Category Archives: Monsanto

Monsanto Names 2013 Farm Mom of the Year

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farm-mom-rossonBetty Rosson, a Virginia grain and cattle farmer, is Monsanto’s 2013 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year.

Betty’s nomination, submitted by son Charles, was chosen by judges of American Agri-Women as regional winner for the Southeast. Online voting was conducted in early May, during which time anyone could visit AmericasFarmers.com, read regional winners’ nominations and cast a vote for one to receive the national title. Betty received the most online votes, and she was notified of her national win on Mother’s Day.

“Whether she is driving a tractor, feeding cows or caring for her family, Elizabeth (Betty) is 100 percent all-in for the job,” wrote Charles in the winning nomination. “Mom certainly doesn’t let grass grow under her feet, as she is always on the move for her family, her church, her farm and the community.”

All five regional “Farm Mom of the Year” winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize from Monsanto. As national winner, Betty will receive an additional $5,000. A check presentation ceremony is being planned in her honor for early summer.

Farmers Trial Monsanto FieldScripts

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We first told you about Monsanto’s FieldScripts last fall at Farm Progress Show. Now we will be hearing much more from farmers using it on a trial basis in the field.

This planting season, more than 150 farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota are trialing the first offering from Monsanto’s Integrated Farming SystemsSM (IFS) research platform – FieldScriptsSM. With FieldScripts planted on more than 8,300 acres in Illinois, Ground Breakers® farmers there are impressed with how FieldScripts revolutionizes variable rate planting.

FieldScripts integrates Monsanto’s understanding of hybrid performance with the data farmers provide about their individual fields to identify the best hybrids and provide a variable rate planting prescription for each field. The process is led by FieldScripts Certified Dealers, delivered through the FieldView® Plus app on the farmer’s iPad®, and executed with precision equipment on the planter.

Ground Breakers farmer Mark Sturtevant in Carroll County, Ill. has planted several fields with FieldScripts and is excited about bringing together Monsanto’s knowledge of hybrid performance in multiple yield environments with the latest planter technologies, “If we can harness this technology, we’ll be able to increase our yield and profit potential. We’re working to put the right seed, at the right amount, on every acre. FieldScripts is a step in the right direction for the industry.”

While many farmers own variable rate planters, there has not been a simple and accurate way to utilize them. Traditionally, variable rate seeding has been based on soil type or normalized yield, but these methods fall short of revealing the true picture of what is happening in the field or providing a means to plant accurately using that information.

FieldScripts allows the farmer to accurately plant a lower seeding rate in lower-yielding areas of the field, and a higher seeding rate at higher yielding areas of the field, maximizing the yield potential of every seed. Monsanto research has shown that FieldScripts delivers a 5-10 bushel per acre yield advantage across the field as a whole, as compared with fields not planted with FieldScripts. In 2014, Monsanto plans to launch FieldScripts that will be delivered to farmers through FieldScripts Certified DEKALB® seed dealers.

Read more from Monsanto.

Supreme Court Rules for Monsanto

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monsanto-thumbThe Supreme Court today ruled unanimously to protect the intellectual property rights of Monsanto‘s genetically modified soybean seed.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Bowman v. Monsanto, a case regarding an Indiana farmer who planted saved Roundup Ready soybean seed, ruling that “patent exhaustion does not permit a farmer to reproduce patented seeds through planting and harvesting without the patent holder’s permission.”

“The Court’s ruling today ensures that longstanding principles of patent law apply to breakthrough 21st century technologies that are central to meeting the growing demands of our planet and its people,” said David F. Snively, Executive Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel of Monsanto. “The ruling also provides assurance to all inventors throughout the public and private sectors that they can and should continue to invest in innovation that feeds people, improves lives, creates jobs, and allows America to keep its competitive edge.”

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Danny Murphy, a Mississippi soybean farmer, welcomed the ruling. “By ruling unanimously in favor of maintaining the integrity of intellectual property laws, the Supreme Court has ensured that America’s soybean farmers, of which Mr. Bowman is one, can continue to rely on the technological innovation that has pushed American agriculture to the forefront of the effort to feed a global population projected to pass 9 billion by 2050,” Murphy said in a statement. “Without the protection of intellectual property that the court reaffirmed today, the companies on whom my fellow soybean farmers and I rely would have no real incentive to make the investments necessary to develop new soybean varieties that yield more, resist disease, weeds, and pests, are drought tolerant, or have improved nutritional profiles.”

Warrant® Herbicide Offers Flexibility, Residual Weed Control

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monsanto-warrantFarmers seeking the flexibility of an early preemergence or postemergence herbicide application combined with residual control of resistant and tough-to-manage weeds in soybeans and cotton have a “go-to” solution: Warrant herbicide from Monsanto.

I talked with Monsanto Selective Chemistry Manager Tyler Hackstadt (HOCK-stet) about Warrant and how it might provide some advantages for growers facing planting delays this spring. “We’ve been recommending growers use multiple modes of action with residual herbicides as part of a comprehensive weed management system,” Hackstadt said. “When you’ve got a compressed planting window, the priority is to get the crop in the ground and sometimes we’re not able to get the pre-emerge residual herbicide applied in a timely fashion.” The pre- and post- application flexibility of Warrant allows growers to still get residual control.

Listen to or download my interview with Tyler here: Monsanto Selective Chemistry Manager Tyler Hackstadt

Warrant herbicide provides up to 30 days of residual control of waterhemp, lambsquarters, nightshade, Palmer pigweed, foxtails and other small-seeded grasses and broadleaf weeds. The herbicide’s wide application window includes preplant, at-planting, preemergence or postemergence – up to R2 growth stage in soybeans and first flower in cotton. The encapsulated, acetochlor-based technology of Warrant herbicide also provides increased crop safety for soybeans and cotton.

Compatibility with many tank mix partners, such as Roundup® agricultural herbicide, further complements the Warrant herbicide ease of use for farmers seeking to implement diversified weed management practices (DWMPs) that include residual and postemergence herbicides.

Warrant can be a key component of an effective weed management strategy that includes burndown, residual and postemergence herbicides, plus it qualifies for Roundup Ready PLUS® Weed Management Solutions incentives up to $2.50 per acre in soybeans and $4.50 per acre in cotton.

Regional Farm Mom Winners

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MonsantoFrom Alaska to Florida, Maine to Hawaii, many people took the time to share what makes their favorite farm mom so special. Now, American Agri-Women and Monsanto have selected five regional winners. Votes will help determine this year’s national winner, to be announced on Mother’s Day.

Each regional winner was awarded a $5,000 cash prize from Monsanto. Online votes cast on AmericasFarmers.com before May 12 – Mother’s Day – will determine the winner of the national title and recipient of an additional $5,000 prize.

The 2013 regional winners are:

  • Northwest Region: Aimee Hachigian-Gould, Ulm, Mont.
  • Southwest Region: Mary Ann Bansen, Ferndale, Calif.
  • Midwest Region: Tina Hinchley, Cambridge, Wis.
  • Northeast Region: Sue Roehm, Leesburg, Ohio
  • Southeast Region: Betty Rosson, Louisa, Va.

Paradowski Creative Earns New Business

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ParadowskiParadowski Creative is the new agency of record for Monsanto’s ongoing America’s Farmers advocacy campaign. The integrated marketing communications campaign includes a variety of elements, such as national advertising, online communications, public relations and a key engagement program called “Farm Mom of the Year.”

The addition of this Monsanto advocacy campaign continues the long-standing relationship between the two groups. Paradowski has worked with Monsanto for 20-plus years on creative projects across various departments at Monsanto. Most recently, Paradowski has produced award-winning advertising for the company’s Sustainable Agriculture campaign as well as the company’s St. Louis Grown campaign.

SDA Omega-3 Soybean Oil

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untDSM Nutritional Products and Monsanto Company announced a strategic partnership to deliver the first SDA (stearidonate soybean oil) omega-3 soybean oil for use in foods in North America.

DSM Nutritional Products, the leading global provider of trusted nutritional lipids solutions with the most complete product portfolio (plant, algal and fish) addressing the full spectrum of consumer health benefits will license the SDA soybean from Monsanto, the global expert in plant technology. Monsanto will develop SDA soybean varieties and sell the seeds to its farmer customers. DSM Nutritional Products will have the exclusive global rights to brand, market, package and sell the SDA soybean oil to the food industry. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

New Monsanto – Dupont Pioneer Licensing Agreement

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MonsantoMonsanto and Dupont Pioneer announced today “a series of technology licensing agreements.” These agreements will expand the range of seed products they can offer farmers. The agreements include a multi-year, royalty-bearing license for Monsanto’s next-generation soybean technologies in the United States and Canada.

I spoke with Lisa Safarian, Monsanto, US Row Crops lead, to get some details.

Dupont PioneerSome of the details include:

Through these agreements, 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.

DuPont Pioneer also will receive regulatory data rights for the soybean and corn traits previously licensed from Monsanto, enabling it to create a wide 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.

There are quite a few dollars involved in the agreement that include four annual fixed royalty payments from 2014 to 2017 totaling $802 million for trait technology, associated data, and soybean lines to support commercial introduction. Additionally, beginning in 2018, DuPont Pioneer will pay royalties on a per unit basis of Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ for the life of the agreement for continued technology access, subject to annual minimum payments through 2023 totaling $950 million.

Additionally, the companies agreed to dismiss their respective antitrust and first-generation Roundup Ready® soybean patent lawsuits pending in U.S. federal court in St. Louis.

You can listen to my interview with Lisa here: Interview with Lisa Safarian

Monsanto Xtend’s Products for Growers

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classic-13-11The team at Monsanto is excited to start talking about their new line of products called Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System. Their goal is to help maximize yield potential and weed control through effective and economical weed management.

During the recent Commodity Classic, Chuck talked with Michelle Vigna, a Monsanto representative, about the product’s features and when growers can take advantage of it’s capabilities.

“The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System is going to be a future component of our now Roundup Ready PLUS weed management solution that a lot of growers are familiar with. The Roundup Xtend Crop System contains a couple of different elements.”

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“We are looking to introduce this system in 2014 for soybeans and 2015 for cotton. And we are really excited about this system bringing a new option for some of these tough weed control challenges that a lot of folks are dealing with.”

Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System is intended to bring growers more consistency and greater control over weeds, especially tough-to-manage and glyphosate-resistant weeds.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Michelle here: Interview with Michelle Vigna

Listen to Monsanto’s press conference at Commodity Classic here: Monsanto Press Conference

2013 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Get Fields Clean Before Planting

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Monsanto Roundup Ready PlusWith spring planting just around the corner, Monsanto is encouraging growers to take planned, proactive steps to prevent and manage resistant and tough-to-control weeds.

Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus marketing manager Chris Reat says that means putting down residual herbicides. “Whatever the current status of your fields are, when we go to drop that plant in there we want to make sure that everything’s clean,” said Reat. “Then have that pro-active plan to use pre-emerge residuals down and multiple modes of action to allow that stand to get off to a good strong start and stay clean during that critical early period.”

Reat adds that using residual herbicides in combination with Roundup® agricultural herbicides provides multiple modes of action to help reduce the risk of resistant weeds developing and they encourage growers to apply full labeled rates of Roundup agricultural herbicides and all residual herbicides since lower rates can allow weed escapes, which may require a second trip to control, reduce crop yield and set seed for next season.

Listen to or download my interview with Chris here: Monsanto's Chris Reat

These and other weed management recommendations are part of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready PLUS Weed Management Solutions. Roundup Ready PLUS offers integrated and diverse management practices for weeds developed in conjunction with leading academics, agronomists and other industry partners for control of all your weeds, including tough-to-manage and glyphosate-resistant weeds. Roundup Ready PLUS also offers financial incentives to help farmers offset the cost of qualifying residual herbicides and other weed management resources.
For more information, please visit www.RoundupReadyPLUS.com.

Monsanto Acquires Select Assets of Agradis, Inc.

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logoMonsanto Company announced it has purchased select assets of Agradis, Inc. Monsanto’s purchase includes the Agradis name and its collection of microbes that can improve crop productivity. Monsanto has also acquired the company’s R&D site in La Jolla, Calif.

Agradis was formed in 2011 by Synthetic Genomics Inc and Plenus. The assets of Agradis not purchased by Monsanto include castor and sweet sorghum breeding and genetic optimization technologies, as well as a novel product used to prevent fungal growth on fruits and vegetables. These assets will continue to be advanced by SGI and Plenus in a new company, AgraCast.

The announcement also includes an agricultural research agreement between Monsanto and SGI. The multi-year research collaboration will focus on the analysis of microbe-plant communities and screening for beneficial microorganisms that could be used to develop additional biological products to improve agricultural productivity. Monsanto has also made an equity investment in SGI. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

Protecting Your Crop Yield Potential

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Monsanto Roundup Ready PlusMonsanto is suggesting that farmers get proactive with early-season weed control as we near the 2013 season.

As farmers head into 2013, it’s never too soon to plan for spring planting. That’s why Monsanto is encouraging planned, proactive steps to prevent and manage resistant and tough-to-control weeds. That means putting down residual herbicides, according to Chris Reat, Monsanto marketing manager.

“A farmer has to have residual herbicides and overlapping modes of action with residuals for weed control in today’s cropping systems,” says Reat. “Weed competition at planting can make it more difficult to get a crop established. Additionally, weeds damaged by the planter are often harder to kill with later herbicide applications. With proper planning and a proactive management approach using residual herbicides, farmers can achieve effective, economical weed control throughout the season.”

Using residual herbicides in combination with Roundup® agricultural herbicides provides multiple modes of action to help reduce the risk of resistant weeds developing. Research shows that soybean farmers can realize a two- to three-bushel-per-acre greater yield advantage when weed management programs include the use of residual herbicides.

“Ultimately, when you apply residual herbicides in front of soybeans, you take care of a lot of problems before they come out of the ground. Being proactive in this way is the most impactful value that Roundup Ready PLUS™ Weed Management Solutions provides,” explains Reat.

These and other weed management recommendations are part of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready PLUS Weed Management Solutions. Roundup Ready PLUS offers integrated and diverse management practices for weeds developed in conjunction with leading academics, agronomists and other industry partners for control of all your weeds, including tough-to-manage and glyphosate-resistant weeds. Roundup Ready PLUS also offers financial incentives to help farmers offset the cost of qualifying residual herbicides and other weed management resources.

For more information, please visit www.RoundupReadyPLUS.com.

Talking Social Media at Farm Bureau Convention

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Social Media SessionSocial media showed up on the program at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting program a number of times. One of the sessions, “Social Agriculture: Social Media’s Role in the Industry,” featured Zach Hunnicutt, AFBF YF&R Committee; Katie Pinke, PinkePost.com; Ryan Goodman, AgricultureProud.com and Janice Person, Monsanto.

I visited with Janice about their session which was moderated by Melissa Burniston, Tennessee Farm Bureau. Janice says they talked about how they each approach social media including their goals and tactics. One of the questions that came up was about how to know if your Twitter followers are urban or rural people and how to handle dealing with them from a messaging standpoint. Janice also found that people of all ages are looking for help and direction on how they can get involved in social media.

You can listen to my interview with Janice here: Interview with Janice Person

2013 American Farm Bureau Convention Photo Album

Keeping the Media in High Cotton

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bwcc13-ncc-staffMarjory Lynch Walker and T. Cotton Nelson have staffed the news room at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences for many, many of the event’s 58 year history and while they are not sure what the changes in store will mean for media attendance, they are looking forward to moving ahead.

“Media attendance has always been healthy here. We’ve had as many as 50-60 members here,” Cotton told me, adding that attendance has continued to be strong over the years, even as less growers have been attending. That’s why Cotton says they appreciate Monsanto’s sponsorship of the news room. “Their support has allowed us to have the equipment in here, a big room, food for the media – just to make it a really good working environment for the media.”

Cotton notes that there will still be lots of information to get out to producers with the revamped schedule for Beltwide next year. “We realize the transfer of technology by the news media of the information that’s presented here is great for cotton growers,” he said.

Listen to my interview with Cotton here: Cotton Nelson interview

2013 Beltwide Cotton photo album

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America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education℠ Returns

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PrintA movement is underway to improve the math and science aptitude of today’s students. For the second year in a row, the Monsanto Fund is gearing-up to invest $2.3 million to strengthen math and science education in rural communities through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education℠.

Now until April 15, 2013, farmers can nominate their favorite, local public school district. Administrators of nominated school districts can then submit grant applications through April 30, 2013 to enhance their math and/or science programs.

The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to society. Following a successful pilot in Minnesota and Illinois, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education debuted nationally last year in 1,245 counties across 39 states. Its reach has grown to include 1,271 counties this year.

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education offers farmers the opportunity to nominate rural public school districts to compete for a grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. Nominated school districts can then submit an application for either grant amount. Winners will be announced in August 2013.

School districts that apply for a $10,000 grant will compete against other school districts in the same USDA-appointed Crop Reporting District (CRD). CRDs with fewer than five eligible school districts will compete against each other for a single, $10,000 grant. School districts that apply for a $25,000 grant will compete against schools that are located in the same state or designated region.

Grants will be awarded by the Monsanto Fund based on merit, need and community support. The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council, a group of 30 farmer leaders from across the country, will select the winning grant applications. Advisory Council members were selected based on their passion for agriculture and education, as well as experience in rural school districts.

Beltwide Cotton Loves Ag Media

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bwcc13-groupThere were a few tears and a lot of laughs as the National Cotton Council hosted dinner to thank members of the ag media for their many years of covering the Beltwide Cotton Conference.

We all gathered together after dinner for a memory photo – click on the picture for a larger image. Many of us pictured here have known each other for 20-30 years! Are we really that old? At least one person with us – the young lady seated second from the left – wasn’t even born when most of us were starting our careers! That is Amy Mohundro with NCC and she seemed to enjoy listen to us old folks reminisce.

Next year will be a different format for the Beltwide, without the Production Conference and exhibitors that have been the main draw for the media over the last couple of decades. But the technical conferences will remain and NCC is hopeful that media serving the cotton belt will still attend to get new information out to producers.

Thanks so much to Marjory Walker and Cotton Nelson and the rest of the NCC staff for making the media’s job so easy. This was only my second Beltwide – the first was well over 20 years ago – but I had a really great time catching up with old friends like former NAFB president John Winfield and his wife Mary. I had not seen them for 15 years! And thanks also to Monsanto for sponsoring a well-equipped and comfortable media room.

Thanks also to FMC Corporation for sponsoring our coverage and allowing me to be a part of this event. I will be adding more posts and audio to this post with Cotton later. On my way now to join Chuck in Key West for a day of R&R.

2013 Beltwide Cotton photo album

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Acceleron Seed Treatment Interviews

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Monsanto AcceleronHere is the next installment from Monsanto’s series of videos with farmers using Acceleron Seed Treatment products. In it you’ll see dealer Mike Rentschler and farmer Richard Bilstein of Atkinson, Neb.

Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products are the only seed treatments designed to help maximize performance potential in Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans. Learn more about how Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products can get your Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans off to a strong start.

Acceleron Seed Treatment Interviews

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Monsanto AcceleronMonsanto has created a series of videos with farmers using their products like this one. In it you’ll see Kevin Stoll, farmer in Carrollton, MO, along with dealer Dennis Hensiek, talk about using Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products. We’ll have more to share when we get them.

Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products are the only seed treatments designed to help maximize performance potential in Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans. Learn more about how Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products can get your Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Soybeans off to a strong start.

Ag Ranks Low in Top Innovators List

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For the second year, the media organization Thompson Reuters has named its “Top 100 Global Innovators” and I received an email about the list headlined “Agriculture Industry is Innovating.”

“The Agriculture industry has a 1% representation with Monsanto making the list,” the press release says. “Last year Agriculture had 0% representation.”

So that means agricultural companies making the list went up by 100% since the first one – but really? Only one ag company on a list of 100 innovators? When I checked the entire list, I found a couple of other companies that could be classified as agricultural by having large agricultural divisions – DuPont, Dow and John Deere. DuPont and Dow are listed in the chemical industry, which indeed they are, and both made the list last year. John Deere is in the machinery category and was not on last year’s listing. The biggest industry segment of the companies making the list are in semiconductor and electrical and computer hardware, representing more than 30% of the list.

Thompson Reuters says the list was compiled using a system that focuses on companies responsible for generating a sizable amount of innovation. All organizations with 100 or more “innovative” patents from the most recent three years were included for consideration. Other factors include success of the patents, influence down the line and global adoption.

With all the innovations in seed technology, precision farming and crop protection, you would think that agriculture could make a better representation than just one percent of the top innovators in the world – or even 4% if you count the other three with ag interests. It’s not really that ag is not being counted, or that it is being hidden in companies that have a wide scope of interests. It seems like the answer may be that not enough time, effort and dollars are being invested in agriculture on a global scale, especially considering all the noise being made about nine billion people to feed by 2050. What do you think?

Asgrow 4P System and agSeedSelect

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During the 2012 NAFB Convention I spoke with Dan Kurdys, Asgrow Brand Manager. In a challenging year he says they had great harvest results with a greater than four bushel advantage over their competition. He attributes that to their “diverse germplasm pool, Genuity Roundup Ready trait and defensive and agronomic traits that are available to purchase.” Dan says they’ve developed the Asgrow 4P System, Plan, Plant, Protect and Perform, to give growers an edge in the soybean growing process.

Looking ahead to 2013 farmers can find the right Asgrow seed by using their agSeedSelect tool. This is available for your mobile device, either Apple iOS or Android.

No need to search through hundreds of pages to find the right seed for your field. agSeedSelect lets you create, store, email and print a seed guide tailored to your specific geography and crops. Featuring videos by our agronomists, the app provides detailed information on top products from Asgrow, DEKALB and Deltapine.

You can listen to my interview with Dan here: Interview with Dan Kurdys