- Bayer CropScience announced that its vegetable seed business Nunhems has acquired the U.S. seed company Paragon Seed Inc. Based in Salinas, Calif., Paragon Seed specializes in the breeding, production and sales of lettuce varieties. The lettuce seed market with a volume of about $60 million is one of the three most important vegetable markets in the United States. Furthermore, the acquisition offers the exchange of seed production know-how. Nunhems will continue to market the newly acquired varieties under the Paragon brand to assure continuation of the strong quality image in the market.
- Novus International, Inc. announced that the QUINGUARD® feed preservative line of antioxidants will be consolidated under the global SANTOQUIN® feed preservative brand family. SANTOQUIN may be added directly to vitamin premixes, fats and meals at the point of manufacture and/or in the mixer during processing. SANTOQUIN may be tailored to fit nearly any operation’s specific application and quality control guidelines. Novus expects the SANTOQUIN transition to be completed in the first quarter of 2008.
- Prowl® H2O herbicide from BASF recently received registration from the EPA for use on grapes, including table, raisin and wine varieties. This registration currently applies to all states except for California and New York. The addition of grapes to the Prowl H2O label now affords grape growers opportunities for more effective broad-spectrum weed control. The unique formulation of Prowl H2O has less odor, produces less staining, contains no VOCs, and doesn’t bind to field surface residue like organic solvent-based products.
