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

Field Data Supports NK Seeds 2023 Field Forged Series

Cindy Zimmerman

NK Seeds was highlighting new field data at the Farm Progress Show this week showing the superior performance of their 2023 Field Forged Series™ lineup of corn hybrids and soybean varieties.

According to the data, 51 NK® Field Forged Series corn hybrids landed in the top 10 in 2021 Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) tests.

“These multi-year results show what happens when high standards meet proven results,” says Joe Bollman, NK Corn Products Manager. “Farmers who choose to plant Field Forged Series hybrids in 2023 can expect to see strong yield potential in their area of adaptation, as well as strong roots and stalks, consistency and excellent disease tolerance.”

On the soybean side, 38 NK Field Forged Series soybean varieties landed in the top 10 in 2021 FIRST tests — and 13 of those placed within the top three.

“For the 2023 growing season, we’re turning things up a notch, with yield and agronomic strength in every seed,” says Eric Miller, NK Soybean Product Marketing Manager. “Each product in our latest lineup was hand-selected in response to grower demand for innovative agronomic traits, proven yield and herbicide trait flexibility. It’s proving to be a powerful combination that’s really driving farmers’ profit potential.”

Listen to Bollman and Miller discuss the benefits of the NK® Field Forged Series in this interview from Farm Progress Show.
FPS22 Interview with Joe Bollman and Eric Miller, NK Seeds (4:24)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Soybean, Syngenta

Industry Ag News 9/2

Cindy Zimmerman

  • Pro Farmer, a division of Farm Journal, recently shared its estimates for the 2022 U.S. corn and soybean crops after analyzing information from the 30th annual Pro Farmer Crop Tour and other sources. Pro Farmer estimates the 2022 corn crop at 13.759 billion bushels based on an average yield of 168.1 bushels per acre, down sharply compared to USDA’s August estimate of 175.4
    bushels per acre; the soybean crop at 4.535 billion bushels with a national average yield of 51.7 bushels per acre, down from the 51.9 bushels per acre USDA estimate.
  • The Best of NAMA Call for Entries is live on the web. NAMA members can enter their best work by October 21, 2022. The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. The national awards ceremony will take place April 26, 2023, at the Marriott Grand in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • The Governing Board of Clean Fuels Alliance America has appointed Danielle Brannan of San Diego-based New Leaf Biofuel, to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Eric Kayser, who left his employment with Imperial Western Products earlier this summer.
  • Dr. Mahalingam Govindaraj, Senior Scientist for Crop Development at HarvestPlus and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, has been named the 2022 recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by The Rockefeller Foundation.
  • After an extensive search process, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is thrilled to welcome Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin as the executive director.
  • U.S. Wheat Associates has hired Ralph Loos as Director of Communications. He comes to the organization with nearly 14 years of experience in agriculture communications, serving both the grain and livestock industries. He replaces Amanda Spoo who left USW for another position in July.
  • The dates are set for the 2023 Commodity Classic. Mark your calendar for March 9-11, 2023 and plan to be in warm and sunny Orlando for America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience.
  • GROWMARK, Inc. is pleased to announce Steve Hopkins to the newly created position of Advisory Director on the GROWMARK Board of Directors. Hopkins is from Louisa, Virginia, and is a board member of EverGRO Cooperative. He is also an active member of the Virginia Farm Bureau.
  • Farmer-leaders from the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) are heading to Uzbekistan to see the potential in this emerging market. In August, the Council helped make history when the first shipment of U.S. soymeal arrived in the country.
Zimfo Bytes

Golden Harvest Offers 12 New Corn Hybrids

Cindy Zimmerman

Golden Harvest has added 12 new hybrids to its corn portfolio for the 2023 season, which gave them a lot to talk about at the Farm Progress Show this week. The new products include 10 corn hybrids and two conventional corn hybrids which feature improved agronomics and increased yield potential.

“With investments in research and development, trait introgression, and trialing, we are seeing great improvements in our newly advanced hybrids,” said Rex Gray, Golden Harvest corn product manager ― West. “Because of their improved agronomics, standability, disease tolerance, test weight and yield potential, our newest products truly are a step-up when compared to our key competitors.”

Listen to an interview with Gray here:
FPS22 Interview with Rex Gray, Golden Harvest (3:21)

“Our game-changing corn hybrids deliver best-in-class performance across the industry,” said Andy Ackley, Golden Harvest corn portfolio manager ― East. “We put agronomics first and focus on placing the right management structure on the right acre to bring farmers broad adaptability, high yield potential, solid agronomics and great late-season health. Golden Harvest corn hybrids are the cornerstone on which to build a whole farm corn solution package farmers can count on.”

Listen to an interview with Ackley here:
FPS22 Interview with Andy Ackley, Golden Harvest (3:41)

Get more details on the new hybrids from Golden Harvest.

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Syngenta

Syngenta Hosts Legislative Outlook Panel at #FPS22

Cindy Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse editor Sara Wyant moderated a legislative outlook panel of Midwest lawmakers in the Syngenta tent at Farm Progress Show Wednesday.

Joining Wyant were (L-R) Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA); Vicky Hartzler (R-MO); GT Thompson (R-PA); Randy Feenstra (R-IA); and Ashley Hinson (R-IA). The discussion included what might happen if Republicans regain the House, farm bill planning, the “Inflation Reduction Act,” and biofuels.

There were some technical issues with the audio so this is an edited version that cleans it up some.
FPS22 Syngenta legislative panel (54:24)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Agri-Pulse, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta

Precision Ag News 8/31

Carrie Muehling

  • Western Growers and S2G Ventures are now accepting applications for the 2022 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where startup companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. Impact-driven entrepreneurs and startups developing technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system can apply for the AgSharks Competition at 2022agsharksevent.splashthat.com. Applications close on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.
  • NK Seeds unveiled new field data highlighting the superior performance of their 2023 Field Forged Series lineup of corn hybrids and soybean varieties, which combines the strongest performers, old and new alike. NK Seeds will share 2022 corn and soybean yield results later this year on their website, social channels and blog, The Amplifier.
  • GHX by Golden Harvest announced the launch of GHXTM Mobile, an online and app experience that puts the future of seed sales in the farmer’s hands. GHX Mobile is currently available for farmers using iOS (Apple) devices and is being piloted in Iowa and Illinois.
  • Heliae® Agriculture announced PhycoTerra ST has been selected as the winner of the “AgTech Innovation of the Year” award in the 2022 AgTech Breakthrough Awards conducted by AgTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization recognizing the top companies, technologies, and products in the global agricultural and food technology markets.
  • PatternAg, Inc., announced a $35 million funding round led by Conti Ventures, joined by Bidra Innovations. Pattern provides predictive soil analytics that track pest, pathogen, biofertility, and nutrient levels for corn and soybean growers across the Midwest.
  • Case IH and Raven Industries introduce the agriculture industry’s first autonomous spreader: the Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy. Unveiled at Farm Progress Show 2022, this innovative solution delivers on customers’ demands for autonomous equipment to help solve labor challenges and increase productivity on their operations.
  • A successful hay season starts with industry-leading equipment. While Case IH RB5 series round balers, DC3 series disc mower conditioners and the small square baler family have long-delivered the reliability and efficiency producers can count on, new models and upgrades to each lineup — as well as the addition of an all-new, high-efficiency Professional (Pro) series of round balers — further improve that reliability.
  • Solinftec has announced that it is expanding its Solix Ag Robotics offerings. In addition to its Solix Scouting robot, the company has unveiled its Solix Sprayer robot designed to detect and spray weeds. In partnership with the award-winning manufacturing, research, and development company, McKinney Corporation, who will produce and manufacture the Solix spray robot, this new cutting-edge technology is slated to become commercially available in 2023 to the entire agricultural market including farmers, cooperatives, and ag-retailers.
  • Growcentia, a Colorado-based biological agtech company producing microbial and natural soil and plant health solutions, announced that its co-founder and department head of the Ecosystem Science and Sustainability department at Colorado State University, Dr. Richard Conant, was elected as chairman of the board of directors at the company’s second quarter board meeting.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

GHX by Golden Harvest Launches GHX Mobile

Cindy Zimmerman

At the Farm Progress show this week, GHX by Golden Harvest® highlighted the launch of GHX™ Mobile, an online and app experience that puts the future of seed sales in the farmer’s hands. GHX Mobile contains farm management tools farmers need, such as field scouting recommendations, yield tracking and predictions, weather and markets, all in one user-friendly place.

“GHX Mobile is built to support an end-to-end approach to farming that focuses on minimizing risk and maximizing potential revenue opportunities for farmers,” says Justin Welch, head of digital ag for Syngenta Seeds, U.S. “The digital experience meets farmers’ daily needs, from crop-specific weather and markets to in-season replants and pest issues.”

GHX by Golden Harvest is changing the purchase and service experience for seed with MaxScript™, per acre pricing, ServiceSquad! and risk assurance benefits through the AgriClime™ weather protection offer.

“MaxScript allows growers to push plant populations to the max because there is no additional cost for the additional seed,” says Brandon Leander, Syngenta Seeds North America business head of sales enablement software. “Recommendations are based on data-driven analytics and grower inputs, allowing farmers to select the best products at the right population in the right field.”

Welch and Leander explain more about GHX Mobile in this interview form Farm Progress Show.
FPS22 Interview with Justin Welch and Brandon Leander, Syngenta Seeds (4:14)

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, Seed, Syngenta

Sec. Vilsack Visits Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the Farm Progress Show in Iowa Tuesday, the first time he has visited the show since 2012.

Vilsack used the occasion to talk about some recent accomplishments, including expanding rural broadband, conservation and biofuel provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, new opportunities to improve nutrient management, an organic transition initiative, and funding for higher biofuel blend infrastructure.

In addition, Vilsack announced three grant recipients under the Climate Smart Commodities Program announced earlier this year. “I honestly thought we’d get 50 applications, maybe 100,” said Vilsack. “We ended up getting 1050 applications. The requests of those applications was over 20 billion dollars.”

He says the rest of the grants will be awarded the week of September 13.

Listen to Vilsack’s remarks with questions from Max Armstrong and Jacqui Fatka with Farm Progress.
FPS22 Sec. Tom Vilsack (29:31)

Audio, Farm Progress Show, USDA

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 22

Chuck Zimmerman

The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

The experts we’ve heard from on our previous episodes have covered topics ranging from how different crops use nitrogen to the 4R’s of Nutrient Stewardship and how growers and retailers work together to choose the best input for an operation. If you haven’t checked out the previous episodes, you can find them on your favorite podcast platform.

Plant Smarter with a Dual-Purpose Seed Enhancer

In this episode, we’ll sit down with two members of the KAS team to discuss the importance of using a nutritional seed enhancer to give young crops the nutrients needed for optimal crop establishment. Eric Vogel, PROTIVATE™ product marketing manager, and Tim Laatsch, director of agronomy for North America, share their knowledge on the PROTIVATE nutritional seed enhancer. A dual-purpose solution for growers, PROTIVATE provides critical early season nutrition and offers the advantage of a talc replacement – encouraging better seed singulation and helping to avoid costly skips and doubles during planting.

You can listen to the program here: Plant Smarter with a Dual-Purpose Seed Enhancer (9:32)

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app

Agribusiness, Audio, Koch Agronomic Services, Seed, Soil

Syngenta Group Reports Strong Second Quarter Growth

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Group reports strong financial results for the second quarter and first half of 2022, with the quarter up by 24 percent to $9.2 billion, increasing $1.8 billion compared to year ago.

All business units achieved double-digit sales growth in the quarter and the first half of 2022, benefiting from strong demand for the Group’s products and services that help farmers successfully grow crops to address global food security and mitigate the effects of climate change by providing healthy, nutritious, and affordable food. Syngenta Group continued to promote the transition to a regenerative food production system, playing its part by accelerating innovation to nurture and restore soil health, biodiversity, climate and water systems, while enhancing productivity and farmer economics. Further, Syngenta Group is working with other companies in the agriculture value chain, including food companies and retailers, to progress regenerative agriculture.

Syngenta Crop Protection sales grew 25 percent to $8.6 billion in the first half of 2022, with North America sales up 16 percent. ADAMA sales grew 24 percent to $3.6 billion in the first half of 2022, benefiting from the launch of new products, with North America growing by 26 percent.

Syngenta Seeds sales grew 17 percent to $2.3 billion in the first half of 2022, North America up 18 percent. Higher demand for corn drove field crop sales in Latin America, with 61 percent growth.

Syngenta Seeds launched GHX, a new farmer-focused business model in the U.S., which provides farmers a new way to buy seed that makes the experience easier with one flat per-acre price to simplify the buying process, helping to increase the reach to farmers and enable growth. They also launched the Golden Harvest brand in Brazil in Q2 with the initial product line focusing on soybeans.

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Crop Protection, Seed, Soybean, Syngenta