First the Seed Foundation (FTSF) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 by the American Seed Trade Association with a focus on attracting bright young minds to the industry. “The seed industry is an exciting, dynamic, high tech industry,” said Foundation chairman Bud Hughes of Verdant Partners during an update at CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week. “We want … Read More
Bayer CropScience Soybean Update
Grower needs drive the Bayer CropScience soybean business according to Diego Angelo, director of US soybean operations, who was at last week’s CSS 2014 and Seed Expo to provide an update. “Innovation is in our blood and it’s driven by our passion to help growers be productive and profitable long term,” says Angelo. Right now what growers need most to … Read More
Comments Needed on EPA Neonic Report
Farmers and other stakeholders have only a few days left to comment on the EPA report about the “Benefits of Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments to Soybean Production” which finds little or no overall benefits. The comment period concludes on December 22. Dr. Becky Langer, Bayer CropScience Bee Care Program manager, says the EPA document came out of the presidential memorandum this … Read More
Bayer CropScience Commitment to Innovation
Bayer CropScience hosted a press conference at last week’s ASTA CSS & Seed Expo to highlight the company’s commitment to innovation. David Hollinrake, vice president of Agricultural Commercial Operations Marketing, says that they are investing more than $1 billion annually in research and development. “We’re looking across disease control, crop efficiency, trying to help crops thrive in less than great … Read More
Research on Value of Neonicotinoids
The agriculture industry is working to show the benefits of neonicotinoids in the face of an EPA report released in October concluding that the seed treatments “provide little or no overall benefits to soybean production in most situations.” During the ASTA CSS and Seed Expo last week, Dr. Pete Nowak with AgInfomatics discussed some of his findings on the value … Read More
ASTA Welcomes Economist Back for Outlook
Back again by popular demand this year at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo was AgResource Company president Dan Basse giving his economic outlook for the year ahead. Basse notes that this crop year is historic in that it’s the first time we’ve seen record world production for corn, wheat and soybeans. “So something agronomically is afoot here,” he … Read More
Poster Winners at ASTA CSS
Three students were awarded prizes sponsored by Dow AgroSciences for their winning poster presentations at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week in Chicago. First place was awarded to Adam Gaspar from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is pictured here explaining his presentation to one of the judges. Second place went to Lillian Brzostowski, a student at the … Read More
Bayer CropScience to Open New Seed Growth Center
Bayer CropScience will open a bigger and better seed growth center at the end of January, according to company officials at the American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week. “It’s going to have a state-of-the-art training center, a demonstration center, and a research center,” said Brad May, lead key account manager for seed growth and seeds. … Read More
Biotech Advocate at ASTA CSS
Hearing food and health “celebrities” spread misinformation about agriculture really annoys plant molecular and cellular biology professor Dr. Kevin Folta, who spoke at the CSS 2014 and Seed Expo this week in Chicago. Folta, who has a blog where he calls himself “a scientist in a scientifically illiterate nation at a time when we need science the most,” took the … Read More
UC Davis Holds Seed Business 101 Course at CSS
The UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center completed another successful session of the Seed Business 101 course focused on field crops in conjunction with the American Seed Trade Association CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago last week. Seed Business 101 is a one week course designed to expose participants to the five functional areas of a seed company (R&D, production, … Read More