There was a lot to see and hear about at Commodity Classic but maybe the best testimonials for a product are the growers themselves. I spent a little time with two growers who gave several Stoller USA products their stamp of approval. Why? Because they have seen significant increase to their yields.
Ken Miller, both a grower and ag retailer who lives in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, said that he has been selling Stoller USA products for 12 years and has been using them for 10 years. I asked him when he became a believer and he said two years for him to believe in the product. Miller uses Bio-Forge, Sugar Mover Plus and X-TRA power. He is routinely seeing 12-14 bushel per acre increases in his corn yields, 6-7 bushels per acre increases in his soybean yield and 5-7 bushel per acre increases in his wheat yields. One of the benefits he noted was that the Bio-Forge helped the plant to make a “massive root system” that enabled it to take up the nutrients from the soil.
Donny Carpenter, a grower from Dimmitt, TX first began using Bio-Forge on his wheat. Last year, due to increased commodity prices for wheat, he increased his acreage and used Bio-Forge for the first time as a seed treatment. He noted that early on he couldn’t tell the difference between his Bio-Forge treated and untreated acres, but when the crop began to boot, this changed.
“We had a crop that stood better, didn’t try to fall because there wasn’t any lodging and it out yielded the untreated area by 12-15 bushels per acre.”
Although Carpenter plans to reduce his wheat crop this season (commodity prices have dropped again for wheat) he will be using the Bio-Forge on his corn and cotton this year and plans on experimenting with various types of applications.
I asked them both what they recommend for other growers and Carpenter encouraged other growers “to give it a shot.” Miller said, “Use Stoller products because they are proven.”
Taking a team approach to problem solving often saves both time and money and that has been the goal of the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP) in using soybean checkoff dollars more efficiently for the benefit of growers.
During the Commodity Classic I talked with NCSRP executive director David Wright, seen here with South Dakota farm broadcaster Michelle Rook, about the program which is run by soybean producers for soybean producers. “NCSRP is a grower-based organization that invests soybean checkoff dollars into research and education activities to improve soybean yield,” he told me. “These are state checkoff dollars combined with some national checkoff dollars. We’re a regional organization, we pool money from both sides, and then invest it at approximately 20 land grant universities throughout the United States.”
Twelve states participate in the program, from Kansas to North Dakota and east across to Ohio and Michigan, and the dollars are distributed each year through a very competitive grant process. “We don’t just do research, we target research to solve problems,” David said.
NCSRP has a website (www.ncsrp.com) where growers can find all of the latest management recommendations to increase soybean yields, and they also hold numerous meetings in the various states during the year to get the information out to farmers. In addition, NCSRP has a producer communications effort called the Plant Health Initiative which aims to help growers manage soybean from the ground up. That site features a regular update on soybean health issues by David called David’s Desk.
Listen to or download my interview with David in the player below.
The world’s population is growing and simultaneously, malnutrition is growing. The World Soy Foundation (WSF) is a nonprofit organization that is helping to eradicate malnutrition around the world through soy protein. I had the chance to spend a few minutes with Nathan Ruby, Executive Director of the World Soy Foundation to learn more about what they do.
Ruby explained that they address malnutrition issues through soy protein in four ways:
Food distribution of soy protein
Microenterprise – helping people start small businesses like the soy cow where people add 1 lbs of soybeans to 1 gallon of water to produce soy milk which they then sell in the local community
Research – studying soybeans in different nutritional settings
Education – working with people around the world to help them learn how soy protein can increase nutrition
WSF is currently working in areas with high malnutrition including Haiti. “Our program there is really about development,” said Ruby. “We’re not a diasaster relief agency so we’re more concerned about what happens when the television cameras leave and go away and the world kind of forgets about Haiti. We’re still going to be there developing and we have a long-range plan to do that.”
The organization is typically anywhere where people live in areas that are disconnected form the general flow of resources and opportunities. Currently, they are considering some programs in Iraq to help them learn how to farm soybeans and a similar program in Central America.
As a nonprofit, WSF is always looking for more people to become involved in their programs. Soybean farmers around the world can participate through the Acre Challenge. Ruby explained that in this program, soybean farmers donate the proceeds from one acre of production.
To learn more, click here and you can listen to my full interview with Nathan below.
Commodity Classic was full of new products and technologies and two new product lines have come from the Channel Brand. The Channel Brand is under the Channel Bio company (launched in September 2009) which is a Monsanto company.
I spoke with Stacy Markovich, Channel Brand Manager about Channel Bio and the new Channel Brand products. “Our mission is to serve as the American farmers most trusted source for seed, and Channel is one of the largest seed companies in the United States,” said Markovich.
The company’s primary products are corn and soybean but they also have alfalfa and sorghum. This year, they have a new corn lineup with 18 new products including six Channel Brand Genuity SmartStax products. On the soybean side, they have 24 new products including 20 Channel Brand Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield products.
Also in the Monsanto pipeline are products that will address drought, drought tolerance and water utilization needs. Click here to learn more about the Channel Brand products.
International marketing was the focus of a press conference held by the United Soybean Board at Commodity Classic. First up on the podium was Phil Bradshaw, USB Chairman and a soybean farmer from Griggsville, IL.
He spoke about future efforts to increase soybean exports as conducted by the USB. A record 1.56 billion bushels of soybeans were exported in the most recent marketing year which is “every other row of soybeans produced in the United States.” He says the USB has just selected a new organization to represent soybean growers on the international level. That will be the newly re-organized U.S. Soybean Export Council.
You can listen to or download (mp3) Phil’s remarks here:
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The next person to speak was Jim Call, USB International Marketing Chair and a soybean farmer from Madison, MN.
Jim says the new model that USB has selected to increase soy exports will allow them to better coordinate on planning with exporters and customers. They expect to decrease the duplication of efforts and invest Checkoff dollars more wisely.
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Last to address the press conference was Ike Boudreaux, USSEC Chairman and a soybean farmer from Lebeau, LA.
Ike says the USSEC is proud to have been selected by the USB to execute the new international marketing model. The new efforts will begin October 1, 2010. He says that USSEC is updating its operational structure in order to earn the business. He describes some of the elements of the plan they will be putting in place which includes targeting six key markets.
I had a chance to spend some time with Gail Stratman, the Midwest Technical Sales Lead for FMC, during Commodity Classic and I learned two things. First that Cadet and Authority Assist are big sellers, selling out the past two years, and second, why both products work so well.
Cadet is a post emergence herbicide that was introduced about two years ago for corn and soybeans. “It’s a very good product for growers using Roundup Ready or glyphosate tolerant crops, that are looking for an additional herbicide to put with their glyphosate to help control those weeds they may be experiencing some trouble controlling with straight glyphosate,” explained Stratman.
Some of the weeds that are controlled using Cadet (and Authority Assist) are velvet leaf, water hemp, morning glory, and lambs quarters. Stratman noted that it’s a unique product in that it has a very broad spectrum of weed control and it’s labeled for use at the same rates for corn and soybeans so if a grower has both crops, you don’t have to worry about spray drift.
Authority Assist is a pre-emergence herbicide for soybeans used to control early season weeds. The product limits weed competition, which researchers have found to be as important in soybeans as in corn, and helps to improve yields.
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and has a lot to celebrate. Last year, the organization received more than $12.8 million in export funding from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service for the promotion of U.S. soybeans and soybean products. ASA President Rob Joslin noted in the organization’s press conference during Commodity Classic that this was the largest of that type of grant ever given to one organization. ASA’s committee, Rural Initiative Soy and Human Health, also received a historic grant of $26 million for the promotion and infrastructure of soy in Afghanistan.
However, grant dollars were not the only success for 2009. Joslin highlighted some of the policy work his organization is undergoing in the beltway that affects soybean farmers in terms of both biofuels development and the farm bill.
“ASA led efforts to correct a flawed proposal by the EPA. This proposal would have disqualified soy as a feedstock from the mandated Renewable Fuels Standard,” said Joslin. He continued by saying that ASA believes this was not the intent of Congress and with their efforts, among others, the new rule by the EPA allows for the continuation of soy as a feedstock for biodiesel.
Biodiesel has also been hit with the lack of extension for the Biodiesel Tax Incentive. Joslin said that to date, 23,000 workers across the country are idled and the longer the biodiesel plants don’t produce biodiesel, the harder it will be for the plants to begin running again once the incentive is passed; yet, ASA is confident the incentive will pass.
But the lack of the biodiesel tax credit also affects farmers. Joslin said that it costs farmers 25 cents per bushel by not having biodiesel production. Of the 3.3 billion bushels harvest in ‘09, this will costs farmers $825 million in income.
Joslin, on behalf of ASA, expressed continued hopefulness for 2010 for soybean farmers across the country and reiterated that they will continue to work on their behalf both here in the states and abroad.
You can listen to the highlights of the ASA press conference below.
Can you define sustainability? Neither can I. But that was the first task of the panel discussion of commodity group leaders this morning at Commodity Classic. Moderated by Mark Mayfield, the panel discussed what sustainability means to them. Panelists included: Darrin Ihnen, President, NCGA, Rob Joslin, President, ASA, Karl Scronce, President, NAWG and Gerald Simonsen, Chairman, NSP.
You’ll hear the panel says what sustainability isn’t and provide some good reasons why farmers are very much involved with this issue.
You can listen to the commodity group leaders with Mark below.
In the general session at Commodity Classic we heard from the President of the American Soybean Association, Rob Joslin. Rob was interviewed by session moderator Mark Mayfield.
Rob says one of his goals has been to visit as many of the ASA state affiliates as he can and he’s over half way there. He thinks it’s important to know what the states are thinking. He says they really need the biodiesel tax credit back in place immediately. He says that’s in a jobs bill in the Senate right now.
Illinois farmers are on a quest for higher soybean yields, according to University of Illinois soybean specialist Vince Davis, who spoke at the BASF Science Behind Soybeans seminar at the 2010 Commodity Classic on Wednesday. “There’s a lot of discontent about where they’re at with soybean yields,” Vince said. “A lot of them feel that soybean yields are not keeping pace with corn yields in Illinois.”
The average soybean yield in Illinois has been 45-46 bushels per acre the last two years, which Vince says has been pretty consistent for the past five years and growers would really like to see that improve by at least two bushels per acre. They would really like to see yields as high as the 100 bushels per acre that Kip Cullers sees on his farm, so Vince took a closer look at what Kip does last year to bring back to Illinois. “There’s a lot we have left to learn on how to maximize each individual plants’ productivity in soybean and really approach some of the levels of individual plant management like we’ve been doing in corn,” said Vince. He stresses the importance of early weed control as something growers can do to help improve yields. “Controlling weeds, starting with a clean field and making sure you don’t lose bushels to weeds early in the season is very important,” Vince said.
The Illinois Soybean Association, with the help of the universities and sponsors like BASF, is helping to provide some incentive for growers to increase yields with a new program called the Illinois Soy Yield Challenge. “It’s different than a contest in that we’re really focused on a team concept,” said Vince. “We’re also focused on being able to compare practices between farmers’ normal practices and experimental practices and see what we can do in Illinois,” he said. Find out more at soyyieldchallenge.com.
You can never get enough of the always entertaining World Soybean Yield Champion Kip Cullers.
During the BASF Science Behind Soybeans seminar at the 2010 Commodity Classic on Wednesday, Kip talked about the recent trip he took to Brazil and what he learned there. “The reason I went to Brazil is because, if you want to learn something, you got to go where there’s a problem and Brazil is challenged by so many things,” Kip says. One of the problems he had on his farm in southwest Missouri last year was white mold, which is a big issue in Brazil. “I got about five or six brand new ideas from Brazil on how to control white mold,” he said.
That’s what Kip does best – try new things to help increase his yields, not just for contests, but for his overall production. “60-80 percent of all my experiments fail miserably, but we never quit trying and we’re able to average 100 bushel soybeans across our whole farm,” Kip says, and that’s what pays the bills. To that end, he is a strong believer in BASF Headline for plant health, and the new Kixor technology herbicide, which he helped test for BASF prior to registration last fall.
The last time I talked to Kip was on his farm toward the end of the 2009 harvest season. You will have to check out that post and listen to the interview or watch the video to hear the goat story that he references in the interview below.
Today’s National Biodiesel Conference general session featured National Biodiesel Board Chairman Ed Hegland. He’s completing his final term as Chairman.
He started his comments by reminding everyone that today is the anniversary of daylight savings time which was created to conserve on our energy supply during World War I. It was an innovative idea then and when it comes to the innovative work the industry is doing today he says, “We’re here to fuel change.”
Ed pointed out that there are members of all segments of the petroleum industry here today and they participated in a panel discussion after his comments. I’ll post that shortly. He presented some of the findings from a research study done by NBB on consumers and their awareness and perceptions of biodiesel. He says the study finds that consumers who are aware of biodiesel have a favorable opinion of it. He also talks about being a soybean farmer and the incredible technology that is allowing him to grow more with less.
You never know what you’ll run into at a farm show. In this case it’s the Bayer CropScience Soybean Man.
He didn’t talk so I didn’t interview him. Just saw him wandering around and took his picture. I’m sure that if you want to know more you’ll need to talk to your local Bayer CropScience representative.
Soybeans are better than ever for the environment, which makes soy-based products greener than ever.
That’s the findings of a new peer-reviewed life cycle profile just released by the United Soybean Board (USB) that documents multiple energy and environmental benefits of U.S. soybean farming and processing.
“This profile is the first comprehensive life cycle study covering U.S. soybean production through four major biobased products,” said Arkansas soybean farmer John Cooper, a USB Director and Member of the USB Domestic Marketing Committee. “U.S. soy already delivers environmental and energy benefits. It’s exciting to see the trends point to even more in the future.”
A key objective was to update life cycle inventory (LCI) databases for soybean production and processing as well as conversion into four key soy-derived feedstocks (methyl soyate, soy lube base stock, soy polyol, and soy resin) used in fuel and industrial products. Its cradle-to-gate scope begins with soybean farming (the cradle) and goes through processing of products (the gate).
Among the study’s key findings are that soybean production results in significant greenhouse gas reductions and that soybean yields are 12 percent higher than 10 years ago and should increase 40 percent over the next decade.
The updated data show approximately 20% less direct energy used in soybean farming due to reduced diesel and gasoline usageand soybean processing facilities reduced their energy consumption by 45% compared to 1998 data.
The training program examines the three pillars of Plant Health—disease control, stress tolerance and growth efficiency—and how Headline fungicide can best affect the most important aspects of growing a healthy plant.
The audio-visual presentation also examines the science behind Headline fungicide and includes trivia questions, statistical information, visual evidence and user testimonials.
I’m sure we will find out more about this new program for growers at the upcoming Commodity Classic in Anaheim, March 4-6. Coverage of Classic on Agwired will be once again sponsored in part by BASF.
This week, during the Ag Associates Conference hosted by StollerUSA, I had the opportunity to talk with Mike Molnar, with Town and Country Ag. His company is a co-op working in nine counties in North Eastern Ohio and three of their locations provide full-service ag products and applications for growers.
Molnar told me that he has been using Stoller products for the last four years to help overcome one of their biggest challenges which is poor soil. “We’re always looking for ways to improve root growth to get better yield in our crops,” he said.
He, along with other growers in the area, are still learning and he recently did a trial with grass hay where he has seen some pretty drastic results using Bio-Forge and Folizyme together. He mentioned that he has also done some good things with soybeans using Golden Harvest Plus, a Stoller product.
“If you’ve got a plant stalled or not growing the way you want it to, you can get that plant to jumpstart a little bit and take off and start growing again for you,” explained Molnar.
Molar has learned some important things working with Stoller, one of which is that its not just about nutrients. It’s also about the hormone balance of the plant. “Cytokinin is a hormone that’s manufactured in the root tips. So, if you have a root system that’s not actively growing and not making new root tips, you’re not going to have the hormone production or the nutrient uptake you need to have maximum yield of your crop,” said Molnar. “Anytime during the growing season that our roots stops growing, we’re losing yield.”
Philip Lobo and Mandy Heth are representing the Qualisoy program of the United Soybean Board here at the International Poultry Expo/International Feed Expo in Atlanta, talking to poultry producers about the ways they are working to make soybean meal even better for birds.
“We’ve just recently developed a special soybean that is going to deliver a soybean that has more energy for the feed and poultry industry,” Philip told me. They are starting poultry feeding trials soon and as long as it tests well they could have the variety available within five years. “This will help make our domestic livestock producers more competitive,” he said, which is important to the soybean industry, since 98 percent of all soybean meal produced here is fed to livestock and about 80 percent of the soybean is meal.
Listen to or download my interview with Philip in the player below.
Despite weather challenges in 2009, American farmers produced record corn and soybean crops.
According to USDA’s crop report out this morning, U.S. corn for grain production is estimated at a record 13.2 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the November 1 forecast, and 1 percent above the previous record of 13.0 billion bushels set in 2007. U.S. grain yield is also estimated at a record level for 2009, at 165.2 bushels per acre. This is up 2.3 bushels from the November forecast and 4.9 bushels above the previous record of 160.3 bushels per acre set in 2004.
Soybean production in 2009 totaled 3.36 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the November 1 forecast and up 13 percent from 2008. U.S. production is the largest on record. The average yield per acre is estimated at a record high 44.0 bushels, 0.7 bushel above the November 1 forecast and 4.3 bushels above last year’s yield. Harvested area is up 2 percent from 2008 to a record 76.4 million acres.
Getting these BASF Headline harvest reports done this fall (yes, it is still fall) has been a challenge, to put it mildly. We’ve been trying desperately to get interviews set up with farmers since late October – in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. We did okay in Missouri, but when the harvest kept getting later and the rain kept falling, it just continued to get postponed. We had to cancel a trip to Iowa last week when the blizzard came through, but we went up this week even with below zero temperatures
Our second day in the frigid state brought us to the home of Brent Schipper of Conrad, where we had to record in the office to avoid becoming popsicles. Despite the weather challenges and a late harvest, Brent is very pleased with his crop this year, which was helped by Headline fungicide. “With the late harvest, the corn did stand very well,” Brent said. “The yield increase helped because Headline eliminated some of the disease pressure we had from the cool, wet weather.”
Brent saw a yield advantage of 4-5 bushels on soybeans and 10-20 on corn because of Headline, which he has been using for about six years now. There were some acres he did not spray with Headline, but because he saw such a definite yield difference this year, everything will be sprayed next year. “It showed one year of not spraying everything cost us in the end,” he said. “It’s a good insurance policy.”
Watch the video interview and listen to or download the audio of my interview with Brent below.
I guess it would be more correct to call these BASF Headline POST-harvest reports, even though there is still about eight percent of the corn left in the fields at this point. Iowa farmers are pretty much done with this season, including Henry Miller of West Union, which is in the northeast part of the state. We caught up with him on Monday as Mother Nature was sending in a blast of frigid temperatures to welcome his 7th grandchild who was born early that morning.
Henry finished his corn harvest just about two weeks ago and he is very glad to see the 2009 season with its weather extremes coming to a close. “It was very far from normal,” Henry told me. His biggest challenge this year was summer hail storms. “In June we had corn knee high, we had hail that stripped it and beat the beans practically in the ground. Then in July, we got hit (with hail) on the other farm about tasseling time.”
Because of all the bruising to the crop, Henry’s agronomist recommended using Headline fungicide, which was the first time he ever used it. “The yields were better than what I expected, it stood good, we had no problems with standability – I guess Headline helped us out there,” Henry said.
Commodity Classic took place in Anaheim, CA. You'll find all of Chuck, Cindy and Joanna's photos here.
Happy Ag Week
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
In this week's program I interview Linda Tank, CHS, Inc., who is Chair of the Agriculture Council of America, the group coordinating National Ag Day. Learn more about their activities, especially this week in Washington, DC.
Donny Carpenter, a grower from Dimmitt, TX first began using Bio-Forge on his wheat. Last year, due to increased commodity prices for wheat, he increased his acreage and used Bio-Forge for the first time as a seed treatment. He noted that early on he couldn’t tell the difference between his Bio-Forge treated and untreated acres, but when the crop began to boot, this changed.
and 
Taking a team approach to problem solving often saves both time and money and that has been the goal of the 
During the Commodity Classic I talked with NCSRP executive director David Wright, seen here with 
International marketing was the focus of a press conference held by the 
The next person to speak was Jim Call, USB International Marketing Chair and a soybean farmer from Madison, MN.
Last to address the press conference was Ike Boudreaux, USSEC Chairman and a soybean farmer from Lebeau, LA.
Can you define sustainability? Neither can I. But that was the first task of the panel discussion of commodity group leaders this morning at Commodity Classic. Moderated by Mark Mayfield, the panel discussed what sustainability means to them. Panelists included: Darrin Ihnen, President, NCGA, Rob Joslin, President, ASA, Karl Scronce, President, NAWG and Gerald Simonsen, Chairman, NSP.
In the general session at Commodity Classic we heard from the President of the 
The average soybean yield in Illinois has been 45-46 bushels per acre the last two years, which Vince says has been pretty consistent for the past five years and growers would really like to see that improve by at least two bushels per acre. They would really like to see yields as high as the 100 bushels per acre that Kip Cullers sees on his farm, so Vince took a closer look at what Kip does last year to bring back to Illinois. “There’s a lot we have left to learn on how to maximize each individual plants’ productivity in soybean and really approach some of the levels of individual plant management like we’ve been doing in corn,” said Vince. He stresses the importance of early weed control as something growers can do to help improve yields. “Controlling weeds, starting with a clean field and making sure you don’t lose bushels to weeds early in the season is very important,” Vince said. 
You can never get enough of the always entertaining World Soybean Yield Champion Kip Cullers.
Today’s National Biodiesel Conference general session featured National Biodiesel Board Chairman Ed Hegland. He’s completing his final term as Chairman.
You never know what you’ll run into at a farm show. In this case it’s the 
That’s the findings of a new peer-reviewed life cycle profile just released by the 
Philip Lobo and Mandy Heth are representing the 
According to U
Our second day in the frigid state brought us to the home of Brent Schipper of Conrad, where we had to record in the office to avoid becoming popsicles. Despite the weather challenges and a late harvest, Brent is very pleased with his crop this year, which was helped by Headline fungicide. “With the late harvest, the corn did stand very well,” Brent said. “The yield increase helped because Headline eliminated some of the disease pressure we had from the cool, wet weather.”
I guess it would be more correct to call these 
It's time to thank our farmers and ranchers for all their hard work to feed us.
