Bayer Looks Forward to Monsanto Closing This Week

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, Bayer, Monsanto

Bayer intends to complete the acquisition of Monsanto this Thursday, June 7, following the receipt of all required approvals from regulatory authorities.

“The acquisition of Monsanto is a strategic milestone in strengthening our portfolio of leading businesses in health and nutrition. We will double the size of our agriculture business and create a leading innovation engine in agriculture, positioning us to better serve our customers and unlock the long-term growth potential in the sector,” said Werner Baumann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG.

Bayer will become the sole shareholder of Monsanto on June 7. According to the conditional approval from the United States Department of Justice, the integration of Monsanto into Bayer can take place as soon as the divestments to BASF have been completed. This is expected to be in approximately two months. “We have diligently prepared for the upcoming integration over the past two years. Our extensive experience in integrating other large companies has proven that we can and will be successful,” said Baumann.

Bayer will remain the company name. Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio.

Baumann and Crop Science president Liam Condon announced the details of the closing in a European press conference Monday, and Condon conducted a call with U.S. journalists.

Bayer executive Werner Baumann and Liam Condon opening statements

Bayer U.S. presser on Monsanto closing with Liam Condon

Preview of the 2018 CUTC

AgWired Precision, Audio, Corn, CUTC, NCGA, technology

The 2018 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference is about to start in St. Louis, MO. This event is held every other year and features technical presentations on various topic related to corn and uses for corn. The theme this year is, “Increasing efficiency across the supply chain to enable new products.”

On the CUTC Planning Committee as Co-Chair is Nathan Danielson, BioCognito. I spoke with him to get a preview of who should attend and what the key topics are for the presentations this year. He also talks about the sponsoring companies and poster presentations which are part of the agenda.

You can still register on-site for the CUTC which is being held beginning Monday morning, June 4 at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel. You can find information on the agenda and location on the CUTC website.

As I have done at past conferences, I will be conducting interviews with presenters to get some key takeaways from their topics and research. That and a lot of photos will be published in a virtual newsroom on AgNewsWire.

Listen in to my conversation with Nathan to learn more: Interview with Nathan Danielson, BioCognito

More News from John Deere

AgWired Precision, Equipment, John Deere

John Deere made several new equipment announcements this week, including three combine updates already featured.

The new W170 windrower for canola growers makes swathing faster and easier in heavy crop and hilly conditions.

With 46 inches (116.8 cm) of ground clearance and 12-inch (30.48 cm) wider walking beams, tall windrows can flow easily beneath the machine’s frame and are corralled by a new swath compressor. The swath compressor forms loose crop into a tight, uniform windrow, making it easier for a combine to pick up, eliminating the need for a canola roller.

The narrow 5075GL High Value Crop Tractor is ideal for more dense orchards and vineyards.

With 75 engine horsepower, there’s plenty of power to pull flail mowers, rotary cutters, spray tanks and trimming equipment, and to push harvest bins in hilly terrain.

Finally, the new John Deere Bale Mobile App helps growers improve efficiency, identify bale characteristics and track yield data for easier decision making.

Using John Deere Bale Mobile, producers can capture yield and other relevant data for hay. When used in conjunction with a John Deere 1 Series Large Square Baler (L331 or L341 model), equipped with optional moisture and weight sensors, the new app processes moisture and weight data into useable information for baling, loading and overall farm management.

John Deere Introducing Updated Harvest Equipment

AgWired Precision, Apps, Audio, Harvest, John Deere

A new track system and a new draper lineup are among updates to harvest equipment coming from John Deere.

A new track system is now fully suspended, offering the ability to transport up to 25 miles per hour from field to field. Track widths are available in 30-inch or 36-inch options. The company now also offers seven draper headers to better serve farmers, especially those harvesting higher volume crops like canola or other small grains.

“It really is just adding additional versatility to this draper,” said Matt Badding, technical marketing manager for harvesting equipment. “A lot of producers want to cut both on and off the ground. Perhaps they have both wheat, and then they have some lentils, or some soybeans or edible beans, and so they want that versatility of having one head to be able to go on and off the ground, and that’s really what we focused on.”

Badding said the company continues to enhance the MyOperations app and encouraged users to look for updates this summer and fall. He said 2019 combine models will be on display at 2018 fall farm shows with full production beginning on the combine and the draper line in fall 2018.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Badding, John Deere

Precision Ag Bytes 5/30

AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

  • The InfoAg 2018 program begins at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel on July 17. An optional pre-conference tour is offered for an additional fee on July 16. The event is organized by the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Register now thru July 1, 2018 and receive an Early Bird Discount.
  • Syngenta announced its latest carboxamide fungicide (SDHI mode of action) – Adepidyn – has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Formulated in five products under the Miravis brand family, Syngenta will make Adepidyn fungicide broadly available in the U.S. in late 2018 and 2019, subject to state approvals.
  • Agrible, Inc. has launched an improved website featuring a new look and feel, upgraded technology, and new features designed to help growers and retailers with proactive decision-making both during and in between growing seasons. The Illinois-based company specializes in providing detailed agronomic information using science and technology to transform field-level data into actionable decisions. New interactions with the Nutrient Engine, Yield Engine, Tractor Time, and Field Forecast platform tools allow a bird’s eye view of any farm operation, regardless of size.

GROWMARK: Agriculture Background Not Required

AgWired Precision, Growmark

Although GROWMARK and its FS Member companies are clearly rooted in agriculture, a farming or agribusiness background is not required to thrive as an employee there.

GROWMARK’s Director of Talent Management Tom Swearingen is a prime example of that. Originally a commercial airline pilot, Swearingen left that industry after the events of 9/11/2001 changed it forever, and came back to his hometown to work as a corporate pilot for GROWMARK and Country Financial. He eventually became the chief pilot for those companies, and then grew into the position of Director of Corporate Services before taking on his current job. Along the way, Swearingen took advantage of tuition assistance and completed his MBA while working at GROWMARK. He said the training and development the company offers to all 6,000 system-wide employees is unparalleled.

“We genuinely believe that our employees are our greatest resource, so why would you not invest in your greatest resource to continually make them better, both personally and professionally?” asked Swearingen.

He said it’s important not to discount agriculture as a career path, even if you didn’t grow up with it. Companies like GROWMARK want specialists in a variety of areas to bring their skills and an open mind.

“Eventually, when someone comes to work here, we want them to get a better understanding of agriculture, but that’s not a prerequisite when they come in the door,” Swearingen said, noting there is another great reason to work in agriculture. “I think in today’s world, now more than ever, employees are looking for a cause or something larger than themselves to be a part of, and I know for me, I personally can’t think of a better thing to be part of than to help farmers feed the world.”

Hear more with Tom Swearingen here: Tom Swearingen, GROWMARK

Crops & Chemicals USA 18 to Feature Regulatory Updates

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Biostimulants, Biotech, Events

Federal regulators from EPA, FDA and USDA are among the presenters at this year’s Crops & Chemicals USA meeting, July 23-25, 2018 at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The agenda for this year’s meeting provides attendees with the critical science, technologies and contacts needed to accelerate the development and regulatory approval of biostimulant, biopesticide and agrochemical products.

U.S. regulatory updates for the industry will be provided by:

Robert Merker, PhD. Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer, US FDA
Neil Hoffman, PhD, Chief Scientific Advisor, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, USDA
Robert McNally, Director, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention, US EPA

Industry insight will also be provided by many other speakers representing companies such as DowDupont and Verdesian, as well as university experts.

More information and registration details for Crops & Chemicals USA is available online. Save an extra 10% when you register here using the VIP code AGNEWSWIRE (new registrations only).

AEM Launches ‘I Make America’ Town Hall Tour

AEM, AGCO, AgWired Precision, Farm Bill

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is working to further engage voters about issues important to the growth and success of the manufacturing industry.

“From much-needed investment in infrastructure and continued regulatory reform to the future of free trade agreements and the long-term prosperity of agricultural communities, there are certainly enough issues at play to make the midterm elections critical to the future of manufacturing in this country,” said AEM President Dennis Slater.

The “I Make America Town Hall Tour” kicked off on Thursday, May 17 at AGCO Corporation’s manufacturing center in Jackson, MN with a discussion about the symbiotic relationship between the agriculture economy and the equipment manufacturing industry. About 160 AGCO employees attended the event. The next stops include Doosan-Bobcat’s production facility in Bismarck, ND, on Aug. 16 and and Terex Corporation’s Genie manufacturing facility in Redmond, WA, on Sept. 20.

Alltech Young Scientist Award Winners at #ONE18

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Alltech, Audio

The winners of the Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) program were announced on day two of #ONE18. Each of them were presented with their award by Alltech’s Dr. Karl Dawson on stage during the general session here at The Alltech Ideas Conference. “We reviewed projects representing 86 universities,” said Dr. Karl Dawson, vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech. “These young scientists demonstrate that the future of scientific discovery is bright.”

Alltech says it is the world’s largest agriscience competition. It offers the brightest scientific thinkers from colleges and universities across the globe an opportunity to compete at the highest level and be rewarded for their innovative research. The program is in its 13th year.

The undergraduate winner of $5,000 and a fully funded Ph.D. program at the university of her choice is Leesa-Joy Flanagan, representing the University of Adelaide in Australia. Her work focused on the effects of different sources of undegradable dietary protein on lamb growth, daily weight gain and voluntary feed intake. Interview with Lessa-Joy Flanagan

The competition includes several stages: a nomination phase, regional phase and global phase. The winners receive cash awards and an all expenses paid trip to Lexington, KY which includes attending the Alltech Ideas Conference.

Students are encouraged to join Alltech in pursuit of solutions in animal health and nutrition, crop science, agriculture analytical methods, food chain safety and traceability, human health and nutrition and other agriscience-related sectors, while also gaining valuable experience with the company’s global team.

The graduate winner of $10,000 and a fully funded postdoctoral position is Saheed Salami, representing the University of Catania in Italy. His research investigated cardoon meal as a novel feed and its effect on lamb performance, rumen function and meat quality. Interview with Saheed Salami

To participate in the program you must be nominated by your professor. You can find out more about participating and registering on the Alltech Young Scientist website.

The newly added Impact Award recognized a project with the potential to make a significant impact on agriculture. The winner of the $1,000 prize is Moisés Poli from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil. His research focused on Pacific white shrimp and Nile tilapia integration in a biofloc system under different fish stocking densities. Interview with Moisés Poli

ONE: Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

Precision Ag Bytes 5/23

AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

  • Vermeer has created the next step in their processor evolution with the new BPX9010 bale processor. This all-around bale processor is designed for a variety of applications including distributing a consistent, uniform windrow in the pasture or bunk line and spreading bedding with consistency at ranges up to 50 ft.
  • The Pivot Bio team brought on three new senior leaders, including Natalie Hubbard, vice president of regulatory and government affairs; Mark Reisinger, marketing director; and Tracy Willits, vice president of communications. These new members are dedicated to providing farmers with solutions to grow high-quality, sustainable food crops with the launch the world’s first nitrogen-producing microbe for corn in 2019.
  • Inocucor Corporation has announced it will change its name to Concentric Ag Corporation. Concentric by definition means “having a common center,” and the new name represents the company’s dedication to standing alongside growers to find crop solutions that will usher in a safe, smart Second Green Revolution.
  • The Soil Health Institute seeks submissions for Poster Presentations at its 3rd Annual Meeting to be held August 1-3, 2018 in Albuquerque, NM. Poster presentations must be relevant to soil health. Information must be sufficiently transparent, detailed, and rigorous to support a scientific discussion. Online applications are due by 5:30 p.m., Friday, June 1, 2018.
  • BRANDT has added six new formulations to its proprietary BRANDT Smart System line of foliar nutrients. The formulations provide fast, effective nutrient delivery and were designed for advanced tank mix compatibility and use with dicamba and 2,4-D herbicides.
  • AgLaunch and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture announce the first eight farmer-led projects connecting farmers with pre-commercial technology for field testing. These projects are part of the AgLaunch strategy to attract, start, and grow new agricultural startup companies to and in Tennessee by connecting them with local farmers, while simultaneously helping farmers access new technology and market opportunities.