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Reflecting and looking ahead with ASTA Chairmen

June 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Blake Curtis of New Mexico based Curtis & Curtis Seed is the outgoing chairman of the American Seed Trade Association.  He says this past year of service has been a successful one.  “A number of things our past chairman have put in effect we’ve been able to accomplish and finish up this year,” he says.  “That includes the strategic plan and intellectual right protection bureau.”

AUDIO: Blake Curtis, ASTA Chairman (1:00mp3)

While those projects may be completed, Craig Newman from Westfield, Indiana of AgReliant Genetics, the incoming chairman, says there is plenty more work ahead for the organization.  “There are constantly things coming a long like patent expiration, which has been an enormous time taker and very important to the future,” he says.  “As fast as the industry is moving is as fast as the board needs to act.”

AUDIO: Craig Newman, Incoming Chairman ASTA (1:00mp3)

Newman, the newly elected chairman says he’s excited for the 2014 convention to head to Indianapolis next year.

AUDIO: Craig Newman, ASTA (1:30mp3)

Filed Under: 2013 ASTA Convention, 2013 Events, Featured Tagged With: , , ,

Stine takes 12-inch row corn to the next level

June 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Stine Seed Company is taking the concept of 12-inch row corn to the next level.

Last year, Stine planted 2,300 acres of corn and 100 acres of soybeans in 12-inch rows.  This year, the company is planting 15,000 acres of corn and soybeans at the Stine Farm near Adel, Iowa in 12-inch rows.  Stine is also planting between 50 and 70 12-inch row corn demo plots (as weather and logistics allow) across the Corn Belt.

Stine vice president of sales and marketing Myron Stine gives us an update on the 12-inch row program.

AUDIO: Myron Stine (5:12 MP3)

Link to previous interview with Myron Stine, recorded in December of 2012

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Innovations Tagged With: , , , ,

Iowa’s FC Coop and Hoegemeyer Hybrids form alliance

April 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Farmers Cooperative Company (FC), the largest farmer-owned ag cooperative in Iowa, and Hoegemeyer Hybrids have formed a strategic alliance enabling FC to be an exclusive dealer of Hoegemeyer and HPT brand seed in 37 counties in Iowa.

FC Coop logo“We’re proud to work with an amazing organization to provide our farmer-owners access to another of the largest pools of germplasm in the world,” says Gary Peter, FC vice president of agronomy sales and marketing. “With our DeKalb/Asgrow brand, we have access to the immense pool of Monsanto genetics. This collaboration rounds out our lineup and provides our growers the advantages of the DuPont Pioneer innovations in Hoegemeyer and HPT brand genetics.”

Brownfield visited with Peter about the new alliance and the decision to go with a “two-brand” seed strategy.

AUDIO: Gary Peter (3:25 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Innovations Tagged With: , ,

Planter adjustments can improve early plant growth

April 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Last year, a considerable amount of corn had been planted by now—and soil conditions were mostly warm and dry.  It’s a much different picture this year.  Very little planting has taken place and soils are cool and wet across much of the Midwest.

So once we’re able to pull that planter into the field, what kind of adjustments should we be looking at to help ensure good early plant growth?  We recently put that question to Iowa State University Extension ag engineer Mark Hanna.

AUDIO: Mark Hanna (3:00 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Managing for Profit Tagged With: , , ,

DuPont and Monsanto settle lawsuits, announce new agreements

March 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Monsanto and DuPont say they have reached a deal to dismiss patent lawsuits against one another. 

At the same time, the two seed giants have announced a series of multi-million dollar licensing agreements which they say will expand the range of seed products they can offer farmers.   

According to a Reuters report, the deal tosses out a one-billion dollar verdict that DuPont owed Monsanto.  Instead, it calls for DuPont to make at least 1.75 billion dollars in royalty payments over several years in return for a multi-year license for Monsanto’s next-generation soybean technologies in the U.S. and Canada.

That means DuPont Pioneer will be able to offer Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans as early as 2014, and Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Xtend glyphosate and dicamba tolerant soybeans as early as 2015, pending regulatory approvals.

According to a DuPont news release, DuPont Pioneer also will receive regulatory data rights for the soybean and corn traits previously licensed from Monsanto, enabling it to create an array of stacked trait combinations using traits or genetics from DuPont Pioneer or others.  Monsanto will receive access to certain DuPont Pioneer disease resistance and corn defoliation patents.

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News, Top Stories Tagged With: , , , ,

Enzyme source for the ethanol industry

March 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Raj Iragavarapu, Syngenta Head of Stewardship & PLMEnogen technology is a revolutionary solution from Syngenta, bio-engineered specifically to enhance the productivity and efficiency of dry grind ethanol production.

Raj Iragavarapu oversees stewardship & quality for Syngenta’s Enogen technology. He tells Brownfield that as the industry’s first biotech energy trait for the ethanol industry, the grain is identity-preserved, and his team makes sure certain standards are met. Among other practices, growers must have border rows and a dedicated bin for Enogen grain.

Growers receive on average a 40 cent per bushel premium for Enogen grain delivered to the ethanol plant. These hybrids are grown just as regular corn hybrids are grown, so the corn can be grown anywhere corn is grown.

Iragavarapu tells Brownfield there is plenty of seed available for the 2013 growing season.

Stay tuned, future traits – second generation output traits – from Syngenta will be available in the future.

Conversation with Raj Iragavarapu 02282013

Filed Under: 2013 Commodity Classic, 2013 Events, Featured, Special Reports Tagged With: , , , ,

Drought has lingering impact on seed corn supply

March 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

It looks like seed corn availability could become more of an issue this spring than previously thought.

Al Perry, who heads up the seed division for Aurora Coop—one of Nebraska’s largest ag cooperatives—says last year’s severe heat and drought is still taking its toll on the seed corn supply.

“The stuff grown under irrigation here in Nebraska germed well early, buy they’re having a little issue with it now, cutting back supply.  And the stuff in the eastern Corn Belt, of course, had drought issues with germination and some large seed size,” Perry says.

“So it’s going to be a very challenging spring on supply and getting the hybrids the farmers wanted.  The industry as a whole is kind of just sitting back, counting bags, and making sure they know where they’re at.”

To make up for the anticipated shortfall in their U.S. seed crop, many seed companies ramped up their South American seed production this winter.  While the overall supply of seed corn should be sufficient to meet demand, companies may have to tighten their allocations of the most popular varieties.

AUDIO: Al Perry (5:10 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Rural Issues Tagged With: , ,

Seed corn availability could become an issue

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

It looks like seed corn availability could become more of an issue this spring than previously thought.

Al Perry, who heads up the seed division for Aurora Coop—one of Nebraska’s largest ag cooperatives—says last year’s severe heat and drought is still taking its toll on the seed corn supply.

“The stuff grown under irrigation here in Nebraska germed well early, buy they’re having a little issue with it now, cutting back supply.  And the stuff in the eastern Corn Belt, of course, had drought issues with germination and some large seed size,” Perry says.

“So it’s going to be a very challenging spring on supply and getting the hybrids the farmers wanted.  The industry as a whole is kind of just sitting back, counting bags, and making sure they know where they’re at.”

To make up for the anticipated shortfall in their U.S. seed crop, many seed companies ramped up their South American seed production this winter.  While the overall supply of seed corn should be sufficient to meet demand, companies may have to tighten their allocations of the most popular varieties.

AUDIO: Al Perry (5:10 MP3)

Filed Under: Crops, Events/Organizations, News Tagged With: , , ,

Toxin-free fescue an available choice

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Two Fescue Schools are being held next week for producers in north Missouri and in Southwest Missouri.  The University of Missouri Extension is hosting the events where growers will learn how to kill old fescue stands and learn about the new varieties of Toxin-Free fescue available.

MU Extension says these new varieties “come at a time of rising feed costs but also increased cattle value.”

Cattle specialist Craig Roberts says cattle like the new fescue so much they will graze it into the ground, “What we call over-grazing. So we want to spend some time talking about over- grazing management.”

The first Fescue School will be Monday, March 18th at the MU Southwest Center in Mount Vernon, Missouri. The second will be Thursday, March 21st at the MU Forage Systems Research Center in Linneus, Missouri. New toxin-free fescue plots are at both locations.

 

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

AQUAmax corn acres will triple in 2013

February 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Reed Mayberry, senior marketing manager for corn with DuPont Pioneer, tells Brownfield that acres planted to their drought-tolerant AQUAmax corn hybrids will increase from two million in 2012 to six million in 2013. 

During a recent media event at Pioneer’s headquarters in Johnston, Iowa, Mayberry gave us an update on their AQUAmax and AcreMax corn products.

AUDIO: Reed Mayberry (3:30 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Innovations Tagged With: , , , ,
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