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 …
Follow Your Management Rules to Tackle PRRS
With over 20 years of research into PRRS, Dr. PH Rathjen with Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI), is no stranger to the virus. As one of the speakers at the BIVI sponsored session at the North American PRRS Symposium he shared his experiences dealing with PRRS from his home in Denmark and how utilizing both Area Regional Control (ARC) and vaccines can …
UF Prof is Biotech Advocate
Hearing food and health “celebrities” spread misinformation about agriculture really annoys plant molecular and cellular biology professor Dr. Kevin Folta, who spoke at the CSS 2014 and Seed Expo this week in Chicago. Folta, who has a blog where he calls himself “a scientist in a scientifically illiterate nation at a time when we need science the most,” took the …
BASF on Importance of Coatings and Inoculants
Coatings and inoculants are where it’s at in the seed industry these days and BASF Ag Products is in the forefront of this important technology for agriculture. “When we speak of inoculants, we’re talking about rhizobia-based products,” said BASF US Crop Seed Enhancement manager Steve Bergschneider during an interview at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago. “We …
EPA Approves Bayer CropScience’s ILeVO® for SDS
Bayer CropScience announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved its application for the registration of ILeVO®, the only seed treatment that protects the root system against infections caused by the Sudden Death Syndrome fungus and has activity against dangerous nematodes in the seed zone. Business to business strategy manager of seed growth, John Carlson says, “This is …
Media Training for ASTA Members
American Farm Bureau Federation director of media and advocacy training Johnna Miller conducted a workshop for members of the American Seed Trade Association during CSS 2014 on how to effectively communicate with the media. Johnna says farmers and ranchers have a great story to tell, but it’s not always easy for them to do. She hopes attendees walk away from …
ASTA Chairs Pleased with CSS 2014
The chairman and first vice chair of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) are pleased with this year’s turnout at CSS 2014 and Seed Expo and with the direction of the organization. ASTA chair John Schoenecker with HM. Clause of California says the program is exceptionally good this year. “Everything from bee health to cover crops, the international treaty for …