It’s Travis Kidd’s responsibility to bring commercial hybrids from the research stage into the marketplace for Alta Seeds. Considering they’re the largest provider of genetics in forage and grain sorghum in the country, he’s the guy you want to talk to when it comes to what’s new in Sorghum.
Alta is excited about two new traits that will make life easier for growers. The first is sugar cane aphid tolerance. It’s a new pest in the industry, Kidd told me at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk event. Early on many growers were unaware of the issue, resulting in crop failure, but now a new line for sugar cane aphid tolerance has been isolated.
Herbicide tolerance is another big issue at Alta Seeds. “Its been a struggle for grass control in a grass crop. […] It’s yield robbing. So now, for the first time, Alta seeds is the first to market with postemergence grass control in a grass crop,” Kidd says.
The company is also moving their research station to College Station, Texas- a move that will open doors in terms of biotechnology advances and hopefully lead to better solutions for growers.
Learn more about herbicide tolerance and the College Station move in my full interview with Kidd: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nafb-16-kidd.mp3″ text=”Interview with Travis Kidd, Alta Seeds”]
View and download photos from the event here: NAFB Convention Photo Album
