I don’t grow corn but I’m just guessing that this isn’t what you want to see in mid August. This is a field in north central Missouri. We’ve been getting some spotty rain here in Missouri and the temperatures are cooling off a little finally. However, it may be too little too late for some fields like this one. Maybe …
Syngenta Learning Centers Wrapup
If you haven’t ever attended a Syngenta Learning Centers field day then I hope my coverage this week helps you make up for that fact. In fact, I hope it encourages you to attend one in the future. I’ve received a number of comments on the coverage and appreciate all of them. For example, it was noted that since I …
Learning About Agrisure
One of the people I met before leaving the Syngenta Learning Centers field day in Milford, IA was Tracy Mader, District Sales Manager for Syngenta Crop Protection. Tracy provided an update on Syngenta’s Agrisure corn traits. He first of all explains that AgriSure is a family of traits for corn. Besides some of the current products under the Agrisure brand …
Yield Barrier Breaker
When it comes to breaking the yield barrier Virgil Sparks, Soybean Product Development, Syngenta Seeds is the man. His talk at the Syngenta Learning Centers event in Iowa this week was titled, “Breaking the Yield Barrier With Genetics and Technology.” He says that one of the main things he wants people to know is that Syngenta is very serious about …
Remember The 6 Inch Rule
When it comes to growing corn Mike Leetch, Technical Services Representative, Syngenta says remember the soda can rule. That is that you don’t want your corn to be full of weeds when it gets to about 6 inches high. He also says you can use a beer can too. The reason for this is that studies show that yield will …
Member Website Training
It’s another road warrior day as Cindy and I move our youngest to college. That means some light posting until tomorrow. Yesterday was a little light too because much of it was spent doing website training at the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council offices. We re-built their member website recently and Elizabeth, Joanna and I finally found time to all …
John Deere Applies Force to Corn Rootworm
Syngenta wasn’t the only company on hand at their Learning Centers program in Milford, IA. So was John Deere and their Central Insecticide System. Here’s Ron DeFauw, John Deere Seeding Group, talking about a brand new way to apply Force Insecticide. Think of the box version of wine that you put in your refrigerator and you’ll have a pretty good …
Pfizer’s Looking For the 3 Millionth
Last week Pfizer made two announcements involving their SelectVAC preconditioning program. Although he wasn’t at the media event I attended, Cindy got to interview Pierre Bertrand, Pfizer, Senior Marketing Manager for Bios and SelectVAC by phone. He talks about the fact that Superior Livestock Auction has chosen SelectVAC as the preferred health program for calves sold through their auction and …
New Soybean Varieties
We talked a lot about corn at the Syngenta Learning Center program in Iowa but soybeans were also a major topic of discussion. One of the presenters was Gene Kassmeyer, Head of Soybeans, Syngenta Seeds. Gene says that soybeans are a crop that’s changing rapidly. For one thing he says there are a number of new pest problems to deal …
Growing Fuel For Indy Cars
Growers attending the Syngenta Learning Center in Milford, IA might have wished they could drive this car but they were content to grow the fuel that’s powering it around the track this season. The #17 Rahal Letterman show car was accompanied by Al Jentz, Amaizing Energy. Al is also on the board of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council which …