This is pretty interesting. Now that the 2006 Beltwide Cotton Conference is over, speakers and attendees can still have access to the presentations. The only way you can gain access to the recorded ones is with your registration number though. However, there’s lots of other information available. This is done using The Conference Exchange. The 2006 Confex Podium sponsors are Monsanto and Stoneville.
The 2006 Beltwide Cotton Production Conference continued the tradition of putting leading edge information and innovations into producers’ hands. The 2006 Conferences’ Proceedings are scheduled to be mailed by mid-May. However, reports from the Conferences, gleaned from the Confex Podium presentation management and recording service, are now available online. You can access those presentations by going to http://ncc.confex.com/ncc/2006/techprogram/MEETING.HTM.
Clean Your Corn At New Dow Site
Dow AgroSciences has a new website. The creative element is a series of road signs that guide you through the information and pages. There’s even video. I guess this is just another sign that the agribusiness companies are investing in the online content tools that require broadband access to function properly. They must believe their customers have it or soon will.
At www.CleanCorn.com, visitors can choose to take a trip down Roundup Ready® Corn Ave. or Conventional Corn Drive to learn about issues that affect weed control in those systems. Each path contains university data from across the Corn Belt; video testimonials from growers, retailers and crop consultants; and examples of available weed control programs.
In addition, an interactive profit calculator is available on Roundup Ready Corn Ave. Growers can plug in their typical corn yields, the price of a bushel of corn and varying rates of soil-applied herbicides to see the potential profit they can protect by making a soil-applied herbicide application in Roundup Ready corn.
Denim Is Made Out of Cotton & Protects It
You’ve gotta love an insecticide for cotton called Denim. Syngenta received registration for use of the product on cotton in California today. I like my blue jeans and I don’t need any pesky critters chewing them up, or the cotton plants they get made out of.
“Denim provides excellent control of all worm pests, especially armyworms, and also suppresses mites with minimal impact on beneficial insects, making it an ideal fit for integrated pest management programs,” said John Foresman, Syngenta crop manager. “Denim is a low use-rate product that offers long-lasting residual control. It is a unique chemistry with no known cross-resistance, and it works through three modes of action – contact, ingestion and ovicidal-like in which larvae are controlled as they chew through egg casings.”
RFA Blogging The Ethanol Conference
I think what we’re doing is starting to catch on. The Renewable Fuels Association announced that they’ll be blogging the National Ethanol Conference. Great idea. The conference comes right after last week’s National Biodiesel Conference in San Diego which was blogged by yours truly for NBB.
The RFA blogger will be staff member Matt Hartwig. Since neither Cindy or myself can attend next week’s conference we’re looking forward to it as a great source of news and information for our renewable fuels news site, DomesticFuel. Way to go RFA! You’re “getting it.”
One of the best things about what I hope Matt will be doing is providing the multimedia content. For example, Matt has a pre-conference sound bite from RFA President, Bob Dineen. You can hear it here.
If your company or organization would like to make use of this most powerful new communications tool please let me know how I can help.
Maybe Elizabeth Hurley Has Milk
I’ve always liked the Got Milk campaign. They seem to keep finding the stars to encourage people to drink milk. I’m wondering if this the next “Got Milk” ad? I would call this a rumor for now. I saw a story on Adrants that Elizabeth Hurley will be the new poster child for the campaign. Supposedly it will run in the upcoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and the copy will read, “(Gulp!) Shocked I’m a mom? You should know by now that milk’s nine essential nutrients make for one irresistible body.”
The post mistakenly attributes the campaign to the American Dairy Association, which isn’t the case. The Got Milk campaign is run by “The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP).” It is funded by the nation’s milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption.
The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR
At the upcoming NAMA convention in Kansas City, Laura Ries will be conducting a general session called “The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR.” That’s very important subject material to me and I’m sure you too. Laura works with her Dad, Al Ries, at their Atlanta-based marketing strategy firm.
Cindy did the interview and we’ll feature it on the NAMA blog soon too. I’ll be posting content on their blog for the conference just like I did at last fall’s Agribusiness Forum.
You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: 
The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.
You can also now find the ZimmCast on CoolCast Radio or subscribe in iTunes.
NAMA ADS Program Official
Have you heard of the Agriculture Advertising Data Source? Me either. Until now. It’s the NAMA ADS program. Here’s what it’s all about:
The program’s goal is to provide NAMA members a means to obtain advertising placement data through an unbiased source. This source will allow client companies and their agencies to have better market intelligence and a rough estimate of media placement levels without compromising confidentiality.
The first phase of the program is focusing on crop protection products from 2005. If this program is successful it may be rolled out to other areas of media placement. The exchange of information will be mutually beneficial to each company participating and no rate information will be supplied.
What will the participants receive:
Compiled Electronic File of all data sorted by product, crop and publication
Summary reports including:
Percent of Weight by Media Type for Crop Protection as a whole
Percent of Weight by Media Type for individual product type
Percent of Weight by Media Type by Crop
Percent of Weight by Media Type by month for Crop Protection
Percent of Weight by Media Type by month for individual product type
Percent of Weight by Media Type by month for crop
At this time the program is open to any crop protection products seller. Data contributors pay a fee to access the complied data plus summary analysis. The fee is intended to defray the cost of compiling data and generating reports. Note: Under no circumstances will compiled data be distributed beyond the contributing members.
Interesting. I wonder if they’ll get the data they need. This sounds like a tough project to get off the ground. Although I can understand not wanting to divulge rate information, it seems like totals for different media categories would be nice.
Winecast Is Seeking Sponsors
One of my favorite podcasts is Winecast, hosted by Tim Elliott. Each week I learn about a new variety from his perspective. He seems to know what he’s talking about.
I was interested to see today that he’s outsourcing the sales representation of the show to a company called BackBeat Media. Sales reps for podcasts? Interesting concept.
“After more than a year of doing the show, I felt it was time to find a partnership with a company who could focus on the business side of Winecast so I could focus on the podcast itself,” said Tim Elliott, host of Winecast. “I’m confident that BackBeat Media is that partner who will grow Winecast even further.”
Winecast is the first and most educational wine-related podcast. Each week Tim focuses on a wine region or grape variety with tasting notes for these wines along with other wine-related subjects and interviews. Listened to by wine aficionados and novices alike, Winecast’s listeners are smart, loyal and eager to hear each week’s installment. Listeners may subscribe to Winecast by visiting www.winecast.net or the major podcast directories such as Apple’s iTunes Music Store.
It’s nice to listen to a commercial free show but I would put up with commercials because I’m sure Tim needs the money. I can relate. Since it’s been just about a year since I started the ZimmCast I think it’s high time to get it sold.
Bodisen Launches Mancozeb Facility
It seems like we’re seeing more and more news from China these days. In this case, Bodisen Biotech, which claims that it is the “first China-based environmentally friendly bio-fertilizer company listed on a US stock exchange (AMEX),” today announced the launch of its new pesticide raw materials production line which is expected to make it one of the largest producers of Mancozeb in China.
Mancozeb is the most versatile chemical used in the production of fungicides due to the fact that it can also be utilized as an end product on crops and not just as a raw material. Bodisen’s state of the art facility, which is expected to be completed in March 2006, will employ some of the most current agricultural technologies available. The new manufacturing facility gives Bodisen a competitive advantage, which it believes will increase its production density up to 20% higher than its competitors, making Bodisen an emerging leader in China’s agricultural and raw materials markets.
Bodisen is a Delaware company with headquarters in Shaanxi, China’s agricultural hub.
New AGCO Website
AGCO has a new website. One thing I like about it is the simplicity and that pages load quickly. That’s a definite plus for anyone and most importantly their customers. Here’s how they describe some of the elements of the new site:
The world map background on the opening page of the website invites visitors to learn more about this international manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment. The prominent images of people on every page reflect company recognition that its success is dependent upon its customers, dealers and employees. With AGCO’s growth from start-up in 1990 with the purchase of Deutz Allis to 2004 sales of $5.3 billion and a position on the Fortune 500 list, the home page invitation
to “GROW WITH US” is particularly appropriate. The website showcases the growth of the company through its 21 acquisitions to world leadership positions in tractor sales, superior technology, innovative solutions and unsurpassed customer service, all dedicated to agriculture.
I would urge them to consider adding an RSS Feed of their news releases. This is a growing trend with companies and would make it easier to receive them. They do have an email signup for news and other announcements though.