Out in the Illinois countryside just a little southwest of Champaign is the BASF Midwest Research Farm (MWRF), which the company has developed into a showcase for the latest in crop development trials and stewardship practices.
“Several years ago we were farming about 45 acres worth of plots at this site and not really doing a whole lot of customer interaction,” said BASF Crop Production Specialist AJ Woodyard during a tour this week for agricultural journalists. “Today we’re running about 1500 customers through here in the summer with 200 acres of plots focused on not only development of new chemistry but also a lot relevant agronomic information for growers.”
Woodyard says visitors to the farm range from local growers and retailers to international guests. The media folks who visited Tuesday heard about some of the challenges facing the region this growing season, took a plot tour, and got an update on Engenia herbicide, which they are hoping will receive federal approval by the end of the year. We also learned about how BASF is educating growers about proper herbicide application and about the new Grow Smart approach working with farmers to get the most out of every acre.
Listen to my interview with AJ here to learn more about the research farm: Interview with AJ Woodyard, BASF
Listen to an overview of the farm from AJ: Overview of BASF Midwest Research Farm