RFA Ethanol Podcast

DWFI Podcast 17 – Karina Schoengold, UNL Agricultural Economics

Cindy Zimmerman

DWFI Faculty Fellow Karina Schoengold is leading a $6 million, 4-year project to reduce the use of plastics, herbicides and associated environmental impacts in agricultural production. The use of plastics has been growing in agriculture over recent years to help increase productivity by limiting weeds, protecting growth and extending growing seasons. The team aims to create a bio-based material called BioWRAP — Bioplastics with Regenerative Agricultural Properties — which can be sprayed onto the fields. The material will then break down and add to the nutrients of the soil as a bio-based fertilizer. Once the technology is created, the team will measure the effectiveness under different conditions, as well as soil impacts such as runoff, sedimentation, erosion, water filtration and any water quality impacts that would occur from using it.

In this episode, Arianna Elnes, DWFI communications specialist, interviews Karina about the goals of the project, the economic and social impacts of the technology and its future potential for agriculture and the environment.

Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
DWFI Podcast 17 - Karina Schoengold, UNL Agricultural Economics 12:09

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

How to subscribe:

Audio, Farming, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

Syngenta Corn Traits Helping Growers Control Pests

Chuck Zimmerman

Drew Showalter, SyngentaA new naming system for Syngenta corn traits will help growers better understand the benefits available in 2023.

“At Syngenta, we view ourselves as an industry leader in corn trait technology, continually researching and developing new technology to help growers protect yield. We’re constantly innovating,” said Drew Showalter, Corn Portfolio Lead with Syngenta Seeds.

The new system focuses on two familiar Syngenta brands – Duracade for rootworm control and Viptera for above ground protection. Showalter said combining the two offers the most comprehensive insect control trait stack in the industry.

Other developments from Syngenta will include opening a brand new innovation center in Malta, Illinois, in 2023. That facility will complement the Syngenta Biotech Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is the company’s innovation center for corn traits.

You can listen to our interview or watch it below: Drew Showalter, Corn Portfolio Lead, Syngenta Seeds
FPS22 Interview with Drew Showalter, Syngenta Seeds (5:52)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album


Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta, Video

Animal Ag News 9/12

Carrie Muehling

  • Wayne-Sanderson Farms has unveiled a new brand identity and logo following the recent merger of the two industry leaders. The company’s new identifying mark was designed to resonate the shared values and business objectives of what is now the third-largest poultry producer in the nation.
  • The Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) New Product Competition is accepting applications for innovative products that focus on dairy’s qualities related to calming. The program, formerly the National Dairy Council New Product Competition, is open to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to develop products in line with industry and consumer insights to uncover innovative dairy-based products that offer calming benefits.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) urged the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to approve the Livestock Regulatory Protection Act.
  • Standard Nutrition Services (SNS) announced that Christopher Mateo, DVM, MS, Ph.D. has been hired to lead the company’s nutrition consulting business beginning October 1, 2022. Mateo, who has more than 25 years of animal nutrition and ag industry experience, previously worked for Standard Nutrition Canada from 2009 to 2018, first as a Director of Nutrition, then General Manager (Northwest Region) and finally as a Managing Partner.
  • The widespread outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that roiled U.S. poultry production earlier this year and led to skyrocketing prices for eggs and turkey has subsided. Cases of HPAI diminished significantly as temperatures warmed and the migratory season for wild birds ended. However, the risk of another outbreak this fall remains elevated and the stakes for poultry producers couldn’t be higher, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange.
  • Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the planning and management organization that oversees the national dairy checkoff program on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and importers, has posted its 2021 annual report at www.usdairy.com/for-farmers/resources.
  • The Business Intelligence Group named Vytelle a Sustainability Leadership Award winner in the 2022 Sustainability Awards program. The Sustainability Awards honor those people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.
  • The Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) has again certified the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Animal Care Program as an approved animal welfare evaluation. PAACO provides training and certification credentials for animal welfare auditors and audits for all sectors of food animal production.
  • The Beef Alliance is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 Startup Challenge. This is the second year the Beef Alliance has sponsored and promoted a virtual pitch competition for entrepreneurs and innovators with solutions related to the cattle feeding industry.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 9/9

Carrie Muehling

  • America’s farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to be represented in the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county and territory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will mail the 2022 Census of Agriculture to millions of agriculture producers across the 50 states and Puerto Rico this fall.
  • Twelve agricultural organizations sent a letter to President Biden requesting a seat at the table during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Since the White House launched the conference in early May, many in agriculture have participated in the listening session and provided public comments on the five pillars outlined by the Administration. As we look forward to the conference on September 28, our members constitute the literal base of the food supply chain and should be included in any conversation that seeks to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030. Our organizations look forward to participating in the upcoming conference, just as agriculture did in the 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health.
  • The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) announced that Zachary Gihorski was joining the organization as director of government affairs and sustainability.
  • Western Growers is debuting five documentary short videos online that give first-hand accounts of how the unrelenting historic drought is hurting Caifornia farmers. The videos are available in their entirety now on the Western Growers YouTube channel, and will be rolled out on WG and CFWC social platforms over the next month. Click here for a playlist of all the videos; links for individual videos and their embed codes are available below.
  • USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will review all available data, including survey data, satellite-based data, and the latest information from USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency for planted and harvested acreage for chickpeas, corn, cotton, dry edible peas, lentils, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and sugarbeets in preparation for the September Crop Production report. If the data review justifies any changes, NASS will publish updated planted and harvested acreage estimates in the Sept. 12 report.
Zimfo Bytes

ZimmCast 698 – What’s New from Syngenta at #FPS22

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

In this episode I’m going to share interview with Syngenta/Golden Harvest representatives who were on location at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA. Thank you Syngenta for making my attendance possible this year. There is a lot of content in the virtual newsroom on AgNewWire that includes lots of photos and interviews. Just go to AgNewsWire.com to check it out and feel free to download and use.

So, in this program you will hear what’s new from the company from:

Rex Gray, Golden Harvest corn product manager
David Schlake, Golden Harvest agronomy manager – west
Andy Ackley, Ph.D., Golden Harvest corn portfolio manager
Ron Beyer, Golden Harvest agronomist
Logan Romines, Syngenta fungicide product lead

Listen to the ZimmCast here:
ZimmCast 698 - New Products from Syngenta (18:45)

We’re not only looking ahead to events coming up during the rest of 2022 but also into 1st quarter of 2023. There’s a lot on the calendar already. Just let me know if you’d like to discuss coming to your event anytime.

So, that’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

Want to sponsor the ZimmCast? Just let me know and we can talk through ideas for your company. I’m AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Soybean, Syngenta, ZimmCast

An Overview of What Is New at Syngenta Seeds with Eric Boeck

Chuck Zimmerman

Syngenta continues to invest $1.4 billion each year into its corn and soybean research engine to provide farmers with the tools they need to get a harvestable and consistent yield. The company is currently changing the way they sell seed with the GHX, or Golden Harvest Extreme Seeds, platform.

“Instead of having to worry about deadlines for buying seeds, and instead of having to worry about variable costs on a per unit of seed. We’re simply approaching them with best product at the best price on a per acre basis at the best population anytime they want to buy it,” said Eric Boeck, head of North America for Syngenta Seeds.

Syngenta recently launched a mobile app to enhance its GHX platform.

You can listen to our interview or watch it below: Eric Boeck, North America Head, Syngenta Seeds
FPS22 Interview with Eric Boeck, Syngenta Seeds (5:00)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album


Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Video

Precision Ag News 9/7

Carrie Muehling

  • Marking a major advance in improving crop health and nutrition worldwide, the Consortium for Precision Crop Nutrition (CPCN) and Agmatix launched a unique global platform designed to drive international research collaboration and expand open access to crop nutrient data to farmers, their advisers and policy makers. The online platform, powered by the Agmatix Insights solution and spearheaded by CPCN in collaboration with several leading research institutes, enables open access to essential crop nutrient concentrations data.
  • The Ecosystem Service Market Consortium’s (ESMC) recently launched Eco-Harvest market program is the first to reach pilot certification under the Value Change Initiative in the U.S.
  • AgriGold will bring 15 new corn hybrids with 21 new trait additions on new and proven hybrids as well as 35 new soybean varieties to the market in 2023. Its latest soybean lineup features 14 new XtendFlex® products, 13 new Enlist E3® soybeans and a new conventional line of eight agronomically sound and versatile varieties.
  • Case IH announced two new updates to the suite of AFS Connect™ tools available to producers: AFS AccuSync™ machine coordination and productivity-boosting AFS Connect features. With the introduction of AFS AccuSync, producers will be able to share real-time data between machines in the same field for a fully connected operation. New AFS Connect features will enable growers to use their connected fleet more efficiently than ever before, with Insights Dynamic Machine Reporting, Machine Reports & CSV Exporting, CAN Parameter Visibility and Archived Vehicle Benchmarking.
  • The new line of Vermeer mid-sized trailed mowers was designed to consistently deliver a clean cut, acre after acre. Vermeer TM105, TM120 and TM135 trailed mowers can finish fields in short order, with respective cutting widths of 10.7 feet, 12 feet and 13.5 feet. Plus, each mower in the lineup is built to withstand a variety of field conditions, with robust heavy-duty frames and large tires. The mowers’ Q3© cutter bar — a heavy-duty, modular, shaft-driven cutter bar — is backed by 3-year coverage. All of this adds up to maximize user productivity and minimize maintenance.
  • BASF and Corteva Agriscience announced a long-term collaboration to develop new soybean weed control solutions for farmers around the world. The two companies agreed to cross-license soybean traits, while developing complementary herbicide technologies, enabling both companies to offer innovative soybean weed management solutions.
  • John Deere has added three new Deere-powered self-propelled forage harvesters to its lineup – the 9500, 9600 and 9700. Each model addresses the needs of contractors, customer harvesters, and dairy and livestock producers challenged by increased operating costs, shorter harvesting windows and a smaller pool of skilled workers.
  • The AgTech Breakthrough Awards named several products, solutions, and companies within the agricultural technology market, as winners of awards in multiple categories. The award was announced after a rigorous process of review, scoring, and analysis of over 1,600 submissions. Within the Indoor Farming category, awards were given for best providers of lighting systems, automation, and environmental monitoring – with Urban Crop Solutions named the Indoor Farming Company of the Year, in a recognition of their complete and total offering.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Animal Ag News 9/6

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is accepting applications for the annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program. Two $15,000 grants are awarded to graduate students who demonstrate superior achievement in academics and leadership and are committed to the advancement of the beef industry. Graduate students must apply online by Sept. 30, 2022.
  • USPOULTRY’s 2022 Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar, developed by a panel of rendering industry leaders, provides valuable insights into the latest technology, equipment and management techniques in poultry and egg rendering. Sponsored by USPOULTRY and the Poultry Protein & Fat Council, the seminar will be held Oct. 5-6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown in Nashville, Tenn.
  • Zoetis presented the company’s second donation to Folds of Honor recently, bringing the company’s total first half contribution to $292,000 to help support the work of the nonprofit in honoring America’s heroes. Based in Owasso, Oklahoma, Folds of Honor provides academic scholarships to the families of men and women who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the U.S. armed forces.
  • A Kansas State University-led study has found that reintroducing bison — a formerly dominant grazer — doubles plant diversity in a tallgrass prairie. The research involves more than 30 years of data collected at the Konza Prairie Biological Station and was recently published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, or PNAS.
  • Wayne-Sanderson Farms garnered 14 separate safety awards at this year’s National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, proving once again that the company’s Zero Accident Culture approach to employee safety and health reduces lost time accidents and injuries.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced an additional $21.9 million of funding is being awarded to 111 grant projects through the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Program (MPIRG), bringing total funding to $54.6 million.
  • Walmart announced that it signed an agreement to invest in a minority stake in Sustainable Beef LLC, a rancher-owned company based in North Platte, Neb. Walmart’s equity investment is part of a broader strategic partnership to source top-quality sustainable beef from Sustainable Beef LLC’s new beef processing facility.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship competition kicks off on September 12. Participants will have the opportunity to network and learn from a variety of industry professionals and farm influencers. Undergraduates, graduate students, and collegiate clubs and classes are invited to sign up.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

CarbonNOW Program Provides Guaranteed Payments

Cindy Zimmerman

With farmers being hit from all sides by carbon farming ventures, it’s important they ask the right questions and get the right answers.

Travis Kraft, director of row crops for Locus Agricultural Solutions® (Locus AG) and CarbonNOW carbon farming expert, says farmers should know how much they will be paid for their carbon and how long it will take to receive that payment. “With CarbonNOW, farmers don’t have to wait years for payment. They get guaranteed money upfront with no program fees, plus the chance for bonuses.”

Locus AG recently celebrated $1.2 million in carbon payments made upfront on a per-acre basis to over 40 growers through the program. Kraft says the CarbonNOW carbon farming program was developed to overcome the financial hesitations farmers have about participating in carbon markets and it is the first carbon program to offer guaranteed annual minimums with upfront cash payments, accruing performance bonuses and no program fees.

Learn more about Locus AG and CarbonNOW in this interview.
Travis Kraft, Locus AG CarbonNOW (10:07)

AgWired Precision, Audio, carbon, Farming, Precision Agriculture

RFA and Ethanol at the Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol was in the spotlight at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa this week and the Renewable Fuels Association was there to promote the high octane benefits of the fuel and the role of biofuels and farming in combating climate change.

RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper, Director of Government Affairs Jared Mullendore, and Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White were all at the show and talking about some of the latest industry news. Topics include California’s plan to ban gasoline powered vehicles, funding for higher blends infrastructure, year-round E15, the inflation reduction act, and what’s next for the RFS.

As evidenced this week when California literally told residents to avoid charging electric cars because it might strain the power grid, Cooper says that state’s plan to ban the sale of gasoline powered vehicles is unrealistic.
FPS22 Interview with RFA CEO Geoff Cooper (8:46)

Mullendore discussed the status of the Next Generation Fuels Act in Congress as a pathway to year round E15.
FPS22 Interview with Jared Mullendore, RFA (5:35)

White says RFA is excited about the new funding for higher blends infrastructure. “This will allow both E15 and E85 to find new consumers and new markets,” said White. “We’re helping over 20 different companies already with their application and we’re talking hundreds upon hundreds of stations in the works.”
FPS22 Interview with Robert White, RFA (3:08)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Farm Progress Show