Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was interrupted by applause several times during his address at the 2012 Commodity Classic in Nashville Friday as he hit the right notes for corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum producers. Someone in the crowd shouted “Amen” when Vilsack said, “This country also needs a new generation of farmers,” noting that something needs to be done about …
BASF Presents Research on New Fungicides
Last year at Commodity Classic, the buzz from BASF Crop Protection was the new fungicide chemistry Xemium. This year it’s new products incorporating that chemistry. With the results of field trials from the 2011 season now available, three years of research show Priaxor™ fungicide and Merivon® fungicide provided effective disease control and consistent yield increases in a wide range of …
BASF Supports Scholars with ASA, NCGA and Now NAWG
BASF Crop Protection is expanding its support of young people pursuing careers in agriculture by joining with the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Foundation to establish a memorial scholarship to honor longtime wheat industry friend and BASF employee Jerry Minore. As a BASF Senior Market Manager, Minore was a liaison to the wheat industry, including NAWG and the Foundation, …
Experts Offer Weed Insights at BASF Event
“The total post-emergence weed control era is over and I don’t think it’s ever coming back.” That was probably the most memorable quote of the entire BASF Crop Protection “Science Behind the Future of Weed Control” event prior to the kick-off of the 2012 Commodity Classic in Nashville on Wednesday. It came from Row Crop Weed Specialist Dr. Larry Steckel …
BASF Looks Toward Weed Control Future
With glyphosate resistance continuing to grow nationwide as a threat to crop yields in fields throughout the country BASF Crop Protection kicked off the 2012 Commodity Classic with presentations on research, innovations and techniques to help prepare growers for the future of weed control at the sixth annual “Science Behind” media symposium. BASF Vice President U.S. Crop Protection Paul Rea …
Commodity Classic Preview From NCGA President
Getting to the Commodity Classic in Nashville a day early to attend the Bayer CropScience Ag Issues Forum, I was happy to find National Corn Growers Association President Garry Niemeyer of Illinois available to do some pre-convention interviews. Garry is looking forward to a great, big Classic this year – with registration already at a record level. “We have 5,400 …
First USDA Planting Guess
Our ZimmPoll question this week is about what you think will be planted this year (just for corn and soybeans, with our apologies to the wheat and cotton growers), and USDA’s Chief Economist gave his answer at the 2012 Agricultural Outlook Forum last week. “We’re estimating corn plantings at about 94 million acres, the largest plantings since 1944,” said Joe …
Historic Gathering of Agriculture Secretaries
This is one Agricultural Outlook Forum I really wish I could have attended just to see most of the past and present Secretaries of Agriculture gathered on one stage together to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pictured here are the eight secretaries who took part in a panel at the forum last Thursday moderated by …
Boehringer Ingelheim to Join NASCAR Farm American Team
The start of the 2012 NASCAR season was delayed due to rain at the Daytona 500 Sunday, but next year the field could include a new player with a new partner. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) has signed a letter of intent to develop a business plan for partnering with the Furniture Row Racing NASCAR team’s Farm American program for …
Conversation with a Speaker
The 59th Speaker of the House spoke about leadership and the importance of the nation’s energy security during an appearance at the GROWMARK, FS System “Gold Rush” event in East Peoria, Illinois to introduce re-formulated Dieselex Gold. Denny Hastert, who is an Illinois farm boy, says growing up on a farm taught him the responsibility and leadership that helped serve …