USDA Extends Comment Period for CSP

Cindy ZimmermanConservation, Government, USDA

usda-logoUSDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is extending the public comment period on the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim rule until January 20, 2015.

“This extension will provide stakeholders with additional time to comment on the CSP interim rule,” Chief Jason Weller said. “At nearly 70 million acres, CSP is the nation’s largest conservation program. Input through the public comment process will help NRCS finalize a CSP rule that works for participants and continues to deliver greater conservation benefits for our Nation.”

Official notice of the change can be found in the Federal Register. Electronic comments must be submitted through regulations.gov.

FMC Announces New Executive Roles

Cindy ZimmermanFMC

fmc-logoFMC Corporation has announced new roles for three business executives.

Bethwyn Todd, global director of FMC Professional Solutions, Seed Treatment and BioSolutions, has been named director for Agricultural Solutions in Asia and president of FMC Asia. She also was elected a vice president of FMC Corporation by the Board of Directors. Bethwyn joined FMC in 2010 as Asia Pacific Development and Regulatory manager in Bangkok, Thailand.

Eric Norris has been named vice president and global business director for FMC Health and Nutrition. Norris was previously vice president and global business director for FMC Lithium. He joined FMC in 2001, and earlier in his career was director of Investor Relations for FMC and Rohm and Haas Company.

Tom Schneberger has been named vice president and global business director for FMC Lithium. Schneberger was previously vice president and business director for FMC Alkali Chemicals.

Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference Set for January

John DavisAg Group, Agribusiness, ASTA, seed

ASTAveg-n-flowerThe American Seed Trade Association is getting ready for its 54th Annual Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference. Event officials say this is ASTA’s fastest growing event, offering unrivaled networking and educational opportunities for the global vegetable and flower seed industry.

Don’t miss the General Session January 26 focusing on Breeding for the Consumer. Popular presenter David Clark, Professor at the University of Florida’s Environmental Horticulture Department, will deliver the keynote address discussing the use of Consumer Assisted Selection to produce new varieties of plants. Mike Stuart, President of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and Michael Ryshouwer of Bejo Seeds will also share remarks during the panel discussion.

New this year will be a dedicated, fully functioning media room that will offer private areas to live broadcast and host one-on-one interviews. Industry press conferences on a variety of topics are also being planned. All media will receive complimentary registration.

For a full schedule of events, registration and hotel information click here.

Ag Leader Offers ISOBUS Liquid Control Module

John DavisAg Leader, Agribusiness

AgleaderisobusA new way to precisely control liquid applications for farm fields has debuted. Ag Leader is expanding its ISOBUS offerings with a new Liquid Control Module that works with Ag Leader displays, as well as other brands of ISOBUS compatible displays.

The module is configurable for the user’s choice of sprayer, liquid fertilizer, anhydrous and manure application with features and interactive controls optimized specific to each of those equipment types.

“Our Liquid Control Module is compatible with ISOBUS standards for virtual terminal and task control,” explained John Howard, Ag Leader’s DirectCommand Product Manager. “This functionality allows using the system with other brands of virtual terminal/task control compatible displays.”

Physical components of the system are a rate control ECU, one or more boom section control ECUs and an auxiliary input switch console that is designed specifically to meet liquid application control requirements.

Ag Leader officials say the system makes it easier to calibrate the flow, pressure and ground speed sensors that are critical to accurate system performance, as well as making continuous monitoring of the relationship between product flow rates and system pressure easier.

The ISOBUS Liquid Control Module will be available to the North American market in early 2015.

Syngenta Gets Approval for Agrisure Viptera® in China

Cindy Zimmermanbiotechnology, Corn, Exports, Syngenta

syngentaIt’s official now. Syngenta announced today that it has received approval for the Agrisure Viptera® trait (event MIR162) from China’s regulatory authorities, formally granting import approval. The approval covers corn grain and processing byproducts, such as dried distillers grains (DDGs), for food and feed use.

The Agrisure Viptera® trait is a key component of Syngenta’s insect control solutions, offering growers protection against the broadest spectrum of above-ground corn pests and enabling significant crop yield gains. Agrisure Viptera® has been approved for cultivation in the USA since 2010 and has also been approved for cultivation in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Syngenta originally submitted the import approval dossier to the Chinese authorities in March 2010. In addition to China, Agrisure Viptera® has been approved for import into Australia/New Zealand, Belarus, the European Union, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Innovation at New Holland Recognized

John DavisAgribusiness, Award, New Holland

ae50_LogoOur friends at New Holland are being honored for their engineering innovation. This company news release says New Holland won fourprestigious AE50 Awards for smart engineering innovations by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

“We’re proud to receive these awards recognizing industry-leading advances in technology,” says Abe Hughes, New Holland’s Vice President of North America. “In 2015, New Holland will be celebrating our 120th year as an innovator, and these AE50 awards affirm our continued commitment to providing the smart, cutting-edge technology growers need to increase their efficiency and profitability.”

The New Holland award winners include:

QuickMax™ disc cutterbar quick-change knife system
41-foot 760CG Varifeed™ grain header
Integration of LIN remote-control actuators on New Holland CR combines
Triple-Clean™ cleaning shoe technology for CX5000 and CX6000 Elevation combines

You can read more about each of the four winners here.

The AE50 awards are presented for the fifty most innovative product ideas to enter the market in 2014, honoring new product ideas that are ranked highest in innovation, significant engineering advancement, and impact on the market served.

New Holland, Leifmark Test Stover Baling Equipment

John DavisAgribusiness, Corn, Ethanol, New Holland

leifmark-new-holland-1Baling corn stover is part of the next generation of cellulosic ethanol, and two major players in the green fuel and agribusiness markets are moving that process forward. Leifmark, LLC and New Holland Agriculture recently teamed up to test equipment and methods used to gather, bale, and store the corn stover left behind after the grain harvest in two Iowa cornfields.

Paul Kamp, Leifmark’s Chicago-based partner, coordinated the 520-bale collection. “Using local specialists and best practices, we showed stover harvesting on area farms is very practical. That’s good news for three ethanol producers now considering new businesses making cellulosic ethanol from biomass.”

Developing more efficient methods and equipment brings down the overall cost of stover, says Kamp, whose company markets Inbicon Biomass Refinery technology in North America.

“Couple lower stover prices with a predictable supply chain,” adds Kamp, “and you reduce risk perceptions with biomass. So future plant owners can feel confident putting their capital into cellulosic ethanol projects.”

New Holland Agriculture’s Scott Wangsgard emphasizes that “technology companies like Inbicon have certain specifications for corn stover bales. To meet them, we’ve been designing specialized equipment that also boosts collection efficiencies.”

New Holland used a high-capacity baler and automated bale wagon that picks up, transports, and stacks the 3′ x 4′ x 8′ square bales required for Inbicon’s refining process. Officials say the square bales handle more easily than round ones, store in much less space, and pack tighter so flatbed trucks can haul more tonnage per trip.