A new gene optimization from Evogene is being incorporated into its multi-year collaboration with Monsanto. This Evogene news release says the addition of these new capabilities, designed to optimize desired trait efficacy and potentially accelerate product development, is part of a long identification and validation program by Evogene that has put more than 1,000 genes into Monsanto’s product development pipeline. … Read More
Report Shows Increase in Corn Refuge Compliance
A new report from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) shows an increase in both the overall number of growers planting their corn refuge and integrated refuge products. This news release from the group says as part of the enhanced Compliance Assurance Program (CAP), there’s been a strong adoption of integrated refuge products, which include Bt and refuge seed interspersed … Read More
Importance of Quantifying Cover Crop Benefits
A common theme at last week’s 2015 Soil Health Summit in St. Louis was the need to quantify the benefits for farmers of using cover crops. Purdue University economics professor Dr. Wally Tyner is trying to do just that. “I’ve worked in a lot of different areas in economics and this is the hardest nut to crack,” he said. “Because … Read More
WOTUS Interpretive Rule Pulled
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have at least ditched part of the WOTUS rule. The Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section related to the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) was officially withdrawn by EPA and the Corps in a memo last Thursday, January 29. Congress requested asked for … Read More
Soil Health Hinges on Farmers
The first year of the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) enrolled 20 farmers in six states to be demonstration sites for the effort and by the end of five years they expect to have 100. These farmers have agreed to basically be the “guinea pigs” to help other farmers learn from their experiments and innovations. One of those farmers is Tim … Read More
First Soil Health Partnership Summit Held
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) was officially launched at last year’s Commodity Classic so it will just be one year old in another month. But Nick Goeser with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says the concept had a relatively long gestation period. “The idea for the Soil Health Partnership started in 2011, so within three years we came to … Read More
DuPont Pioneer Expands Encirca℠ Services
Corn and soybean growers are expected to benefit from the expansion of DuPont Pioneer’s Encirca℠ services. This company news release says the new service is Encirca℠ Yield Stand, joining the Encirca℠ Yield Nitrogen Management Service as a cutting-edge input management offering for growers. The novel approach of the Encirca℠ Yield Stand service helps growers tailor corn and soybean planting prescriptions … Read More
NRGene Tech Speeds CIMMYT Maize Mapping
NRGene, a leader in agricultural big data genomic analysis, and The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) are collaborating to generate the denovo genome assemblies of 20 tropical, subtropical, and highland maize genomes as part of CIMMYT’s collaborative Seeds of Discovery project (SeeD). They anticipate that this work will augment the existing temperate reference for maize and significantly enhance … Read More
Corn Growers Join Cuba Ag Coalition
The National Corn Growers Association joins U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and fellow farm and food organizations seeking to end the United States’ embargo against Cuba and advance trade relations between the two nations. The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba is composed of more than 30 U.S. agricultural and food organizations committed to building a deeper U.S.-Cuba relationship. … Read More
Record Corn Yield Contest Winner in Georgia
Georgia is a long way from the nation’s Corn Belt, but this year’s National Corn Yield Contest winner Randy Dowdy set a new record of 503 bushels per acre on his farm near Valdosta. “While the contest does not award a single, national prize or have an overall winner, Dowdy’s accomplishment certainly deserves recognition,” said National Corn Yield Contest Manager … Read More