RFA Ethanol Podcast

ZimmCast 625 – 2019 NAMA Fall Conference Preview

Chuck Zimmerman

In this week’s program we’ll get a preview of the 2019 National Agri-Marketing Association Fall Conference. Conference committee chair, Brittany Phillips, Brighton Agency, talks us through the program and activities of #NAMAFall19.

Registration is available on the NAMA website with the early registration deadline of September 16. The hotel is the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis. 

2019 NAMA Fall ConferenceThe program starts on Monday with a tour organized by the Gateway NAMA Chapter, which I am a past-president of. I’m sure they’ll do an awesome job. After a welcome reception that night the sessions get underway on Tuesday and the program ends mid day Wednesday.

I hope to see you there. Thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 625 - #NAMAFall19

Subscribe to the ZimmCast by clicking here.

Audio, Marketing, NAMA, ZimmCast

Channel Brand Seedsmen Lend Vital Support

Carrie Muehling

As farmers anticipate harvest and begin to plan for next year, a trusted support system could be vital to future success.

“The difficult part about planning for 2020 is going to be understanding what is usable information in 2019 and what is not,” said Brock Helgerson, Channel Brand Marketing Lead. “I think having a trusted partner like a Channel Seedsman going into 2020 planting is going to be a key element of that, because you’re going to need somebody that saw a lot of crops, is very familiar with our products, how they should be placed. Going into 2020 it’s going to be key to have a partner like that.”

Helgerson spoke to visitors to the Bayer exhibit at the 2019 Farm Progress Show, where he shared a message about the support available from a Channel Seedsman throughout the entire growing season from product purchase to delivery to scouting to developing a harvest plan.

He said Channel continues to move new products through the research and development process, like the recently introduced Channel Protexus corn products, offering high tolerance to four diseases that are prevalent across the Corn Belt every year.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Brock here: Interview with Brock Helgerson, Bayer

Bayer at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Farm Progress Show

Precision Ag Bytes 9/11

Carrie Muehling

  • Fieldin, which has developed an all-in-one farm management platform that helps specialty crop growers optimize all of their field operations, has secured $12 million in financing to fuel company growth and expand its precision agriculture technology.
  • The new Vermeer 604 R-series balers feature a range of components, features and options. Three 6 ft x 4 ft (1.8 m x 1.2 m) models — Classic, Signature and Premium — offer unique combinations that provide the right levels of sophistication, performance, speed and versatility to meet the needs of just about every hay producer.
  • The Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business will host the National Conference for Food and Agribusiness on November 6-7, 2019 on the university’s West Lafayette, IN campus. Register here.
  • Celebrating 45 years of New Holland-pioneered Twin Rotor® technology, 2020 will mark an exciting year for the agriculture equipment leader in combines. The CR Series 2020 models will feature a significant power upgrade, the revolutionary proactive IntelliSense™ system, and significant cab and capacity improvements.
  • Delair and Geosys announced a partnership aimed at expanding the options for gathering and analyzing data for enhanced crop inputs placement, seed production and crop monitoring practices. This partnership will deliver a single analytics platform with seamless integration of high-value drone and satellite data to better meet the needs of today’s precision agriculture users.
  • Working toward earning his Precision Agriculture Technology certificate from the University of Missouri, Bo Young understands the importance of implementing precision practices on the farm. Young, who is also a climate activation specialist with The Climate Corporation, works with farmers and producers, helping them incorporate Climate FieldView technology in their operations. Young and The Climate Corporation are now partnering with MU Extension and the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources to bring important technology and datasets to the CAFNR Agricultural Research Centers.
  • Blue-and-gold bags of Mycogen® brand seed are back for the 2019-20 season. Mycogen Seeds is continuing its Turn the Bag Blue & Gold program with the National FFA Organization for the third straight year. The program has raised more than $56,000 for a total of 12 FFA chapters across the Corn Belt throughout the past two years. Participating FFA members learn foundational agronomic principles and professional sales training while raising funds for their local FFA chapters, state FFA associations and National FFA Organization.
  • Case IH is releasing two new boom styles and a new tank option available on the Patriot® 4440 sprayer. By increasing the size of the tank and the length of the booms, and reducing the overall weight of the sprayer, operators can make the most of application windows.
  • The plant and soil experts at Brookside Agra have developed a unique Digester Program that utilizes its natural products H2OExcel™ and Advanced Bio Pro™ to return 20-30% of valuable biomass nutrients back into the soil, therefore reducing the amount of nutrients growers would need to apply in the spring.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Syngenta Excited About EU Approval of Agrisure Duracade®

Cindy Zimmerman

At the end of July, Syngenta received highly-anticipated import approval for the Agrisure Duracade® trait (event 5307) from the European Commission. The approval covers corn grain and its derived products for food and feed use within the countries of the European Union (EU).

At the 2019 Farm Progress Show, Syngenta Seeds Head of Marketing Eric Boeck said farmers are excited because the Agrisure Duracade trait gives a new rotational option for CRW management for a healthier corn crop and higher yield potential.

Learn more in this interview:
Interview with Eric Boeck, Syngenta Seeds


Syngenta at the 2019 Farm Progress Show photo album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Syngenta, Video

GROWMARK FS Focused on Farmer Profitability

Carrie Muehling

While many Midwestern farmers are focused on getting the current crop to maturity, they are also planning for a late harvest and making decisions for next year’s growing season.

“Looking to the future, we’re trying to figure out different ways where we can help them be more efficient and more profitable,” said David Powell, Sr. Agronomy Services Manager with GROWMARK FS. “With commodity prices the way they are, profitability is key. So we’re looking at aerial imagery, things that allow them to spot issues in the field before maybe your naked eye can, so that we can go out there and focus our crop scouting and put the right input on the right acre.”

Powell said fungicides offered great benefit in some areas this year, especially when late rains came. He said a lesson for many farmers in 2019 was the importance of applying pre-emergence herbicides to ensure fields start clean and stay clean. Powell said the FS System is committed to training farmers and applicators when it comes to products like dicamba as it is vital to keep these types of technologies available.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with David here: Interview with David Powell, GROWMARK

GROWMARK FS at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Progress Show, GROWMARK

FMC PrecisionPac Innovation Simplifies Custom Blends

Cindy Zimmerman

The right custom blend herbicide in just the right amount is what FMC’s PrecisionPac® application innovation offers for retail agronomists to create prescriptive blends specific to each grower, crop and field.

The revolutionary PrecisionPac® application innovation dispenses up to 50 custom blends of six granular herbicides to prescriptively target your fields’ weed challenges. The PrecisionPac machine premeasures and mixes your custom blends so you don’t have to, and it fits your field or sprayer-tank size. You buy only what you need in a convenient, disposable bag so there’s nothing left over when the job is done.

FMC PrecisionPac Product Manager Chris Barge talked about the development of the technology during an interview at the 2019 Farm Progress Show.
Interview with Chris Barge, FMC PrecisionPac


AgWired Precision, Audio, Crop Protection, Farm Progress Show, FMC, Herbicide, Technology, Video

Ethanol Report DC Update

Cindy Zimmerman

When will that “giant package” of help for corn farmers and biofuel producers impacted by small refinery exemptions be announced by President Trump?

The industry is still waiting on that word. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper was in Washington DC last week and in this edition of The Ethanol Report he gives an update on what the industry wants from the administration, Brazil’s recent modest tariff rate quota increase, and educating Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulators.

Ethanol Report DC Update

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Fungicides Offer More Than Disease Protection

Carrie Muehling

Late planting across the Midwest in 2019 exposed farmers to a different set of problems than they might have faced otherwise, especially when it comes to disease pressure.

“Late planted corn responds more to a fungicide than early planted corn does,” said Randy Myers, Fungicide Product Development Manager with Bayer. “There are a whole bunch of reasons for that. The plant itself is more vulnerable and also, the soils are usually warmer with that later planting, so with the warmer soils the pathogens are also more active. So there’s more inoculum.”

But as farmers worked to control disease, they may have increased productivity in those fields.

“One of the neat things about fungicides is, if you’ve got the right chemistries, they also trigger physiological reactions in the plant to make them more reactive and less vulnerable to stress,” said Myers.

He said the Climate FieldView platform is helping farmers to pull together the needed information to improve decision making when it comes to using fungicides and other choices. Myers was at the 2019 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Randy here: Interview with Randy Myers, Bayer

Bayer at 2019 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Farm Progress Show, Fungicide

Syngenta Introduces Saltro for SDS

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta has received EPA registration for its newest seed treatment, Saltro® fungicide.

Formulated to deliver superior protection against Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and nematodes without causing plant stress, Saltro will be available for the 2020 growing season. Saltro contains Adepidyn® fungicide, an extremely powerful SDHI mode of action, which outperforms older chemistries and provides higher potential yield.

“For the first time ever, growers will have a seed treatment option for protecting their soybeans against SDS and nematodes that doesn’t cause additional stress on the plant and enables soybeans to reach their full genetic potential,” said Dale Ireland, Ph.D., technical product lead for Syngenta Seedcare. “With Saltro, we’ve seen a statistically significant yield increase of 3 bu/A over the current standard in heavy SDS environments1. It’s definitely an upgrade for SDS protection.”

Saltro also delivers robust activity across a broad spectrum of nematode species, including Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) – the No. 1 yield-robbing pest in soybeans and a major contributor to SDS infection.

“SDS and SCN are large concerns for soybean growers,” said Ireland. “Severe SDS infection can cause up to 50% yield loss2, and SCN has cost about $1.5 billion in U.S. yield loss3. Since Saltro provides protection against both, it will complement SDS- and SCN-resistant varieties to help soybeans maximize their yield potential.”

Beyond the SDS and nematode protection Saltro provides, growers can also look forward to their soybeans having better stands, healthier leaves and more robust early-season root mass development.

Learn more at SyngentaUS.com/Saltro.

AgWired Precision, Fungicide, Soybean, Syngenta

Animal Ag Bites 9/9

Carrie Muehling

  • With the help of the egg industry, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, and academia, USPOULTRY is introducing a new shell egg washing training module. The Egg Washing Principles module discusses why eggs are washed, what the operational requirements are for effective washing and pathogen control, and what the best practices are to monitor compliance of your food safety plan.
  • The International Production & Processing Expo is launching the eighth annual Young Leaders “30 under 30” program targeting young professionals who normally would not have the opportunity to attend IPPE. The goal of the program is to engage and invest in the next generation of young professionals, between the ages of 21 and 29, who work for companies directly involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or in the production of animal food.
  • Arrowquip’s Research and Development Team has found the key to enhancing cattle flow within a working system – light. By incorporating the patented 3E: Easy Entry & Exit System into the BudFlow® Cattle Tubs and Easy Flow® Alleys, ranchers are equipped with features that allow them to use cattle behavior and light to their advantage. More importantly, with these new 3E features, the need for cattle hot-shot prods and paddles are reduced, keeping cattle stress levels and bruising to a minimum.
  • The poultry industry is pleased the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration has agreed to an alliance to share information, guidance and access to training resources that will help further improve the significant gains made in poultry worker safety over the past 25 years.
  • Vets Plus Inc. announces that Durvet, Inc. (Blue Springs, MO) will distribute its Merrick’s Blue Ribbon line of nutritional supplements and electrolytes.
  • Alltech and Archbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch recently formed a strategic research alliance to jointly develop beef management approaches, specifically to increase the quality and quantity of beef produced in subtropical regions while maintaining and enhancing the environment. The Archbold–Alltech Alliance brings together scientists from two different disciplines — ecologists from Archbold and ruminant nutritionists from Alltech — to understand the impact that cattle production has on an ecosystem.
  • College students are gearing up for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual College Aggies Online Scholarship Competition which kicks off September 16. This year’s students and collegiate clubs are competing for more than $21,000 in scholarships and a chance to win a trip to the Alliance’s 2020 Stakeholders Summit. For more information or to sign up, visit https://collegeaggies.animalagalliance.org.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites