BioLumic Launches 1st Commercial Light-Activated Seed Traits

Cindy Zimmerman

BioLumic, the world’s only company programming seed traits with light, has launched its first commercial Trait Activation System at Gro Alliance’s seed production facility in Cuba City, Wisconsin. This milestone brings the BioLumic proprietary light-based Genetic Expression Trait (xTrait™) technology to the global seed industry, enabling new opportunities for enhanced crop performance.

BioLumic’s trait activation system treats inbred corn lines at Gro Alliance’s Seed Production HQ

With this launch, BioLumic delivers a breakthrough in crop science—introducing a novel, natural approach to trait innovation that is faster, more scalable, and more cost-effective than traditional biotech traits. For the first time, seed companies can integrate light-programmed traits that enhance genetic expression into elite inbreds and hybrids, unlocking a new frontier in crop improvement without the constraints of genetic modification.

Following third-party field validation and demonstration of trans-generational trait inheritance to hybrid progeny, BioLumic light-activated traits are now being integrated into a broad portfolio of partner inbred corn lines. Multiple seed companies are licensing this novel technology, with commercial hybrid traits anticipated for the 2026 planting season.

“This launch represents a major step forward for seed companies seeking a new category of traits – traits that enhance natural genetic expression rather than altering the genome,” said Steve Sibulkin, CEO of BioLumic. “We’re delivering an entirely new way to program crop traits and accelerate breeding cycles—traits that are fast, economical, and scalable.”

Learn more in this interview with Sibulkin.
Interview with Steve Sibulkin, BioLumic CEO 8:45

AgWired Precision, Audio, Corn, Precision Agriculture, Soybean, Technology

A Mile High 2025 Commodity Classic

Chuck Zimmerman

Commodity Classic 2025The 2025 Commodity Classic attendance was surprisingly close to a record. The last number I heard on my way home was 11,368 but it could have grown higher on the last day. Last year was a record at 11,530. Some of us were a little concerned about weather but it was mostly very nice. A storm system moved in on Monday afternoon but besides wind and a little rain, the snow went south of us.

We have a virtual newsroom for Classic on our AgNewsWire website. It has the link to photos I took as well as interviews and other audio like the remarks from our new Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. I want to thank Syngenta once again for making it possible to attend and get some work done! I wish I could have visited with everyone who sent me invites for booth visits or other activities. Once upon a time we could have Cindy, me and several of our freelancers attend and we were able to do much more.

A very useful tool has been our photo albums that we have in our Flickr account. There are 19 Classics in the collection which you can find here. I’ve been to more shows than that but before we started ZimmComm we were in radio and didn’t have much use for photos. Things have sure changed over the years! And we are very grateful for all the opportunities we have had to assist companies and organization with their communications and marketing efforts over the years.

Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Syngenta

Syngenta Offers Choices for Farmers

Cindy Zimmerman

The Commodity Classic trade show saw thousands of farmers visit once again this year to learn what’s new in agriculture, and despite the tough farm economy, Syngenta’s Eric Boeck says the mood was hopeful.

“While farmers are facing some challenges and there’s very little margin for error for farmers, we realize that and we want to be there side by side with them helping them work through these challenging times,” said Boeck, Regional Director North America Seeds.

One of the ways Syngenta helps farmers is by giving them choices. “Agriculture has consolidated over a period of time to some major players and what Syngenta does is provides choice in innovation, choice in technology, choice in genetics, choice in crop protection and seed care products for farmers and that choice drives competition,” Boeck said. “And so that’s a key part of our business strategy is to make sure we’re working with regulators and the industry associations to make sure farmers have access to that choice of innovation.”

Boeck says the Syngenta pipeline is literally stacked with opportunities for farmers, like the two big announcements at Classic – the new Durastak Corn Trait for rootworm protection, and the new active ingredient PLINAZOLIN® technology, that can be used in insecticide products for cotton, vegetables, field corn, and more.

Classic 25 - Eric Boeck, Syngenta Seeds 5:39

2025 Commodity Classic Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, Commodity Classic, Syngenta

Precision Ag News 3/5

Carrie Muehling

  • The Agricultural Retailers Association and The Fertilizer Institute issued a joint statement regarding the Trump administration’s announcement on tariffs on imports of Canadian goods.
  • American Seed Trade Association President & CEO Andy LaVigne issued a statement on the news of additional tariffs imposed between the United States and its trading partners.
  • Agtools, a leading provider of innovative software solutions for the food industry, announced the launch of its new tariff calculator. This powerful tool enables users to calculate tariffs across all commodities in real time and create scenarios that will impact supply, merchandising, and pricing.
  • The Davidson Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in agricultural engineering, was presented at Commodity Classic 2025, recognizing three groundbreaking innovations that are transforming modern farming. Now in its 8th year, the Davidson Prize—named after J.B. Davidson, the father of modern agricultural engineering—celebrates cutting-edge innovations that are shaping the future of agriculture. This award is a collaboration between ASABE and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers to recognize outstanding achievements in agricultural engineering. The 2025 Davidson Prize winners include:
    Bondioli & Pavesi, Inc. – E.D.I. (Electronic Data Interchange) Driveshaft – This groundbreaking technology improves power transmission efficiency while providing real-time monitoring and diagnostics, ensuring optimal performance in the field.
    PTx Trimble – OutRun – This cutting-edge solution enhances precision agriculture by providing advanced guidance and automation, improving efficiency, reducing operator fatigue, and maximizing yields.
    CNH America – IntelliSense™ Bale Automation & Large Square Baler Automation – This technology revolutionizes hay and forage harvesting by automating key baling functions, ensuring consistent bale quality, reducing operator workload, and optimizing productivity.
  • The National Association of Conservation Districts has released a report about the impacts of recent Executive Orders and funding freezes on America’s locally led conservation delivery system, including conservation districts and the producers and communities they serve. The report was informed by a survey the association distributed to conservation districts last month, which received over 350 responses from across 45 states and territories.
  • Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announced the launch of Yamaha Agriculture, Inc., a new company focused on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions that help growers in the specialty crop market become more sustainable, profitable and resilient in the face of scarcer resources and climate change. Through the strategic acquisitions of Robotics Plus and The Yield, Yamaha Agriculture will provide robotics solutions for spraying, weeding and other field operations, while leveraging advanced data analytics and AI to enable precision farming and data-driven decision making for growers of wine grapes, apples and other specialty crops in North America, Australia and New Zealand.
  • A new industry collaboration announced at Commodity Classic is set to drive large-scale water conservation efforts across the agricultural landscape. The National Sorghum Producers, Ducks Unlimited and Dairy Farmers of America have partnered to create an initiative aimed at improving resource efficiency while ensuring economic viability for producers.
  • Bushel, a leader in digital payments and workflow solutions for agriculture, is expanding its platform with enhanced financial tools for farmers and agribusinesses. Farmers and agribusinesses will gain access to a Bushel business account, offered by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bancorp, Inc.
  • Farmers Edge™ is expanding its laboratory services to the public, offering agribusinesses, retailers and farmers access to high-quality, technology-driven soil and plant tissue testing. With state-of-the-art labs in the U.S. and Canada, Farmers Edge Laboratories has conducted over 7 million soil tests for its proprietary customers—now, retailers and industry professionals can access those same accurate, high-speed, integrated, and insight-driven services to maximize their business offerings. With centralized testing in Des Moines, Iowa, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Farmers Edge Laboratories can quickly and efficiently provide breakdowns of macro and micronutrients, soil chemistry and structure, and organic matter and soil composition. This information enables farmers to reduce input waste, increase crop yield, and maximize return on investment.
  • Traction Ag Inc., a leading farm accounting and operations software solutions provider, announced its new automated billing capabilities with FS. This strategic integration enables seamless synchronization of FS bills directly into Traction Ag’s cloud-based platform, significantly reducing manual data entry and keeping farm records up to date. The integration addresses a critical pain point in farm management by eliminating manual data entry – a time-intensive process that has long challenged agricultural operations. Through this innovative solution, farmers can now automatically import, review and approve FS billing data within their accounting system, saving valuable time.
  • Beck’s is pleased to announce the acquisition of Gro Alliance’s corn seed production facility in Howe, Indiana, and its soybean seed production and corn drying facilities in Mt. Pulaski, Illinois. This strategic acquisition reinforces Beck’s commitment to providing high-quality seed and exceptional service to farmers across its growing marketing area. The transaction closed on February 26, 2025.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Trump Says Tariffs May Require Adjustment Period

    Cindy Zimmerman

    In his address to Congress Tuesday, President Donald Trump said farmers may have to “bear with” him when it comes to tariffs on agricultural products, but he promises it will be worth it.

    “A new trade policy will also be great for the American farmer. I love the farmer. We’ll now be selling it to our home market in the U.S.A., because nobody is going to be able to compete with you,” said Trump, doubling down on a Truth Social post he made March 3 telling farmers to “have fun” selling products inside the United States.

    The president did admit it might take time to adjust. “The tariffs will go on agricultural product coming into America and our farmers starting on April 2nd, it may be a little bit of an adjustment period, we had that before when I made the deal with China, $50 billion of purchases and I said, just bear with me. And they did, they did. You really have to bear with me again and this will be even better,” said Trump. “So to our farmers, have a lot of fun. I love you, too.”

    Trump to farmers in address to Congress 1:23

    Audio, Exports, Farming, Trade

    AEM Gives Ag Market Update at #Classic15

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The agricultural equipment market is facing the same challenges the overall ag economy and a lot of it has to do with uncertainty, according to Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Senior Vice President Curt Blades.

    “That uncertainty is leading to people feeling a little bit uncomfortable about making capital equipment purchases, so until we get rid of that uncertainty, that’s just sort of the market we are at,” said Blades.

    The uncertainty includes the impact of the new administration’s tariff policy. Kip Eideberg with AEM’s Government Relations office addressed the issue of the 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada that were just implemented. “Tariffs are taxes on American companies, on American farmers, on American workers. They will drive up the cost of making equipment in the United States, they will make us less competitive in the global marketplace, and they are inflationary,” said Eideberg. “Canada is our largest market, so we are very concerned.”

    Eideberg said AEM is preparing a report on the impact of tariffs on the industry to be released later this month.

    Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) press conference – supply and demand, impact of tariff policy
    Curt Blades, Senior Vice President of Industry Sectors & Product Leadership; Kip Eideberg, Senior Vice President, Government & Industry Relations & Communications
    AEM press conference 15:22

    2025 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    AEM, Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Equipment, Exports

    New Durastak Corn Trait Stack Approved by EPA

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Syngenta’s latest innovative corn trait stack for corn rootworm protection, Durastak™, has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and will be available in hybrids from both the Golden Harvest® and NK® brands, and through independent seed companies for the 2027 season.

    Drew Showalter, Head of Corn Portfolio Strategy for Syngenta, is at Commodity Classic this week to talk about this new development. “The new Durastak trait stack is going to deliver more rootworm protection, more roots, and what farmers care about most, more yield potential over our current offer, which is great for farmers that are battling a really, really tough pest that’s constantly evolving,” said Showalter. “We’ve added rootworm protection, we’ve added a mode of action to our stack, and yet we’ve reduced the complexity.”

    The new Durastak trait stack helps control damaging above- and below-ground pests with alternative modes of action for farmers to provide them a tool to delay insect resistance for long-term corn rootworm management. Durastak will also be delivered to the market in combination with Viptera® trait technology, the most effective above-ground insect control in the industry.

    Learn more in this interview from Commodity Classic.
    Classic 25 - Drew Showalter, Syngenta Corn Portfolio 6:04

    2025 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Syngenta

    Syngenta Seeking Registration for New Active Ingredient

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Syngenta is seeking registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a new active ingredient, isocycloseram, to be trademarked as PLINAZOLIN® technology, that can be used in insecticide products for cotton, vegetables, field corn, tree fruit crops, cereals and more.

    Syngenta Technical Product Lead Kevin Langdon, Ph.D. talked about the new technology at Commodity Classic this week. “We’ll have four different crop protection brands and a seedcare brand as well,” said Landgdon. “One of the crop protection brands will play in the corn soil space targeting corn rootworm and the other three brands will be foliar-applied.”

    The brand names include Opello™ and Equento®.

    Equento®: an insecticide seed treatment intended for use in cereals and pulses that will manage wireworms and other early-season, below-ground pests and will offer compatibility with other seed treatments.
    Cereals ― White grub, wireworm
    Pulses ― Wireworm, suppression of seed corn maggot
    Opello™: a liquid, at-planting, soil-applied insecticide intended for use in field corn that will provide control of corn rootworm and other below-ground pests in a formulation designed to offer tank mix compatibility with starter fertilizers.
    Corn ― Corn rootworm, wireworm, white grub

    Langdon says the registration target is late 2025 for the 2026 crop.

    Learn more in this interview from Classic.
    Classic 25 - Kevin Langdon, Syngenta Technical Product Lead 2:05

    2025 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, Crop Protection, Insecticides, Syngenta

    Animal Ag News 3/3

    Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a $1 billion-dollar comprehensive strategy to curb highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), protect the U.S. poultry industry, and lower egg prices. This is in addition to funding already being provided to indemnify growers for depopulated flocks. As the Secretary detailed in the Wall Street Journal, the five-pronged strategy includes an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens, and exploring temporary import options.
  • At the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 2025 Winter Policy Conference, NASDA members amended the organization’s policy to support the implementation of a robust national action plan for the detection, surveillance, response and containment of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
  • Register for the next National Cattlemen’s Beef Association webinar, Delivering Excellence with Every Cattle Moo-vement, on Wednesday, March 5th 6:00 – 7:00 CDT.
  • Research is a cornerstone of the Beef Checkoff, helping drive demand and build trust in beef. A successful beef industry is dependent on the decisions consumers make in the grocery store — that’s why it’s imperative that the Beef Checkoff understands consumers’ evolving preferences, perceptions and purchasing behaviors. Unpack consumer preferences and buying behaviors from the Today’s Beef Consumer Report.
  • How much can you tell about a cow’s health by the way and rate at which it eats? A team of researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University is developing a way to tie that rate to cattle health. Hans Coetzee, currently the interim vice president of research at Kansas State University, is a well-established researcher in the fields of pain relief and animal welfare. He and Eduarda Bortoluzzi, assistant professor of animal welfare, are leading a project titled, “Validation of a novel Bovine Rate of Consumption Index (BROCI) to assess pain and thermal stress in cattle.”
  • The dairy checkoff is returning to Natural Products Expo West to highlight the innovation and nutritional benefits of dairy to more than 65,000 industry professionals, investors and leaders from consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and retail companies. Dairy farmers and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) team members will showcase new dairy products and lead an educational session titled “What Women Really Want: Cracking the Code for Food and Beverages,” offering insights on how dairy can meet the modern health and wellness needs of women.
  • Leaders from the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) released statements in response to the Trump Administration’s updated response plan for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that is affecting our nation’s dairy herds.
  • In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge brought by Animal Partisan, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division found that Certified Angus Beef‘s claims that the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program represents “best practices” and “highest standards” are supported. Animal Partisan is a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is improving animal welfare and combating the suffering of animals in agriculture. Certified Angus Beef, also a nonprofit organization, owns the Certified Angus Beef® logo and promotes the BQA program to beef producers.
  • District 3 Director John Rettler of Neosho, Wis. was re-elected president of the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative’s board of directors following the cooperative’s 13th annual meeting held on February 8th, 2025. District 6 Director Bob Dietzel of East Dubuque, Ill. was elected vice-president, District 4 Director Wayne Gajewski was elected treasurer, and District 5 Director Stephanie Hughes of Pittsville, Wis. was re-elected secretary. David Johnson of Daggett, MI, was newly elected to a three year term, replacing Steve Brock who announced his retirement last year. Re-elected to three-year terms, on the 10-member board of directors included John Rettler, and Stephanie Hughes. Other board members include Mark Leichtfuss of Green Bay in District 2, Michelle Popp, of Unity, Wis. in District 7, Jackie Holub of Boyd, Wis. in District 8, Kathy Bauer in District 9 and Nathan Wiese of Rosendale, Wis. as Young Cooperator Chair.
  • Holden Farms in Obion County, Tenn., nominated by the Tennessee Poultry Association, was one of three farms across the U.S. to receive the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. USPOULTRY sponsors the annual awards for exemplary environmental stewardship by family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production.
  • The 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) recognized three exhibitors with the New Product Showcase “Best of the Best” award. The award acknowledges outstanding exhibitors that have distinguished themselves by developing an innovative technology in products, services or operating techniques that will advance the industry. BinSentry was recognized as “Best in the Best” in the Animal Food category for their Prosense HD that provides precise, real time 3D readings of bins and silos, allowing immediate identification and management of issues such as inventory shrinkage. Sephnos was recognized as “Best of the Best” in the Live Production category for their VANGUARD automatic feeder for chickens with advanced technology that allows for better distribution and less food waste. STOBER Drives was recognized as “Best of the Best” in the Processing category for their cLEAN System that eliminates premature failure due to water ingress, is IP69K & IP68 certified with an IE5 energy efficiency rating, and is designed to EHEDG standard. Their innovative products and services can be viewed at Booth BC37118 on the trade show floor and through the IPPE app. Their videos are also viewable on the IPPE YouTube channel.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Sec. Rollins Rocks #Classic25 Trade Show Stage

    Cindy Zimmerman

    New U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins received a standing ovation from thousands of farmers across the country Sunday as she made an appearance at the Commodity Classic in Denver on the Trade Show Main Stage.

    Rollins brought a message from President Trump. “He wants all of you to know that he hears you. He knows that times have been tough over the last four years. He will not forget you and he will never stop fighting you, and neither will. As your newly confirmed Secretary of Agriculture just two weeks ago, I will be your greatest champion in Washington, second only to the President,” said Rollins.

    The secretary announced an economic assistance program for farmers called the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program or ECAP. “At USDA, ECAP is the new program to help us distribute that $30 billion the Congress passed in December. They gave us 90 days to start distributing that first 10 billion in economic assistance and we are on track to beat that and get that money starting to move immediately in the next few weeks,” she said.

    She also said that conservation program funds have been released and will now be distributed and that she will be working with President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to support the year round sale of E15 gasoline.

    USDA Sec. Rollins remarks 25:56

    2025 Commodity Classic Photo Album

    Audio, Commodity Classic, USDA