ASTA Highlights Role of Plant Breeding Innovation at Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) highlighted the role of plant breeding innovation in solving global challenges during a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing on biotechnology Tuesday.

ASTA Vice President of Scientific Affairs and Policy Fan-Li Chou testified at a joint hearing of the House Agriculture Subcommittees on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture and Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research about the unprecedented challenges facing today’s agriculture and food system and how evolving plant breeding innovations like gene editing offer solutions to many global issues. Her testimony highlighted examples of cutting-edge research across a wide array of crops in public and private sector breeding programs across the country creating new and innovative varieties can allow farmers to grow more, using less, while fighting food waste, sequestering carbon, boosting nutritional benefits, and much more.

“One of the exciting things about gene-editing tools is the potential for widespread access across breeding programs of all sizes, including the public and private sectors, across all crops, and across farming operations of all sizes, production methods, and geographies,” said Chou. “Federal and global policies will play a huge role in access to these products. It is important that policies be clear, and risk- and science based; it’s also important that there is harmonization across global policies — otherwise, innovation will be limited to very few crop varieties, and the benefits will never be fully realized across the agriculture sector. Appropriate policies can incentivize investments in plant breeding innovation, such as gene editing, creating new jobs and market opportunities, and boosting sustainability throughout the agriculture and food value chain.“

Listen to Chou’s opening remarks here:
House Ag biotech hearing - Fan-Li Chou, ASTA (4:36)

ASTA, Audio, Seed

Registration Open for VISION Conference 2022

Cindy Zimmerman

Registration is now open for the 2022 VISION Conference, January 18 -19, at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Arizona.

The 2022 VISION Conference, now in its 5th year, engages leaders throughout the agricultural technology ecosystem to address the dynamic recent advances in technology, systems, and platforms enabling interconnected solutions from farm to retail. The world of data and technology continues to advance rapidly since VISION last convened in 2020. The 2022 VISION Conference has a broader scope and wider perspective mapping the exciting new future for agriculture.

The 2022 VISION Conference features one main track of programming focused on the top priorities for agriculture and technology: regenerative agriculture, automation, connectivity, and transparency. Attendees will engage with a mix of expert presentations, panel discussions, active Q&A and debate, small group roundtables, and high-value networking.

“The 2022 VISION Conference continues a strong legacy as the event that is leading agriculture forward by capitalizing on the power of new technologies that are grounded in the realities of agriculture. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged,” says Katie Smith, VISION Conference Show Director.

Register for The 2022 VISION Conference at TheVisionConference.com/Register.

AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Skyward Apps Expands Training on Software Security Risks

Cindy Zimmerman

With ransomware attacks on the agriculture and food supply chain on the rise, Skyward Apps, a top-tier agriculture technology firm, has put its software engineers through training on the Top 10 software security vulnerabilities, as defined by the global Open Web Application Security Project.

“We have always had multiple sets of eyes review every piece of software we develop, but the protection of our clients’ interests—as well as our own—is paramount,” said Skyward CEO Kat Crawford. “Agriculture is now a high-tech business, which brings with it both benefits and risks.”

Agriculture is regarded as highly vulnerable to cyber threats due to the complexity of integrating data from farm equipment, sensors, GPS and automation systems, including legacy systems without updated security controls. Another issue is the overall lack of security awareness throughout the sector.

“The theme of Cybersecurity Awareness Month is ‘Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart’, which is what we strive to do year-round,” said Skyward CTO Nick Elliott. “We systematically check for errors and vulnerabilities as part of our code reviews, automated and manual testing processes.”

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Security Agency (NSA) just published a cybersecurity advisory last week regarding BlackMatter ransomware cyber intrusions targeting multiple U.S. critical infrastructure entities, including two U.S. food and agriculture sector organizations.

Skyward Apps creates custom software that helps large organizations accelerate their digital advantage. Established in 2011, the company works across industry sectors, with a core practice in agriculture technology.

AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Animal Ag News 10/25

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it is mobilizing a stronger, and more comprehensive effort to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products. The agency is initiating several key activities to gather the data and information necessary to support future action and move closer to the national target of a 25% reduction in Salmonella illnesses.
  • Beef is now the official protein of the 2021 ESPN Events Tailgate Tour. The event is stopping at more than 20 college football games during the 2021 season and is an opportunity to serve up some tasty beef to the crowds and to share beef’s great story with a broad and slightly younger consumer audience.
  • Wayne Farms LLC, a subsidiary of Continental Grain Company, announced that on October 17, 2021, it completed the sale of its Fresh Processing Complex in Laurel, Mississippi, to Amick Farms. The complex includes live production, hatchery, feed mill, manufacturing and production facilities. The divestiture is a key milestone towards completing the previously announced transaction which will combine Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms, Inc. under the joint ownership and control of Cargill and Continental Grain.
  • Certified Angus Beef is accepting applications for three communications internship positions for Summer 2022. Junior or senior college students are encouraged to apply by November 19, 2021. Summer interns will be expected to work from the brand’s office in Wooster, Ohio, 40 hours per week for 10 to 12-weeks between mid-May to mid-August, depending on the student’s availability. Applications require a cover letter, resume and online portfolio of work samples in communications.
  • 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, recently posted its 2020 annual report.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association welcomed the introduction of the Cattle Contract Library Act, led by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX). The bipartisan bill would establish a cattle contract library within USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS), equipping cattle producers with the market data they need to make informed business decisions and exert greater leverage in negotiations with major meatpackers.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 10/22

Carrie Muehling

  • The American Farm Bureau Federation announced the opening of general registration for the 2022 American Farm Bureau Convention. The convention will be held in-person Jan. 7-12, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia, with a virtual option for portions of the event available to those not attending in-person.
  • The Farm Credit Administration board announced the selection of Ashley Waldron as secretary to the board. Dale Aultman, who has served as secretary to the board since November 2010, is retiring at the end of this month.
  • After a 16-month wait, the 2022 World Ag Expo® season was kicked off by Show Chairman Steve Wilbur on Saturday, September 25. The “Kickoff Dinner” was attended by volunteers, staff, and invited guests at the Social Hall on the International Agri-Center® grounds.
  • GROWMARK and its FS System of companies announced the results of its Check-In to Cash-In program during the Farm Progress Show in late August.
  • To help the industry understand the demand for domestically produced potatoes and better understand the sales in the domestic market, Potatoes USA conducts an annual sales and utilization study. This study utilizes retail data from IRI, estimated foodservice sales from Technomics, and import and export data to provide additional clarity of domestically produced potatoes. The results showed an overall decline of U.S. potato use for the July 2020 – June 2021 marketing year.
  • The National Corn Growers Association is now accepting applications for the 2022 Scholarship Programs.
  • Bill Conrad of Malone, Florida, was named the overall winner of the 2021 Southeastern Hay Contest as part of the 2021 Sunbelt Ag Expo. Conrad wins a choice of a Massey Ferguson DM Series disc mower or RK Series rotary rake for the 2022 hay production season, plus $1,000 cash.
  • Agricultural consultants: Make your continuing education more efficient by attending the American Society of Agricultural Consultants Annual Conference, Nov. 7-10, at the Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Downtown, Nashville, Tenn., and then take ASAC 410 – Agricultural Consulting Practice Management – on Nov. 10.
Zimfo Bytes

Short-Stature Corn Next Big Thing from Bayer

Cindy Zimmerman

“Short-stature corn is the next big thing in agriculture,” said Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and President of the Crop Science Division, during an investor call this week on the company’s latest progress in delivering customer-focused, sustainable agricultural innovation.

Condon says short-stature corn has several benefits for growers. “First, it has thus far shown unparalleled production stability in high winds, as evidenced by our still-standing plots of short-stature corn in Iowa following last summer’s devastating windstorm, and again at our Field of Dreams plots this summer. Second, it allows for extended in-season crop access due to its shorter height, which enables tailored solutions for precise, late-season applications of fertilisers or crop protection. Finally, we see a more sustainable future with this technology.”

Bob Reiter, Bayer Head of R&D for Crop Science Division, says they are anticipating full launch of short-stature corn in 2024. “That’s of course our first generation of the technology, so that is based on our approach that we use with traditional breeding,” said Reiter. “The biotech version will be launching later in the decade, … and really will be the one that unlocks, I would say, the biggest part of the value proposition.”

Condon: Short-stature corn development (1:35)

Reiter: Short-stature corn release timeline (1:39)

Audio, Bayer, Corn

Cattle Contract Library Act Introduced in House

Cindy Zimmerman

Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) this week introduced the bipartisan Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021 to create a library for cattle contracts within the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service Department equipping cattle producers with market data to make informed decisions in negotiations with meatpackers.

Currently, USDA maintains a pork contract library, and following significant volatility in the cattle market and the release of the July 2020 Boxed Beef & Fed Cattle Price Spread Investigation Report, the creation of a library was recommended by experts and stakeholders. In response to this investigation, Johnson introduced sweeping cattle reform legislation to provide more transparency in the market, including the creation of a contract library.

The cattle contract library is widely supported by industry groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and the introduction of this legislation comes after more than a year of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) pushing for the creation of the library.

“After more than a year of upheaval, facing everything from extreme drought to supply chain disruptions, many cattle producers have been backed against a wall. We need to act urgently to provide them with relief,” said NCBA President Jerry Bohn. “There is no single, silver bullet solution to the wide variety of needs among our diverse membership, but lawmakers can start by focusing on viable solutions that have broad-base support across the industry. The cattle contract library is one such solution, and it will help our producers command more leverage in negotiations with the packers. We appreciate the work of Congressman Johnson and Congressman Cuellar to move the ball forward on this urgent issue.”

Earlier this month, NCBA Vice President and South Dakota rancher Todd Wilkinson testified before the House Agriculture Committee and underscored the need for greater transparency in cattle markets. One of the solutions he advocated for was the creation of the cattle contract library, as well as full reauthorization of Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR).

House ag hearing - NCBA VP Todd Wilkinson (4:58)

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Livestock, Marketing, Markets, NCBA

Bayer Says LA Glyphosate Plant Back in Production

Cindy Zimmerman

The Bayer glyphosate plant in Luling, Louisiana is back on line after being down for five weeks following Hurricane Ida. Bayer Crop Science Division President Liam Condon provided an update during an investor call this week.

“It was actually in the eye of the storm of Hurricane Ida and it is standard practice that when you have a hurricane of that kind of magnitude we had to shut down the facility,” said Condon. “The reason we were offline was less because the plant was heavily impacted but that the surrounding infrastructure was partially destroyed with no access to energy or water.”

The Louisiana plant provides all of the active ingredient for Bayer Roundup products in the U.S. and demand for glyphosate remains high, but Condon says they expect to recover production quickly. “We have lost five weeks of production and this will involve some idle cost and some impact on sales but nothing to any degree that would impact our full year guidance,” he said.

Liam Condon Update on Bayer Louisiana plant (1:39)

Audio, Bayer, Crop Protection

Precision Ag News 10/20

Carrie Muehling

  • More than 80 agricultural groups filed formal objections to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Aug. 30 rule to revoke all tolerances of chlorpyrifos. Stakeholders, by law, can object to pesticide tolerance changes or cancellations, and the EPA Administrator must then respond.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge, the second of a two-part, joint USDA-EPA Partnership and Competition on Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs) to Advance Agricultural Sustainability in the United States. The goal of the competition is to improve the efficiency of fertilizers to increase crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment. More information can be found at: www.epa.gov/innovation/next-gen-fertilizer-challenges.
  • CARBON CYCLE™, a new biological designed to break down tough crop residue, speed up planting and make the most of fertilizer, was announced by Frenchman Valley Coop. A unique collection of bacteria and amino acids, CARBON CYCLE stimulates biological activity that speeds residue decay and releases nutrients faster.
  • Overall unit sales of both ag tractors and combines continue their growth above an already-hot pace set in 2020 according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S. total farm tractor sales climbed 2.5 percent in September compared to 2020, while U.S. self- propelled combine sales jumped 34.6 percent, the third month in a row of growth near or above 20 percent for harvesters.
  • The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has won a $1.5 million competitive Build to Scale grant from the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support the Center for AgTech and Applied Location Science and Technology (CATALST). The project aims to capitalize on the demand for new precision agriculture technologies by tapping into the St. Louis region’s expertise in agtech and location science to fuel innovation and entrepreneurship and to advance commercialization. The Danforth Center is partnering with BioSTL and T-REX to implement the CATALST strategic initiatives.
  • Registration is open for the 33rd Independent Professional Seed Association Annual Conference in Indianapolis, IN, January 24-27, 2022. The IPSA Annual Conference will be held in conjunction with the Corn Belt Seed Conference.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Animal Ag News 10/18

Carrie Muehling

  • C.W. (Bill) McMillan, a long-time lobbyist and consultant for the U.S. beef cattle industry and briefly an Agriculture Department assistant secretary, died Wednesday of heart failure. He was 95.
  • For more than three decades cattle producers have simplified their recordkeeping with a handy pocket-sized booklet from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The 2022 version of the Redbook is now available to help cattle producers effectively and efficiently record their daily production efforts, which can help enhance profitability and reduce stress levels.
  • The dairy checkoff is launching a new wave of the Undeniably Dairy campaign to create deeper connections between Gen Z and dairy and give them new reasons to choose it over other products. “Reset Yourself with Dairy” is a youth-centric evolution of the checkoff’s consumer campaign and will use a variety of media channels and marketing strategies, including gaming, social media influencers and digital content, to engage with Gen Z to grow sales and trust of dairy.
  • The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will welcome five 2021 inductees and two award winners at the 45th Annual Induction Luncheon and Ceremony.
  • USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation have approved $356,000 for five new research grants at five institutions through the comprehensive research program.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites