Southwest Iowa is home to Larry Stolte (not pictured). He was one of the growers in attendance at the Monsanto Technology Showcase tour stop in Elkhart, IA. Larry has corn, beans and hogs.
I interviewed him part way through the program and he says that what he was seeing and hearing was “very interesting.” He’s learning more about corn and soybeans and what’s coming down the road. I asked him what he thought about the new Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybeans. He says, “It looks like it’s going to be pretty good for the farmer.” He knows there will be a limited supply for the 2009 season but hopes it’s available in his area so he can try it.
When it comes to corn, he liked seeing the stress mitigation properties of the new VT Triple technology. As he puts it, this, “helps stabilize yields.” He likes the idea of being able to get through periods of dry weather without losing yields.
Larry says this year has been one of the toughest in his lifetime due to all the rain in his area. He’s had more drowned out areas than he’s ever seen. In fact, he says that they’ve lost most of what they even re-planted so he’s looking forward to next season.
You can listen to my interview with Larry here: monsanto-tech-showcase-stolte.mp3