Alternative Crop Options
for Southeast Missouri
Alan Weber
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute
www.jeffersoninstitute.org
Jefferson Institute
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The Jefferson Institute is a non-profit
education and research center with a primary
focus on crop diversification.
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Assist farmers with production methods
Identify and develop markets
Address policy and institutional barriers
One of our areas of work is developing
sunflowers, millets, and other alternative
crops for southeast Missouri
ACRES (thousands)
A century of Missouri crop
production (1900-2000)
9000
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
corn
soybeans
wheat
sorghum
oats
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Opportunities with
Sunflowers
Can be grown with
grain crop equipment
 Drought tolerant crop
 Markets available in Missouri for birdseed
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Current contract price of $9.50/cwt.
Loan deficiency payment of typically $1.50/cwt.
Yields typically 2000 lbs/acre or better
 Large number of varieties, including NuSun types
which are mid-level in oleic acid
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Sunflower Production Methods
Select a good variety (see MU variety tests)
 Can be planted from early April through late
July
 Plant 15,000 to 25,000 plants per acre (3-4
lbs.)
 Plant about 1 inch deep in wide rows
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Wider rows allows use of cultivator and row crop
head
Fertilize with about 80-100 lbs./acre N
 Several herbicide options available
 Harvest when back of head turns brown
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Sunflower Irrigation
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Irrigation timing
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For one irrigation, either at bud or early bloom
For two irrigations, do one at early bud stage and
one at full bloom
Crop is not very responsive to irrigation during
vegetative stage unless needed for establishment
Response to irrigation
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Under dry conditions, ND researchers found 190
lb./acre yield increase per inch of irrigation water
Total increase of 50% yield improvement on coarse
textured soils in ND (where there is less rainfall)
Oilseed Sunflower Marketing
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Birdseed
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Ten’s of thousands of acres of demand in Missouri
Bulk delivery points in Missouri
Transportation advantage over sunflowers grown
in Kansas or the Dakotas
Local value-added opportunities
 Nu-Sun or high oleic acid sunflowers
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Potential oil premiums
Other Issues/Considerations
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Quality specifications for birdseed
Foreign material
 Moisture
 Test weight
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Pest pressure
 Equipment needs
 Contracting
 Transportation
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Opportunities with Millets
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Three possible millets to grow
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Proso millet (short crop, common birdseed)
Pearl millet (traditional forage, new grain hybrids)
Foxtail millet (easy to grow, golden seed)
Millets can be grown for birdseed market
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Birdseed prices are higher than for feed grain
Pearl millet may be a premium poultry feed
 All three of these millets are drought tolerant,
and can be double-cropped after wheat
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Where do
Millets
such as
Pearl
Millet Fit
into a
Rotation?
Millet Production Methods
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Planted from mid-May through mid-June
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Plant four to five pounds per acre
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Wider rows allows use of cultivator and row crop
head
Fertilize with about 80-100 lbs./acre N
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Planted in rows
Plant about 1/2 inch to one inch deep in wide
rows
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Potential for double-crop
Similar to milo
Seeds typically mature before plants drys down
Other Issues/Considerations
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Market outlets
Question on acceptance as replacement for
proso millet in birdseed
 Cost competiveness with corn
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Yield potential
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New varieties developed in Georgia can
dramatically impact opportunities
Other Alternative Crop Options
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Black beans - for refried beans or soup bean
mixes
Amaranth - high value, small market
Winter canola for oilseed and other uses
Flax - early spring crop
Buckwheat - option for late planting
Edamame soybeans - high value, but harvested
green
Opportunities for Black Beans
US consumption of
dry beans is
increasing
 Trials indicate
revenues can be
superior to current
commodities
 Limited market
outlets available
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Consumer Interest in
Amaranth
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High in protein (14-16%)
Well-balanced amino acid
profile (close to milk)
Good levels of fiber, calcium
and vitamin E
Low levels of fat
Colorful history and flower
appearance
Farmer Interest in
Amaranth
High price of the
grain ($0.40 per
pound or higher if
organic)
 Crop is relatively low
cost to grow
 Tolerant of dry
conditions
 Fits into most grain
crop rotations
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Concluding Remarks
 Sunflowers have strong existing birdseed market
demand, and potential exists to develop NuSun oil
type in southeast Missouri
 Pearl, proso, and foxtail millet may be viable
options as double crops grown for the birdseed
market as well
 Other opportunities exist such as black bean or
amaranth production that can provide a way to
diversify crop rotations and income sources
Contact the Jefferson Institute at 573-449-3518, or
visit our website at www.jeffersoninstitute.org