American Agriculturist, PA
03-05-07
Companies Announce New Tech, Products
The curtain has come down on another Commodity Classic. This year's meeting
of the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association and,
for the first time, the National Association of Wheat Growers, provided visitors
plenty of information. During the event, companies also hold media conferences
to announce new products. Here's a review of the conferences. They're listed in
the order they occurred during the event.
BASF to promote productivity
The need to produce more corn to meet a burgeoning biofuels need is an
opportunity for crop protection companies to show how their products fit. For
BASF, which promotes the Plant Health concept that brings a new relationship
with the National Corn Growers Association. The company announced it was in
discussions to work with NCGA to develop a program to educate growers on best
agronomic practices to meet a rising demand. The company notes "this
partnership emphasizes the vision shared by the NCGA and BASF to work
toward building and enhancing opportunities for corn producers." Details of the
partnership were not immediately available, but a BASF spokesperson explains
that the two groups are working on ways to educate growers about better ways to
enhance productivity and profitability. Learn more as information becomes
available from www.agproducts.basf.com.
Pioneer, DuPont talk tech
DuPont announced just before the meeting that it will invest $100 million to
increase its speed to market for new seed products. During it's Commodity
Classic conference Pioneer and DuPont outlined information regarding the
company's work on biofuels. DuPont's Chief Innovation Officer Tom Connelly,
talked about the company's work on both new biofuels from ag products, but also
told media of the company's work on boosting biofuel output from each acre.
William Niebur, vice president, DuPont Crop Genetics Research and
Development, explains the $100 million investment is the largest year-to-year
increase in research in the 81-year history of the Pioneer business. You can
learn more at www.pioneer.com.
Monsanto launches YieldGard VT
Monsanto, St. Louis, Missouri, announced the launch of its first new YieldGard
VT product for corn. VT stands for VecTran technology, a more precise method
of inserting new genes into corn chromosomes. The “rifle shot” method results in
“hotter” stack-trait hybrids with improved consistency, better insect protection and
high yield potential that the first-generation YieldGard products, according to
Monsanto. The company’s first YieldGard VT product is YieldGard VT Triple. It
contains YieldGard Rootworm and YieldGard corn borer traits and Roundup
Ready2 technology. There will be a limited launch this year on approximately 1
million acres mainly in Iowa and Illinois. For more information, see
www.monsanto.com.
Syngenta launches Prefix
There's a new herbicide coming to market from Syngenta for soybeans. Prefix, a
premix of S-metolachlor (the active ingredient in Dual Magnum herbicide) and
fomesafen (the active ingredient in Reflex and Flexstar herbicides), offers
preemergence control of both grasses and broadleaf weeds in soybeans. It is the
first preemergence use for fomesafen. Prefix is part of an early weed control
strategy aimed at reducing the risk of glyphosate resistance in soybeans. Learn
more by visiting www.syngentacropprotection-us.com.
New tech from Deere
Deere rolled out its OptiGro system for corn and wheat, which allows a grower to
get in-field, in-season information about crop use of nitrogen. That information
can be used to better apply nitrogen in the coming growing season. The
company also launched it's Swath Pro Control for planters, allowing precise
planter unit control. And there's a new program from the company's Apex Farm
Management Software that allows users to develop new reports for crop
insurance claims. Learn more at www.JohnDeere.com/ag.
Growth promoters from EMD
EMD Crop , Milwaukee, Wis., introduced two growth promoters for cereal crops
and corn. Revv, a seed treatment, promotes early growth in corn. Wave is a seed
applied product for wheat and barley. Revv triggers a variety of growth
responses, such as accelerated emergence and improved vigor, plant height,
stalk girth and chlorophyll content. In trials over three years, the average yield
increase has been three bushels per acre. Rev will be able only in Beck Hybrids
this year. Wave is contains asospirillum, a natural occurring bacterium. It
promotes root growth and mass development. Yield increases have averaged 35 bushels per acre more than 80% of the time in trials. For more information,
contact Pat Reed at (715) 693-8777 or patrick.reed@emdcropscience or see
www.emdcropscience.com.
Bayer offers insight to new products
A key discussion point for herbicide makers at Commodity Classic came through
many media briefings: early weed control gives you more productivity. Bayer
CropScience offered information showing Iowa State University and Ohio State
University research proving early weed control can enhance yields; and that
multiple modes of action prevent weed resistance. In addition, the company has
unveiled its Growing Strong Rewards Program for 2007 where growers have the
opportunity to treat up to 6.5% of their acres for free with Bayer CropScience
products. Finally, Stratego fungicide may receive its Section 3 approval for use
on soybeans this season. Company representatives are optimistic that this will
occur. Learn more at www.bayercropscienceus.com.
Syngenta Seeds offers grower alternatives
Growers have a choice if they choose Syngenta Seeds products. That's the
message the company gave media attending the Tampa event this year.
Through its AgriEdge soybean program a grower can earn up to 21 cents per
bushel for the first 60 bushels per acre on their crop in 2007. That program,
which requires use of Syngenta seeds and crop protection products, has been
boosting soybean orders, the company reports. A grower must increase their NK
soybean order by 200 units to qualify. The AgriSure trait line is advancing with
corn borer, rootworm, and glyphosate-tolerance technology available - in fact
instead of a triple-stack the company's seed brands using Agrisure traits offer
essentially a quad-stack when you count built-in Liberty Link technology. Visit
www.syngenta.com/en/products_services/field_crops.aspx for information on the
Syngenta Seeds family of products.
FMC launches Hero insecticide
When it comes to controlling bugs, farmers want them knocked down fast, and
kept down with some residual control. A new insecticide just labeled by FMC Hero EC - does just that. The pyrethroid insecticide will stop a broad spectrum of
pests and provide residual control. The insecticide has been labeled for field,
seed and sweet corn; cotton; tomatoes; eggplant; peppers; head lettuce; head
and stem brassicas; succulent peas and beans; and pecans. The company also
launched Authority First DF herbicide for 2007. The preplant soybean herbicide
controls a range of broadleaf weeds. The product is a premix of sulfentrazone
(active ingredient in the original Authority herbicide) and cloransulam-methyl
(active ingredient in Dow's FirstRate herbicide), which FMC licensed from Dow
AgroSciences. Learn more about these two crop protection products by visiting
cropsolutions.fmc.com.