USDA Awards $6.7 Million for Healthy Agroecosystems

Kelly MarshallGovernment, Research, sustainability, USDA

usda-logo Eighteen grants with a total sum of $6.7 million dollars are being granted by the USDA‘s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).  The grants are to encourage researching the interactions between components of an agroecosystem interact in food production: soil, water and sun to plants, animals and people.

“Population growth, along with environmental factors, including the growing threat of climate change, are putting increasing demand on the land, water and other resources that produce our food,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These investments will help us understand how we can farm more effectively and sustainably to feed the growing global population.”

NIFA’s AFRI Foundational: Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment Program supports research on healthy agroecosystems and their underlying natural resources essential to the sustained long-term production of agricultural goods and services. Agroecosystems may include crop production systems, animal production systems, and pasture, range and forest lands that are actively managed to provide economic, societal and environmental benefits. Projects funded through this program area contribute to the knowledge needed for sustainable production of agroecosystems while retaining needed ecosystem services-such as drinking water, pollination and climate regulation.

2016 Awards go to:

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AEM “I Make America” Awards

Cindy ZimmermanAEM, Equipment

aem-make-americaThe Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) honored 2016 recipients of the “I Make America” advocacy awards during their recent annual meeting.

The awards recognize AEM member companies that have achieved the highest level of support in the program to build grassroots advocacy for pro-manufacturing policies that create and sustain jobs across America. AEM honored 32 companies for achieving Gold status, and six of these companies also received recognition as Legacy supporters after maintaining Gold status for five consecutive years.

“I Make America’s success depends on the strong support of member companies and their employees to help our elected officials understand the critical importance of the off-road equipment industry and manufacturing to economic prosperity and quality of life across America,” said AEM President Dennis Slater. “We appreciate their hard work and are pleased to publicly acknowledge their outstanding commitment and efforts.”

The 2016 I Make America Legacy award winners are:
CLAAS of America Inc.
CNH Industrial
General Kinematics
Kondex Corporation
Volvo Construction Equipment
Wolf Robotics LLC

Read more from AEM press release.

Peer Review Study Finds Insecticides Are Low Risk

Kelly MarshallInsecticide, Research, Safety

environmental-toxicology-and-chemistryA new risk assessment published in a peer-reviewed journal has found use of registered neonicotinoid imidacloprid in the United States is of low risk for sensitive aquatic invertebrates, or the wildlife that depend on them for their diet. This product is one of the most commonly used insecticides because it offers effective and safe control of pests.

Because aquatic invertebrates serve an important function in nature, many studies have been performed to characterize the potential impact across a variety of species. The publication details the body of research, the careful selection and use of the best available data, and the probabilistic risk assessment. The probabilistic approach better predicts the effects to sensitive species, the relevant exposures and the potential risks to aquatic invertebrate communities in terms of the actual label use directions and the natural environment for these crops and treated landscapes.

In the assessment, refined exposure models that better represent pest treatments and the environments where applications could be made were used. The researchers found that their aquatic exposure predictions were consistent with a decade of water sampling data available from public sources, including the U.S. Geological Survey.

“We conducted 30-year simulations based on realistic, but conservative, assumptions and found that aquatic communities are unlikely to be at risk from acute or chronic exposures to registered uses of imidacloprid,” noted Dr. Dwayne Moore, Senior VP and Scientist at Intrinsik Environmental Sciences (US) Corp. “In fact, risks were de minimis, the lowest possible category, for all crop and non-crop uses.”

SIMA Honors Concept Autonomous Tractors

Cindy ZimmermanAward, Case IH, New Holland, Tractor

Bret LiebermanThe autonomous tractor concepts revealed this year from CNH Industrial brands Case IH and New Holland Agriculture are receiving Silver Innovation medals from the SIMA Organization which hosts the bi-annual international farm machinery exhibition to be held February 2017 in Paris, France. These awards recognize new developments which “demonstrate design and innovative features that have the potential to offer significant user benefits.”

Both the cabless Case IH Magnum CVX and the cabbed New Holland T8 NHDrive™ autonomous concept tractors, which were on display at the 2016 Farm Progress Show, were awarded Silver Innovation medals.

Case Antonomous Concept VehicleCNH Industrial’s Innovation Group has proactively developed concept autonomous technology to help farmers and agribusinesses sustainably boost production and productivity through the ability to make the most of ideal soil and weather conditions, as well as available labor. This technology is the next step in the Company’s innovation roadmap and holds significant promise for the sustainable and productive future of farming.

New Holland Agriculture also received a Special Mention for its High Efficiency Heat Rejection System, a system which features a high temperature loop to cool the engine and a low temperature loop to cool the vehicle systems locally to average the heat rejection requirements.

Senet and Paige Ag to Partner for IoT Solutions

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, IOT

senet-1Senet is the first and fastest growing North American provider of public LPWANs for long range-based (LoRa-based) Internet of Things (IoT) applications.  Now they’re announcing a partnership with Paige Ag, manufacturer and supplier of wire, cables, cable assemblies and electrical accessories to offer “smart” irrigation to growers.

With device connectivity over very long ranges (~15 miles), very long battery power life (~10 years) and an extremely low per-device cost, LPWANs and LoRa®-compatible products are changing the paradigm of farming efficiency and transforming the way things are monitored and measured. LPWANs are ideal for gathering data about local agricultural conditions including weather, soil moisture, chemical compositions of the soil and other environmental conditions at a much lower total cost of ownership. Furthermore, LPWANs make it possible to expand per-acre coverage and monitor more assets due to the simplicity of deployment and cost of ownership reductions.

paige-agwire“Senet’s highly scalable and reliable low-power, wide-area network provides a significant opportunity for our agriculture customers looking to use empirical data to improve operational planning and decision making,” said Julie Bushell, Director of Sales and Marketing for Paige’s Agwire Division. “Based on market demand and proven use cases, we are initially focusing on delivering LoRa®-based irrigation solutions to help our customers capture real economic value from the Internet of Things.”

No Progress on US-China Biotech Issues

Cindy ZimmermanInternational, trade, USDA

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were among those who participated in a Thanksgiving week session of the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington last week, the last one for the Obama Administration. The talks resulted in some progress in the areas of intellectual property protection, pharmaceutical and medical devices, and information security policies, but little on important biotechnology issues.

USDA Sec'y Vilsack (right) with USTR Froman and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang

USDA Sec’y Vilsack (right) with USTR Froman and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang

“Although China has made some progress, it has not fully implemented commitments on agricultural biotechnology that it made to the United States which date back as far as September 2015,” said Vilsack. “Lack of progress on biotech issues will continue to add years to the process of commercializing them, will slow innovation and set back global efforts to address food security and climate change. The United States expects that China will fully implement its prior commitments and will work collaboratively with us to address these global challenges in the future.”

Vilsack noted that during last week’s meeting, the United States requested that China clarify how its approval system for approving biotech traits will operate and work constructively to help address the global problem of asynchronous approvals for biotech products. “The U.S. will be watching the meeting of China’s National Biosafety Committee scheduled to take place next month, and expects that the remaining eight biotech traits will be reviewed based on science and risk, and accordingly approved,” Vilsack said. “I remain optimistic that, in the final weeks of this Administration, we can still make additional progress on priority issues including biotechnology approvals and market access for U.S. beef.”

Established in 1983, the JCCT is the primary forum for addressing bilateral trade and investment issues and promoting commercial opportunities between the United States and China. This year’s private sector engagements included roundtable discussions on corporate restructuring, agriculture and food safety, and the digital economy.

Syngenta Products Mean Potential

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Audio, NAFB, seed

nafb-syngenta-palle-pedersen Palle Pedersen says a bag of soybeans from Syngenta is really a bag of potential.  Over the last few years, growers have been breaking yields and that’s because of innovations and technology, he told me at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk event.  Those innovations should mean top yield potential in every bag.

“At Syngenta, R&D is the backbone of what we’re doing. So when you are buying a Syngenta product you are also buying into the future– meaning that this year we’ve invested $1.3 billion dollars in R&D globally, so it’s about 9 to 10 percent of our total revenue. We know that things will change in nature, that’s the way nature is, but we will adapt.”

Buying seed during a time of low commodity prices adds another layer of importance to getting the most out of your investment, Pedersen says.  Seed treatment is a solid investment, with trials showing a 3 to 3.5 bushel increase over untreated seed. “It’s very hard to loose money with seed treatments,” he assures.

It’s important to know what you’re getting, when it comes to seed treatment.  Not all products are created equal, and know the recommended rate or you may not be getting the protection you are expecting.

And while the current prospects for controlling nematodes that cause problems like Sudden Death Syndrome in soybeans are strong, Syngenta is excited about what’s coming.  Within the next three years the company expects to have a product that will raise the bar on insect and disease control.

Part of that will come from the new 38,000 foot facility in Minnesota, because a bag of seed is potential, but it’s also service and support, Pedersen says.  The new facility will provide training on all products offered in North America, making sure growers have exactly what they need.

Learn more in my full interview here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nafb-16-pedersen.mp3″ text=”Interview with Palle Pedersen, Syngenta”]

View and download photos from the event here: NAFB Convention Photo Album

Nufarm Fungicide Approved for Greenhouse Use

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Fungicides, Vegetables

NufarmColorLogo Nufarm has announced the approval of the versatile fungicide, Emblem, for use on foliar, stem and root disease in vegetable greenhouses. The product can be used in all stages of development.

Registration now includes: brassica leafy vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale), herbs (such as basil, chive, cilantro, parsley and rosemary), and leafy vegetables (including arugula, lettuce and swiss chard).

As a leading supplier to the Greenhouse and Nursery Ornamental market, Nufarm’s US Greenhouse and Nursery team delivers a portfolio of products meeting the value, efficacy, and innovation demanded by the market to solve the daily pest and disease issues you face.

Fin out more at www.nufarm.com/us.

Koch Products Protect Against Risk

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Audio, NAFB, Nitrogen

anfb-koch-grege-schwab

As the Director of Agronomy, Greg Schwab leads the team of agronomists at Koch Agronomic Services in helping growers understand options for nitrogen.  Growers will recognize those products as AGROTAIN, AGROTAIN PLUS, and SUPERU, Schwab told me at the recent Trade Talk event at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Koch’s products are specifically created to make the most of nitrogen investments, Schwab says.  “They’re designed to help farmers utilize nitrogen.  So they help prevent nitrogen loss and help keep more of the nitrogen in the soil where it belongs.”

It’s hard to wait for colder temperatures, Schwab knows, but farmers are doing the right thing and waiting to apply anhydrous till soil temps are cooler.  The next important step to keep in mind for the 2017 growing season is to consider how products can help mitigate the risk of unknown weather conditions.

Learn more about protecting nitrogen in my full interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nafb-16-koch.mp3″ text=”Interview with Greg Schwab, Koch”]

View and download photos from the event here: NAFB Convention Photo Album

Agragen Licenses DuPont Patents

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Dupont Pioneer, Traits

agragen_logoAgragen LLC has reached an agreement concerning a family of patents held by DuPont Pioneer to manipulate fatty acid in plant profiles.  The company is focused on creating a high-yielding camelina, or false flax, with the same omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil.

“By sustainably producing these bioactive fatty acids, which are so important for human health and disease, we can reduce the strain on their traditional, marine-based sources,” said Sam Huttenbauer, Jr., chief development officer of Agragen. “Licensing this technology from DuPont Pioneer will allow us to make a major step toward bringing this long-held corporate goal to fruition.”

Agragen also recently licensed technology from The University of Hong Kong that will enable its on-going efforts to improve camelina yield and enhance its drought tolerance.

“Combining these two technologies gives Agragen a global leadership position in producing heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in camelina, in a highly economical manner,” said Eric J. Murphy, chief science officer, Agragen. “When developing a sustainable product, we know adoption often depends on the product’s potential for profit. By combining these technologies with the DuPont Pioneer technology, the yield per acre over traditional camelina will be enhanced, providing a logistical and agronomic advantage over others in this space.”