Bayer CropScience Defends Neonicotinoid Pesticides

Cindy ZimmermanBayer CropScience, Crop Protection, environment

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) this week petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to ban neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics), claiming that they “pose a serious risk to honeybees, wild bees, and other pollinators.”

The petition asks EPA to launch an immediate one-year review of neonics’ impact on bees, to determine if the pesticides’ use should be prohibited on bee-pollinated crops and ornamental plants—including shrubs and plants sold to consumers as “bee-friendly.”

bayerAt the same time, the journal Nature this week says a group of scientists in the Netherlands believe insect-eating birds have declined over the past 20 years with the increased use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

In reaction to the claims by the Dutch scientists, Bayer CropScience released a statement noting that they have shown no causal link between the insectivorous birds decline and the use of neonicotinoids. According to Bayer, the scientists make “no proper attempt to account for other possible sources of the reported decline such as climate change or nutrition” and also “ignore the fact that most of the bird species mentioned are not foraging to a large extent on insects emerging from water bodies.”

In conclusion, the letter to “Nature” provides no substantiated evidence of the alleged indirect effects of imidacloprid on insectivorous birds. Bayer CropScience is working with the Dutch authorities and agricultural stakeholders to ensure the safe use of imidacloprid-containing crop protection products and to preserve the environment.

Protection from Effects of Lesser Prairie Chicken

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Conservation, Government

Screen Shot 2014-07-09 at 7.42.51 PMU.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced an amendment to the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014 to prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior from altering any land management practices based on the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken as a threatened species.

“Just as we thought, in Kansas, the Lesser Prairie Chicken numbers are up in areas that have recently seen a little rain in this ongoing, multi-year drought,” Sen. Roberts said. “This amendment will protect farmers and ranchers, who are also suffering from the effects of drought, from having to change their operations and land management due to the listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken.”

“As conservation efforts for the Lesser Prairie Chicken are considered, farmers and ranchers deserve the flexibility to implement plans that fit their operations,” Sen. Moran said. “I am committed to making certain the measures implemented are based on sound science and common sense, as well as represent the best interest of producers. We will continue to do what we can to resolve the problem and avoid thwarting industries vital to our state’s economy.”

The amendment is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Sens. Roberts and Moran have worked to avoid the Lesser Prairie Chicken’s listing. On June 13, 2013, the senators sent a bipartisan letter requesting a six-month delay to the LPC listing decision in order to provide the maximum amount of time to consider the LPC listing allowed under federal law. This resulted in an extension that allowed time for evaluation of the science behind the listing decision and for the five-state plan to demonstrate results. That letter was a follow-up to a letter on Feb. 20, 2013, requesting an extension to the comment period for the proposed threatened listing, which U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Director Dan Ashe agreed to provide within a week of the request.

Hick Chick Chat on Data Management

Leah GuffeyAg Leader, Audio, Data, Hick Chick Chat

11326519286_c9a07ae0bf_oAg Leader Technology featured John McGuire of Simplified Technology Services at the Tech Meets Dirt Road Tour stop I attended recently near Peoria, Illinois and I had the chance to Hick Chick Chat with him about the important issue of data management for agriculture.

_DSC0076McGuire has been working in agriculture precision technology for 20 years now and he talks about steps to take when using data for agronomic management and making variable rate prescriptions for individual operations.

There’s still one more stop on the Ag Leader Tech Meets Dirt Road Tour.
July 10th – 1368 County Rd 11 Thomasboro, IL 61878

[wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/podcast/hickchickchat-14-agleader-mcquire.mp3″ text=”Hick Chick Chat with John McGuire on Data Management”]

Join in the conversation on Twitter and on Facebook

MapShots AgStudio Expo on July 28th

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Data, Events, MapShots

MapShots will cover various topics at its upcoming AgStudio Expo held July 28 at the Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. MapShots holds this meeting yearly to highlight their AgStudio line of products to new customers and discuss updates with existing customers. This is held the day before the InfoAg Conference which is the preeminent conference for agricultural technology applications and data management.

AGStudioThe main topics to be discussed this year are basic ag data management, variable rate management, agronomic data integration and the business of farming. These topics will be discussed and questions answered can make your ag supply business or farm more efficient and profitable.

For additional information or for registration to attend, please contact MapShots at http://www.mapshots.com/infoag2014/2014mapshotsagstudioexporegistration/ or call 678-513-6093.

MapShots, Inc. provides innovative solutions for data management by producers, service providers and third-party developers in the agriculture industry. With its AgStudio, AgStudio Select, AgStudio Maps and Ag Director programs, MapShots provides the agricultural industry and developers the right products to gather and manage data. The AgStudio platform is designed to take advantage of today’s communication technologies, including the internet, wireless and newly developed communications. visit http://mapshots.com for additional information or call (866) 886-7616.

ABM Announces New Patent to Improve Plant Growth

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, agronomy, seed

ABM-Logo-CMYK-300x126Advanced Biological Marketing (ABM) announces the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 8,716,001 for a Trichoderma strain that induces resistance to plant diseases and increases plant growth. The patent was issued to Cornell University and ABM has exclusive worldwide rights.

The patent covers the technology that induces gene expression triggers for healthier and more productive plants. The Trichoderma works by first colonizing the crop root system. Its use on the seed allows the plant to grow in a more beneficial manner than it would without the Trichoderma and changes the plant’s physiology without altering its DNA.

This patented strain of Trichoderma offers an all-natural way to improve agricultural production and increase plant yields for crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, forage crops and vegetables. Additional benefits of Trichoderma include:

• Greater resistance to plant stresses such as disease and drought
• Bigger root systems and plant growth
• Better water and fertilizer use efficiency
• Increased photosynthesis, which leads to a healthier plant

“ABM is dedicated to providing farmers with sustainable solutions to improve their agriculture production,” said Dan Custis, ABM CEO. “Our work with Cornell University and the issuance of this patent allows us to continue producing products that offer farmers the most advanced solutions in enhancing plant growth and productivity.”

ABM also recently announced an agreement with INCOTEC Group B.V. in which INCOTEC will combine ABM’s yield enhancing inoculants with INCOTEC’s innovative seed coating and enhancement technologies.

INCOTEC will have marketing rights to the seed industry of ABM products in the USA, Europe, India and South America.

Dan Custis, CEO of ABM states, “We are excited to partner with INCOTEC to help increase yields and profitability for farmers worldwide. This partnership adds value and convenience in a sustainable way. It is an excellent opportunity to expand our market share not only in the US, but around the globe.”

JanWillem Breukink, senior executive member of the Board of INCOTEC, says: “We are very happy that ABM has chosen us as the preferred partner for the application of their innovative products to seeds. INCOTEC is offering a completely independent application platform where companies like ABM can work with INCOTEC to make sure that it is a quality process that is used to apply their products to seeds.”

Field to Market Announces New Supply Chain Program

Cindy ZimmermanAg Group, Agribusiness, sustainability

Field-to-Market_Logo-1Field to Market®, the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, has just launched a new agricultural supply chain program for commodity crops.

The Field to Market metrics and benchmarks developed through a multi-stakeholder process over the past several years will now become an important platform for measuring, promoting and reporting on continuous improvement in corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, potatoes and other crops related to seven sustainability indicators: land use, soil conservation, soil carbon, irrigated water use, water quality, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The new program, which was approved at the organization’s recent biannual board meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, will focus on benchmarking current sustainability outcomes, catalyzing continuous improvement at the field and landscape level, and enabling supply chain sourcing claims.

“The announcement signals a major commitment among members to address supply chain sustainability in a manner that is transparent, grounded in science, focused on outcomes and open to a full range of technology choices while considering productivity, environmental quality and human well-being,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market.

The membership of Field to Market includes a who’s who of agricultural organizations and agribusinesses, as well as food companies and environmental groups. Among those members are American Farm Bureau Federation, Bayer CropScience, BASF, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere, and the National Corn Growers Association.

MapShots Holds 2014 Ag Studio Expo

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Data, Events, MapShots

MapShotsMapShots, Inc. will hold its 2014 AgStudio Expo on July 28, 2014, at the Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. MapShots holds this meeting yearly to highlight their AgStudio line of products to new customers and discuss updates with existing customers. This is held the day before the InfoAg Conference which is the preeminent conference for agricultural technology applications and data management.

The Expo will discuss AgStudio FARM, its leading grower data management software application, and AgStudio PRO, the tried and true software application for managing agricultural service providers data. Other products discussed will be AgStudio SELECT, AgStudio NOTES and AgStudio MAP.

For additional information or for registration to attend, please contact MapShots at http://www.mapshots.com/infoag2014/2014mapshotsagstudioexporegistration/ or call 678-513-6093.

MapShots, Inc. provides innovative solutions for data management by producers, service providers and third-party developers in the agriculture industry. With its AgStudio, AgStudio Select, AgStudio Maps and Ag Director programs, MapShots provides the agricultural industry and developers the right products to gather and manage data. The AgStudio platform is designed to take advantage of today’s communication technologies, including the internet, wireless and newly developed communications. visit http://mapshots.com for additional information or call (866) 886-7616

EPA Chief Heading to Missouri

Cindy ZimmermanAFBF, Audio, environment, Government, water

epa-ginaEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will travel to Missouri this week to defend and explain the Administration’s proposed rules defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

On Wednesday, McCarthy will visit Missouri corn and soybean farmer Bill Heffernan to view soil conservation practices used to protect local waterways. On Thursday, she will deliver a speech on Waters of the US at the Kansas City Agribusiness Council Luncheon.

“I’m hoping that this trip helps us ‘ditch the myths’ and misinformation,” said McCarthy in an obvious reference to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s “Ditch the Rule” campaign opposed to the proposed rule.

During a media call this morning in advance of her trip, McCarthy called some of the beliefs about the rule “ludicrous” and “just silly” including that EPA will be regulating puddles of water and ditches. “In this proposal for the first time ever we’re making it clear that we don’t regulate all ditches,” she said.

Listen to her comments and questions from the media here. [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/government/epa-mccarthy.mp3″ text=”EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy press call”]

BASF Presents Winning Seasons with Headline AMP

Cindy ZimmermanBASF, Crop Protection, Harvesting

basfGrowers across the country have experienced the many ways BASF Headline AMP® fungicide has a positive impact on their corn crops during the season.

In addition to managing disease pressures throughout corn fields, proactive use of Headline AMP fungicide provides Plant Health benefits including growth efficiency and stress tolerance which can help increase stalk strength and reduce lodging, leading to easier and faster corn harvesting.

“Lodged corn can cause yield losses of up to 25 percent and add an extra 5.5 days per each 1,000 acres to harvest,” said Caren Schmidt, Ph.D., Technical Market Manager, BASF. “Research indicates the disease control and Plant Health benefits of Headline AMP fungicide correlate to healthier plants and strong stalks for a more efficient corn harvest.”

A new educational video from BASF highlights the Plant Health benefits of Headline AMP fungicide and the harvest efficiency benefits it provides to growers. Visit the BASF Crop Protection Facebook page and watch the featured BASF Plant Health video on harvest efficiency. Viewers can answer the quiz question at the end of the video and will receive one entry into a special drawing for each video watched, while learning more about increasing yields.

Aurora Agronomy Expands in Texas

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, agronomy

Screen Shot 2014-07-07 at 1.44.24 PMThe Aurora Cooperative, a leading agricultural supplier and grain marketer based in Nebraska and serving America’s farmers in multiple states, this week announced an Aurora Agronomy® expansion in Texas with the acquisition of Perryton Aviation, Inc., located in Perryton, TX and Hansford Aviation, Inc., located in Gruver, TX.

The Texas multi-site expansion was previously owned and operated by Jason Schickedanz and headquartered at Perryton, TX. The sites will continue to operate under the Perryton Aviation and Hansford Aviation brands, with Schickedanz continuing to lead operations at the facilities, and assist in the expansion of Aurora Ag Aviation; a sub-division of Aurora Agronomy®.

Perryton Aviation and Hansford Aviation are full-service agronomy businesses, featuring aerial and ground application, scouting services, along with seed, crop protection and fertilizer sales.

“The vision of the Aurora Cooperative is to be financially strong, innovative, independent and a farmer-owned agri-business…now, and for the next generation. We are committed to delivering the finest products, service, and expertise to all farmer-owners in our expanding market area,” said George Hohwieler, President and CEO of the Aurora Cooperative.

“Within this expansion, Aurora’s ground and aerial agronomy capabilities are further enhanced. Equally important is selecting businesses that share Aurora’s culture and vision,” Hohwieler said. “Jason shares our approach of building long-term relationships with our farmer-owners. Aurora’s continued growth will be built upon these time-honored principles.”