If you haven’t heard Dr. Fred Below, Professor of Plant Physiology, University of Illinois, speak then you’re missing something. He was part of a panel discussion on Maximizing Yield in Continuous Corn that filled the room. The Learning Center session was sponsored by Syngenta. The first thing Dr. Below wanted growers to know is that they’ll take an approximate 10% …
BASF Honors Corn Yield Contest Winners
BASF congratulated the country’s leading corn growers and their families for their leadership in embracing innovation at the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Yield Contest banquet at the 2008 Commodity Classic. Markus Heldt, head of the BASF North American crop protection division, joined NCGA president Ron Litterer to honor the winners. Markus told the audience of almost 2,000 corn …
The 3 Amigos on Stage
Each year at the Commodity Classic general session we get to hear from the Presidents of the participating associations. Here they are on stage involved in an interactive discussion with moderator John Phipps. Pictured left to right are John Hoffman, ASA, Ron Litterer, NCGA and John Thaemert, NAWG. John starts out wondering how in the world these three guys got …
Rick Tolman is NAMA Agribusiness Leader of the Year
Earlier this week the National Agri-Marketing Association announced that NCGA CEO Rick Tolman is their Agribusiness Leader of the Year. Here he’s standing next to their booth at the Commodity Classic trade show. The award honors outstanding leaders in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas who exemplify excellence in agribusiness by their significant contributions to the industry. …
Classic Scholarships
BASF, the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association are supporting the future of agriculture by awarding scholarships to young people working towards careers in the industry. The first scholarship winners were announced today at a Commodity Classic news conference. I did interviews with all the winners who were here, which I will post later, but here is …
BASF Seed Treatment Portfolio
Craig Lindholm is marketing manager for seed treatments with the US Crop Protection division at BASF. He has some 28 years of experience in the seed treatment business and his enthusiasm for the technology was evident during his presentation to the media at the BASF Science Behind Seed Treatments symposium at the 2008 Commodity Classic in Nashville. Craig did a …
Seed Treatment Revolution
Gary Munkvold is associate professor and Seed Science Endowed chair in the Iowa State University Department of Plant Pathology. His message at the BASF seed treatment symposium was that there is a seed treatment revolution taking place today. “Take a look at some of the things that have happened just in the last few years that have dramatically changed in …
Seed Treatment Increases Value
Steve Hawkins is managing director of The Context Network in West Des Moines, Iowa – and formally with Delta and Pine Land Company and Asgrow Seed Company. He was also one of the presenters at the BASF seed treatment media event at Commodity Classic this week. His topic was values within the seed industry. “Seed treatments have gone from protection …
Commodity Classic Trade Show
A record crowd converged on the 2008 Commodity Classic trade show this afternoon, welcomed by the bean guy. There are over 4,450 registered attendees at the Classic this year and more than 140 media – both new records. The Classic photo album is up to date now with about 60 photos so far – but lots more to come! AgWired …
Getting Science on the Seed
Dr. Dirk Voeste from BASF Crop Protection Headquarters in Germany enlightened the media at Commodity Classic on the process of getting science on the seed at BASF. According to Dirk, BASF seed treatment means protection plus vitality. He discussed the BASF concept of the German word “Verbund.” “Verbund is not translated,” he explained. “It means really the linkage of expertises …