NDSU Extension Plant Pathologist Michael Wunsch is studying sclerotinia in sunflowers. If conditions are right, it only takes about 18 to 24 hours of sustained moisture on a sunflower head to cause the disease. “How much disease you get is very dependent on the growth phase. Susceptibility increases as bloom increases.” Fungicides can also help when disease pressure is low to moderate, but it’s all about timing. NDSU Extension is also looking at another solution: the use of bee vectoring technology provides disease management solutions through biologicals. Wunsch says bee vectoring combined with good hybrid selection can offer good solutions for growers. This research will continue for one more year. Wunsch was part of the Getting It Right in Sunflower Production this week.
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