Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. Getting close to episode 700! I’m sharing two of the interviews I conducted during the Bayer Crop Science Field Technology Showcase last week. We had multiple in-field demonstration plots and presenters. I was most interested in one about small stature corn which you’ll hear is the core of Bayer’s Smart Corn strategy. Then on …
Farms and Biofuels Groups Cheer Climate Provisions
Farm and biofuel organizations are pleased with provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden Tuesday, including new funding to encourage agricultural conservation programs and advance biofuels. “Through this legislation, Congress and the administration recognize that farmers’ voluntary climate-smart agricultural practices are an important part of addressing climate change,” said Brooke Appleton, the National Corn …
Syngenta Agronomy Alert – DuracadeViptera Success
Corn rootworm is one of the primary insect pests, costing growers an estimated $1 billion annually in lost yields and control measures. I talked with Bruce Battles, technical agronomy manager for Syngenta to describe how bad it is and what his suggestions are for growers in this current season. He specifically talks about the successes growers have had using Syngenta’s …
Crow’s Seed Being Re-Launched in Eastern Corn Belt
Crow’s Seed is being re-launched in the Eastern Corn Belt, by Outward Ag, LLC. This follows the re-establishment a few years ago of Midwest Seed Genetics in the Central and Northern Corn Belt and NC+ in the West, which have become two of the fastest growing seed brands in U.S. row crop agriculture. Crow’s Hybrids, originally from Milford, IL, was …
Cargill RegenConnect Expands Program Eligibility
Enrollment opens this month for Cargill RegenConnect, a market-based regenerative agriculture program, which is expanding to 15 states For the 2022-23 crop season. Cargill has expanded grower eligibility to include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, North Dakota, and South Dakota. “In our first year, Cargill has received a tremendous response from growers …
2022 CUTC In-Person Has Been Canceled
Just announced by NCGA. Thank you for registering for the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference. There is a great community of science and business leaders that NCGA is committed to supporting but unfortunately, we had to make the decision to cancel the in-person event due to continuing travel complications in the wake of COVID. We will be refunding all registration …
Rail Disruptions Impacting Ag and Biofuels
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) heard about how agricultural and biofuels producers are being impacted by rail service challenges during a two-day hearing last week. USDA Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh told the board how rail disruptions are impacting farmers, ranchers and consumers. “Elevators are full and therefore cannot purchase more grain from farmers, and livestock operations are unable to …
CUTC is Back in Person
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) will once again host its biennial Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) in person, June 6-8 in Chesterfield, Missouri. The conference answers the question of how can the industry produce more quality corn, build new markets and continue to create opportunities for agriculture. While the ag industry can often be the target of unfavorable …
DDGS Mistaken for Bird Poop on Biden’s Lapel
The ag story of this week may be what hit President Joe Biden on the lapel during his appearance at an Iowa ethanol plant Tuesday. Video of the moment went viral since it appeared to be bird droppings, but instead of being by-product of a bird, turns out it was a co-product of an ethanol plant, the high protein animal …
Gevo and Farmers Edge Partner for Carbon Program
Gevo and Farmers Edge have signed an agreement to work together on a new type of carbon inset management program. The potential combination of Farmers Edge highly precise and proprietary datasets with Gevo’s Verity Tracking platform and blockchain technology is expected to create value around agriculturally driven carbon impact. The companies plan to launch a program with US growers to …