The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has released a new animated video as the latest installment in ASTA’s Better Seed, Better Life initiative. The video, produced in conjunction with CropLife International, explores the history, and future, of plant breeding-from the ancient domestication of wild crops, to gene editing and beyond. Check out the video below, and share it using the hashtag #JustGrowIt.
Monsanto Call Provides Perspective on Dicamba Developments
Monsanto held a media briefing Thursday to provide perspective on recent developments with dicamba herbicides.
Monsanto chief technology officer Dr. Robb Fraley and Lisa Safarian, vice president of Monsanto North America, both participated in the call and answered questions from reporters. “Monsanto spent years developing XtendiMax® with VaporGrip® Technology to minimize the potential for off-site movement,” said Safarian. “Like many others in the agriculture community, we are concerned about the reports of potential crop injury.”
Safarian says the outright ban of all dicamba products like Arkansas has done, “will hurt more farmers and not get states any closer to an effective solution.” They are encouraged by the approach taken by Missouri and Tennessee, which have prohibited the use of older dicamba solutions, which are more volatile.
Fraley talked about visiting with farmers in the affected states this week. “The vast majority of farmers that have planted extend beans and cotton on 25 million acres in 34 states and have used the approved over the top XtendiMax® and Engenia formulations have had a great experience,” he said. Fraley admitted he saw soybean fields with “clear symptomology, especially in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee” but stressed that there are a variety of potential causes for the damage.
You can listen to or download the briefing here: Monsanto Media Briefing
Censky Nominated as Deputy Ag Secretary
Over two months since he took office, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is finally getting some nominations to fill USDA positions.
Late Thursday, Perdue announced that President Trump has nominated American Soybean Association CEO Stephen Censky to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
“Our work has only just begun in delivering results for the people of American agriculture, and the experience and leadership skills of Stephen Censky will only enhance our efforts. He will bring enthusiasm and a dedication to this country which will be great assets to USDA’s customers. I am extremely pleased with the nomination for this key position and am hopeful that the Senate will take it up in short order.”
Censky has been CEO of the American Soybean Association since 1996 and the association strongly backs his nomination.
“Steve has guided our organization for 21 years and in that time he has proven himself as an effective, dedicated and visionary voice on behalf of soybean farmers nationwide. Nobody in agriculture is better equipped to assist Secretary Perdue in meeting the needs of farmers with practical solutions than Steve. He is a perfect fit for this role and we give him our strongest endorsement,” said Ron Moore, ASA president from Roseville, Ill.
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) also proudly supports Censky’s nomination. “President Trump’s pick of Steve Censky to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is an outstanding step forward for agriculture and the countless related markets, like biodiesel, that play a key role in supporting our economy,” said NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen.
The nomination must be approved by the U.S. Senate, which already has a backlog of about 150 presidential nominations not yet approved.
House Ag Hearing on Specialty Crop Innovations
The House Agriculture Committee heard testimony Wednesday on technology and innovation in specialty crops as input toward the making of the 2018 farm bill.
“As we look at the farm bill through the lens of the current farm economy, innovation and technology will remain essential for farmers and ranchers to continue producing more food and fiber with fewer resources,” said Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX).
ASTA’s Andy LaVigne testifies at House ag committee hearing
“New and evolving innovations like gene editing represent exciting opportunities for agriculture,” said LaVigne. “However, if policies toward breeding methods are overly burdensome, then smaller, regional companies and the public sector will likely be precluded from fully utilizing these innovations.”
LaVigne’s opening statement prompted questioning from committee members that allowed him to elaborate on the potential for gene editing and the importance of educating the public about plant breeding. “We have an uphill road just to talk about the plant breeding methods we use today,” said LaVigne, noting that most people have little or no knowledge of genetics.
Listen to LaVigne’s opening remarks and answers to questions from Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Austin Scott (R-GA) – ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne testifies at House ag hearing
Other witnesses at the hearing included California Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger; Paul Heller with Wonderful Citrus; Gary Wishnatzki, owner of Wish Farms in Plant City, Florida; and Driscoll’s CEO Kevin Murphy. Listen to their opening remarks and those of Chairman Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) – House Ag Innovation in Specialty Crops Hearing
Bayer Showcases InVigor® Canola Hybrids
The canola was in full bloom for the Bayer Showcase Plot Tour this week in North Dakota, soaking up the spotlight on the latest InVigor® canola hybrids.
U.S. InVigor Sales Lead Kristie Sundeen says the Liberty Link trait canola hybrid just celebrated 20 years on the market and the most recent hybrids with pod shatter reduction technology are gaining in popularity. “It keeps the canola from shattering as we get closer to harvest, so it allows for straight cutting canola,” said Sundeen. “Probably 50 percent of our market has switched from swathing to straight cut.”
Sundeen says this year they have been working on trials to evaluate the agronomics of the InVigor hybrids. “We have two locations looking into everything from the seed size to seeding depth, to hybrid evaluation, seeding rates, a little bit of everything.”
Learn more about Bayer InVigor® canola hybrids in this interview: Interview with Kristie Sundeen, Bayer, InVigor Canola
Showcase Plot Tour with Bayer in North Dakota
I did a whole lot of PT on my recovering shoulder today out in a field west of Minot, ND today. It was a Bayer Showcase Plot Tour and a beautifully sunny day, with lots of wind. Glad I brought my wind screen for the Golden ZimmComm Microphone!
The focus was on cereal crops as well as products for soybeans, canola and corn. To get an overview, I spoke with Pete Neal, Technical Sales Representative for Bayer. In the plots we toured we got to see herbicides at work as well as seed treatments and different varieties of several crops.
Learn more in this interview: Interview with Pete Neal, Bayer, Plot Tour Overview
Precision Ag Bytes 7/11
- Hortau Irrigation Management Systems was recently named a CogX Award finalist in the Best Artificial Intelligence Product in Agriculture category at the recent awards event in London.
- InfoAg 2017 is coming July 25-27, Union Station, St. Louis, MO and it’s not too late to register. This year’s keynote speaker will be Steve Sonka, the Emeritus Chaired Professor of Agricultural Strategy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL.
- PowWow Energy, a Software-as-a-Service provider, has announced a patent application for pump alerts and water records using energy data has been granted. Twenty thousand acres of farm land are already using the service.
Dicamba Concerns Prompt State Actions
On the heels of Arkansas, Missouri has issued a pause on sale, use, and removal of all products labeled for agricultural use that contain dicamba. As of today, Monday, July 10th, the Missouri Department of Agriculture has had 145 pesticide drift complaints.
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn said, “We want to protect farmers and their livelihoods. At the same time, my commitment to technology and innovation in agriculture is unwavering. That’s why I am asking the makers of these approved post-emergent products, researchers and farmers to work with us to determine how we can allow applications to resume this growing season, under certain agreed upon conditions.”
The Department is waiting for companies to create a special local needs label specific to Missouri. Director Chinn said they are looking at what has been successful in other states and want to give Missouri farmers the tools to be successful. Once that is in hand, it will go into effect immediately.
“We are hoping we can have a new label in place this week. That is our goal. We truly want to make sure the farmers who are counting on this technology have it available to them and the companies want that same thing,” Chinn added.
Listen to my complete interview Director Chinn here: Interview with Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn
Precision Bytes 7/7
- Agri-Inject has announced the newest of their fluid injection check valves, the Mister Mist’r. The new versatile and durable designs brings consistent product injection to a wide variety of applications.
- Benson Hill Biosystems will be working with GDM Seeds to improve and enhance their soybean research program globally. GDM will be using Benson Hill’s cognitive platform, Crop OS, to achieve accelerated breeding processes.
- Bayer has donated $50,000 on behalf of canola farmers through the 2017 More for Everyone project. The money will help rebuilt a school destroyed by fire, provide AED to a community miles from a hospital, purchase equipment for a fire department and other needs important to local canola growers.
- Soy Checkoff dollars are being used to provide cutting-edge software to growers of high oleic soybeans. Agrible is proud to provide the data and analysis tools to help high oleic growers in Ohio and Indian become more sustainable and are looking for participants for the program.
AEM Names Curt Blades as Senior VP AG Services
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has named Curt Blades as senior vice president, AG services, replacing Charlie O’Brien, who announced his retirement from AEM earlier this year.
Blades will be responsible for strategic direction of agriculture programs and services for the AEM membership, and will serve as primary liaison with ag-specific industry organizations, customer groups and government agencies, both in North America and worldwide.
He replaces Charlie O’Brien, who announced his retirement from AEM earlier this year.
“We are very pleased to welcome Curt to the AEM team and look forward to the expertise and enthusiasm he brings,” said AEM President Dennis Slater.
Blades has been working for Meredith Corporation since 2002, most recently as Group Business Development Director, and he has been very active in the National Agri-Marketing Association, Agribusinesss Education Foundation and Agriculture Council of America. We’ve known Curt since he was an intern at Brownfield Network while studying at the University of Missouri to get his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. He also holds a master’s degree in agribusiness from Kansas State and grew up on a 5,000-acre farm in northeast Missouri.
Stay tuned for an interview with Curt later today.