AgWired

Kip Cullers is the world record yield holder for corn and soybeans.

He was honored this morning at the ASA/BASF SOY breakfast when BASF announced a new scholarship in his name.

BASF announced the Secure Optimal Yield Scholarship program. This annual $5,000 scholarship will be sponsored by BASF and managed by ASA. The first award will be for the fall 2008 semester and will be announced in honor of Kip Cullers to recognize his excellence and outstanding yield results. “It is great that BASF and ASA announced the 2008 scholarship in my honor,” said Cullers. “I hope this scholarship will encourage others to get involved in agriculture and be more proactive to meet the world’s increasing demand for soybeans.”

I interviewed Kip to learn what some of his secrets to success are.

Listen to my interview with Kip here: cccast-8-cullers.mp3

The interview is also part of the CommodityClassicCast podcast series.

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Arlan Suderman is a market analyst for Farm Futures magazine. He was on the program at the BASF “Science Behind Plant Health” symposium.

Arlan’s spoke about the ethanol wave and addressed the opportunities and the pitfalls that he sees coming. He shares a lot of information about how people are investing in the industry and how the boom is affecting grower decisions.

Listen to Arlan’s presentation here (12 min): cccast-7-suderman.mp3

The interview is also part of the CommodityClassicCast podcast series.

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Dirk Voeste is the head of Plant Health and Seed Treatment Research for BASF. He came here to Commodity Classic from the company’s headquarters in Germany.

Dirk’s topic at the “Science Behind Plant Health” symposium was on the research that the company is doing and to show how growers are using it to their advantage. He says that BASF continues to be an innovator. I interviewed him right after the program was over.

Listen to my interview with Dirk here: cccast-6-voeste.mp3

The interview is also part of the CommodityClassicCast podcast series.

AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic
is made possible by: and

Andy Lee is the BASF Director of Business Operations, U. S. Crop Protection Products. He spoke at their “Science Behind Plant Health” symposium on the subject of just what BASF is doing to continue to be a leader is this area.

Like several other presenters he says that BASF is finding new and interesting applications and results for its Headline fungicide. He says that the journalists attending the symposium were asking why more growers aren’t using the product since based on the results it seems like such a “no-brainer.”

Listen to my interview with Andy: cccast-5-lee.mp3

The interview is also part of the CommodityClassicCast podcast series.

AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic
is made possible by: and

One of our presenters here at the BASF “Science Behind Plant Health” symposium is Dr. Gary Fellows, BASF Technical Market Manager. In fact he’s conducting his presentation right now as I’m posting this.

Before we got started I spoke with Dr. Fellows about New Plant Health Research which includes the finding that applying Headline fungicide to corn that is stressed by drought or dry weather conditions helps the plants make it through that period and recover faster. He says they observed this in a number of fields around the country this past season and decided to bring those findings into the research facilities to test it for themselves.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Fellows: cccast-3-fellows.mp3

The interview is also part of the CommodityClassicCast podcast series.

AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic
is made possible by: and

Our moderator for the BASF “Science Behind Plant Health” symposium is Ray Gilmer, BASF Group Communications Manager, Agricultural Products Division.

I had a chance to talk to Ray just prior to the start of the program to get an overview of what we’re going to see and hear today. Ray says that BASF is really committed to innovation and investing into new science. He says they’ll be talking about how growers are finding real yield benefits when making sure their plants stay healthy throughout the season.

Listen to my interview with Ray: cccast-4-gilmer.mp3

The interview is also part of the CommodityClassicCast podcast series.

AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic
is made possible by: and