Last week was the 73rd year for American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS 2018 & Seed Expo and like this year it was full of changes for the industry. Besides having several new company names, ASTA changed the layout of the trade show so that all the booths were located on the same expo floor. “We’re always trying to improve …
#ASTACSS Student Video Award Winner
Iowa State University PhD candidate Kevin Falk received the grand prize this year in the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) second annual “Better Seed, Better Life” student video contest during the CSS 2018 & Seed Expo in Chicago this week. The award was presented to him by Kerry Grossweiler of BASF, which sponsors the ASTA Communications Committee. The contest is …
USDA Under Secretary Ibach at #ASTACSS
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach spoke to attendees at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) CSS 2018 and Seed Expo during a Plant Breeding Innovation session, toured the trade show, and met with media on Thursday in Chicago. Ibach discussed the importance of innovation in plant breeding, as well as coming regulations for GMO labeling, …
Seed Treatment Tour at #ASTACSS
A new feature this year at the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo was a Seed Treatment Education Tour in the expo. Groups of attendees visited ten different booths in rotation where they heard a ten minute presentation from each company. I caught one of the groups in the Bayer booth. Doing the presentation is Greg Ginisty, SeedGrowth Product Manager. You …
BASF Launches Vault® IP Plus and Obvius® Plus
BASF has expanded its soybean seed treatment portfolio with the launch of Vault® IP Plus seed treatment and Obvius® Plus fungicide seed treatment, recently registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both products will be commercially available in September 2019. I spoke with BASF’s Justin Clark to learn more about these products. With the launch of Vault IP Plus seed …
Basse was Back at #ASTACSS
Dan Basse, Ag Resource, returned to the ASTA 2018 CSS and Seed Expo for the 6th year in a row to deliver his insights on the intersection of economics and agriculture. Some of Basse’s comments included: Population growth slowing – 9 billion people now about 2054 When you look at population growth, it’s all about Africa Black swan event for …
Major Seed Companies after the Mergers
The past two years have seen major changes in the agricultural seed industry and some of the traditional companies have different names and different players. That’s why the “Majors after the Mergers” panel was a big hit at the ASTA 2018 CSS and Seed Expo this week. Dan Basse, Ag Resource, moderated the panel which consisted of Jim Collins, Corteva; …
ASTA Talks Seed and Trade at #NAFB18
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) team attended the NAFB Trade Talk last week and discussed what their name is all about – seed and trade. ASTA CEO Andy LaVigne says trade is critical for the seed industry and acceptance of new plant breeding methods is important on a global scale, so the recent signing of the International Statement on …
Precision Ag Bytes 10/4
TerrAvion, the largest volume provider of aerial imaging real-time data for agriculture, and FieldX®, the leading provider of software for independent agronomists, announced the launch of an integration that brings aerial imagery solutions to agronomists using FieldX. Verdesian Life Sciences has expanded its research pipeline by opening a greenhouse facility at Duke University to develop early technology validation screening for …
#Harvest18 Reminders from ASTA
As #Harvest18 gets into full swing, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) reminds farmers about the importance of taking precautions to keep any treated seed from entering the grain supply. “Seed treatments provide farmers with an economical means of protecting seeds and seedlings against early-season insect pests and diseases—resulting in stronger and more uniform stands, healthier plants and higher crop …