted there in 2015. In 2016, hybrid sunflower performance will be evaluated at two irrigated trials and two dryland trials. Colorado State University and Extension specialist Dr. Jerry Johnson says companies participation is critical to the success of these hybrid sunflower performance trials.

Johnson: "The Sunflower crop testing program depends upon on entry fees from different companies who want to put their hybrids into the trial to compare them with the other hybrid and get reliable and unbiased results when they do compare their hybrids with other companies. So we are totally dependent on companies entering their hybrids into our trials. So we are looking fro companies that would like their hybrids tested under excellent irrigated and drylands conditions."

Irrigated trial plots are two row plots at a length of 30 feet, and dryland plots are four rows wide by 30 feet long. Hybrids will be evaluated for stand establishment, lodging, yield, test weight, seed moisture, oil percentage for oil types, and seed size for confection types.

Completed entry forms are due on April 15, 2016. The 2016 trial results will be available after harvest at www.csucrops.com so seed companies can easily access and distribute results in a timely fashion.