Bayer CropScience is partnering with the National FFA to inspire interest in agriculture and apiculture professions among America’s youth. The new grant program will help FFA members develop their unique talents and explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers with a focus on finding solutions that will help honey bees thrive. “I have a real passion for the FFA …
BASF Highlights Compostable Polymers at CSS
BASF has a biodegradable solution for plastics with ecovio® and ecoflex® technology. Ruth Watts, product marketing manager for BASF’s Biopolymers Group in North America, was at last week’s ASTA CSS & Seed Expo demonstrating the use of this type of packaging for agricultural applications. “This (ecovio) is new technology by BASF,” Watts explained, adding that ecoflex was the very first …
ASTA Seed Foundation Update
First the Seed Foundation (FTSF) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 by the American Seed Trade Association with a focus on attracting bright young minds to the industry. “The seed industry is an exciting, dynamic, high tech industry,” said Foundation chairman Bud Hughes of Verdant Partners during an update at CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week. “We want …
African Seed Trade Learns from ASTA
It was AFSTA meets ASTA last week at the CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago. Denias Zaranyika is the Vice President of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and he attended last week’s event to see what he could bring home to his colleagues in the countries of Africa. “We want to exchange information and learn from Americans,” he …
Future Seed Executives at CSS & Seed Expo
Future Seed Executives (FuSE) had a week full of activities last week at the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo, including some quality time with Bill Whitacre president and CEO of Simplot. FuSE Iniative is an official subcommittee of the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) Management Skills Committee. Since its formal inception in 2004, FuSE has focused on educating and supporting …
Swine BioPortal Provides Flexibility to Data Evaluation
The collection of data is important when it comes to monitoring the PRRS virus. But what do you do with all those numbers once you have them? Dr. Enrique Mondaca, Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI), hit on that during BIVI’s session at the North American PRRS Symposium last week in Chicago. The Swine BioPortal is an answer to how veterinarians and producers …
Fermentation Education from BASF at CSS
Fermentation education was going on at the BASF booth during the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week in Chicago. The fermentation educator was BASF Biological Operations Manager Chris Feiden who explained and demonstrated for us the fermentation and filling process that takes place at BASF research facility in St. Joseph, Missouri and their quality assurance process. “We walk …
Economic Outlook at ASTA
Back again by popular demand this year at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo was AgResource Company president Dan Basse giving his economic outlook for the year ahead. Basse says the protein side of the plate is doing very well right now, dairy and beef in particular, “so we call it the Year of the Cow” and while grain …
Gathering Data & Using It
There are different tools producers and technicians can take advantage of when coordinating disease control. Dr. Erin Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI), talked about a couple of these during the North American PRRS Symposium at BIVI’s breakout session. “One of our big data gap problems is we have a lot of data on the farm, but we don’t translate it very …
Research Looks at Value of Neonicotinoids
The agriculture industry is working to show the benefits of neonicotinoids in the face of an EPA report released in October concluding that the seed treatments “provide little or no overall benefits to soybean production in most situations.” During the ASTA CSS and Seed Expo last week, Dr. Pete Nowak with AgInfomatics discussed some of his findings on the value …