Winning Seasons with BASF Headline AMP

Cindy Zimmerman

basfGrowers across the country have experienced the many ways BASF Headline AMP® fungicide has a positive impact on their corn crops during the season.

In addition to managing disease pressures throughout corn fields, proactive use of Headline AMP fungicide provides Plant Health benefits including growth efficiency and stress tolerance which can help increase stalk strength and reduce lodging, leading to easier and faster corn harvesting.

“Lodged corn can cause yield losses of up to 25 percent and add an extra 5.5 days per each 1,000 acres to harvest,” said Caren Schmidt, Ph.D., Technical Market Manager, BASF. “Research indicates the disease control and Plant Health benefits of Headline AMP fungicide correlate to healthier plants and strong stalks for a more efficient corn harvest.”

A new educational video from BASF highlights the Plant Health benefits of Headline AMP fungicide and the harvest efficiency benefits it provides to growers. Visit the BASF Crop Protection Facebook page and watch the featured BASF Plant Health video on harvest efficiency. Viewers can answer the quiz question at the end of the video and will receive one entry into a special drawing for each video watched, while learning more about increasing yields.

BASF, Corn, Crop Protection, Harvest

ABM Announces New Patent to Improve Plant Growth

Jamie Johansen

ABM-Logo-CMYK-300x126Advanced Biological Marketing (ABM) announces the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 8,716,001 for a Trichoderma strain that induces resistance to plant diseases and increases plant growth. The patent was issued to Cornell University and ABM has exclusive worldwide rights.

The patent covers the technology that induces gene expression triggers for healthier and more productive plants. The Trichoderma works by first colonizing the crop root system. Its use on the seed allows the plant to grow in a more beneficial manner than it would without the Trichoderma and changes the plant’s physiology without altering its DNA.

This patented strain of Trichoderma offers an all-natural way to improve agricultural production and increase plant yields for crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, forage crops and vegetables. Additional benefits of Trichoderma include:

• Greater resistance to plant stresses such as disease and drought
• Bigger root systems and plant growth
• Better water and fertilizer use efficiency
• Increased photosynthesis, which leads to a healthier plant

“ABM is dedicated to providing farmers with sustainable solutions to improve their agriculture production,” said Dan Custis, ABM CEO. “Our work with Cornell University and the issuance of this patent allows us to continue producing products that offer farmers the most advanced solutions in enhancing plant growth and productivity.”

ABM also recently announced an agreement with INCOTEC Group B.V. in which INCOTEC will combine ABM’s yield enhancing inoculants with INCOTEC’s innovative seed coating and enhancement technologies.

INCOTEC will have marketing rights to the seed industry of ABM products in the USA, Europe, India and South America.

Dan Custis, CEO of ABM states, “We are excited to partner with INCOTEC to help increase yields and profitability for farmers worldwide. This partnership adds value and convenience in a sustainable way. It is an excellent opportunity to expand our market share not only in the US, but around the globe.”

JanWillem Breukink, senior executive member of the Board of INCOTEC, says: “We are very happy that ABM has chosen us as the preferred partner for the application of their innovative products to seeds. INCOTEC is offering a completely independent application platform where companies like ABM can work with INCOTEC to make sure that it is a quality process that is used to apply their products to seeds.”

Ag Groups, Agronomy, Seed

EPA Wants to “Ditch the Myths” About WOTUS

Cindy Zimmerman

gina-mccarthy-epaEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy held a conference call with media this morning in advance of her trip to Missouri this week to talk about the proposed Waters of the United States rule, or WOTUS.

“I’m hoping that this trip helps us ‘ditch the myths’ and misinformation,” said McCarthy in an obvious reference to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s “Ditch the Rule” campaign opposed to the proposed rule.

McCarthy called some of the beliefs about the rule “ludicrous” and “just silly” including that EPA will be regulating puddles of water and ditches. “In this proposal for the first time ever we’re making it clear that we don’t regulate all ditches,” she said.

On the call with McCarthy was Missouri corn and soybean farmer Bill Heffernan, who will host her on his farm in Rocheport tomorrow to view soil conservation practices used to protect local waterways. On Thursday, she will deliver a speech on Waters of the US at the Kansas City Agribusiness Council Luncheon.

Listen to her comments and questions from the media here. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy press call

I had the last question on the press conference and took the liberty of going off topic to ask about when the final rule on the volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) would be released. “I’m hoping it will come out soon,” she says, adding that it is important for her that they “get it right.”

AFBF, Audio, Environment, Ethanol, Farming

Field to Market Announces New Supply Chain Program

Cindy Zimmerman

Field-to-Market_Logo-1Field to Market®, the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, has just launched a new agricultural supply chain program for commodity crops.

The Field to Market metrics and benchmarks developed through a multi-stakeholder process over the past several years will now become an important platform for measuring, promoting and reporting on continuous improvement in corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, potatoes and other crops related to seven sustainability indicators: land use, soil conservation, soil carbon, irrigated water use, water quality, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The new program, which was approved at the organization’s recent biannual board meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, will focus on benchmarking current sustainability outcomes, catalyzing continuous improvement at the field and landscape level, and enabling supply chain sourcing claims.

“The announcement signals a major commitment among members to address supply chain sustainability in a manner that is transparent, grounded in science, focused on outcomes and open to a full range of technology choices while considering productivity, environmental quality and human well-being,” said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market.

The membership of Field to Market includes a who’s who of agricultural organizations and agribusinesses, as well as food companies and environmental groups. Among those members are American Farm Bureau Federation, Bayer CropScience, BASF, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere, and the National Corn Growers Association.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Agribusiness, BASF, Bayer, John Deere, NCGA, Sustainability

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • A workshop for women farmers and food entrepreneurs takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, July 25 at Four Elements Organic Herbals, a certified organic farm in North Freedom, Wis.
  • The Creve Coeur-based American Soybean Association has issued its support of the Missouri Farming Rights Amendment (Amendment 1), a measure that would amend the state’s constitution to recognize and protect modern agriculture and the benefits that it provides all Missourians.
  • The Aurora Cooperative, a leading agricultural supplier and grain marketer based in Nebraska and serving America’s farmers in multiple states, this week announced an Aurora Agronomy expansion in Texas with the acquisition of Perryton Aviation, Inc., located in Perryton, TX and Hansford Aviation, Inc., located in Gruver, TX.
  • Syngenta and lowa FFA chapters will be joining forces to increase awareness of the benefits of American ethanol and to raise money to support flex fuel availability – and the FFA – at the American Ethanol 200 presented by Enogen®, on July 11 and 12.
Zimfo Bytes

New Agri-Pulse Political Punch Series

Cindy Zimmerman

agri-pulseAgri-Pulse has started a new six-part series called “Packing a Political Punch in Rural America.”

Throughout this in-depth series, Editor Sara Wyant will look at some of the important demographic, economic and political changes taking place in American agriculture and discuss why it may be time for rural America’s political influencers to rethink their tactics and strategies, too.

“In recent months, our editorial team talked to a wide variety of farm leaders – both inside and outside of the Beltway – who say this most recent farm bill served as a ‘wake-up call’ regarding their political effectiveness,” explains Wyant. “Don’t get me wrong. There’s still plenty of power in farm country, but several of the dynamics are changing.”

The first article in the series is titled “Digging into the Demographics: Will fewer farmers still be able to deliver political punch?” As part of the series, which is sponsored by DuPont, Agri-Pulse will also name emerging young farm and rural advocates and share their vision for the future of farm and rural influence.

Agri-Pulse, politics

Time to Vote in FMC Anthem Singing Contest

Chuck Zimmerman

FMC Anthem Singing ContestIt’s voting time for the FMC “Stand and Be Heard Anthem Singing Contest.” Voting for your favorite starts today and ends on July 21. There are more than 200 ag students who have submitted their rendition of the National Anthem. This voting will narrow that down to 20. The big prize is a $10,000 scholarship and nationally-televised recording experience.

“The quantity and quality of Anthem Contest entries continues to increase with each year of the contest,” said Matt Hancock, FMC Agricultural Solutions North America segment manager. “We’re excited to work with this group of students, the future of agriculture, throughout the next phases of this year’s contest.”

The 20 most popular videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will select the four finalists. “From a country music producer and 30-year chorus director veteran to a former Anthem Contest winner and more, our judges are looking forward to reviewing the Top 20 videos and determining this year’s set of finalists,” said Hancock.

Once selected, the finalists will travel to Nashville to take part in a professional recording experience. Finalist performances will be posted to the contest website and broadcast nationwide on August 28 on RFD-TV. A final round of online voting will run from Aug. 28 through September 18 to determine a grand prize winner, who will be announced on Sept. 22. The grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship, while the three remaining finalists will receive $5,000 scholarships.

Agribusiness, FMC

Legislative Issues for Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman

ZimmCast 443Congress back in session this week after the 4th of July holiday, but with all the recesses and holidays coming up before the November elections, there is little time left for them to actually do any work.

gmk-chuck-spencerBoard members for GROWMARK recently visited Capitol Hill to talk with their congressional representatives about issues important to them. Our guest on the ZimmCast this week is Chuck Spencer, GROWMARK executive director of corporate and government relations, who talks about some important agricultural issues that may or may not see action in Congress yet this year.

Listen to my conversation with Chuck here: Important Legislative Issues for Agriculture


Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here.

The ZimmCast

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Audio, GROWMARK, ZimmCast

EPA Chief on Tour to Defend WOTUS

Cindy Zimmerman

epa-ginaEnvironmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy will travel to the nation’s heartland this week to defend and explain the Administration’s proposed rules defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

This Thursday, July 10, McCarthy will give a speech before the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City to share the Administration’s views on why the proposed rules are needed and to answer questions from agricultural interests that have raised concerns about the proposal. Groups such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Association and many others believe the proposed rules represent Government overreach and would require farmers to obtain permits for routine farming and ranching practices.

The administration contends that the proposal, which was published for public comment by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, seeks to provide regulatory clarity after significant uncertainty following two Supreme Court decisions. According to the EPA, the proposed rule preserves existing CWA exemptions and exclusions for agricultural activities. Additionally, the agencies, in coordination with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service, will now exempt 56 established NRCS conservation practices from the CWA Section 404 dredged or fill permitting requirements, if they occur in waters covered by the CWA.

Registration for the event is $35 for council members, $50 for non-members and $15 for students.

I’m betting the fireworks on the 10th of July in Kansas City will be as good as the ones on the 4th!

AFBF, Agribusiness

InfoAg App

Chuck Zimmerman

InfoAg AppIf you’re an agnerd and planning to attend the 2014 InfoAg Conference in July add the InfoAg App to your mobile device. The conference is only a few weeks from now and a reason to get the app before you go is so you can create your own “program” of workshops and presentations that you want to attend.

The app is available for iOS and Android. It includes program information, including biographies on the speakers. There is an exhibition map and way to mark the ones that are your top priority.

We’ll be on the scene again this year so keep your eye on Precision.AgWired.com for all the latest news in the world of precision agriculture. InfoAg takes place July 29-31 in St. Louis.

On a similar note, we will also have coverage of the 12th International Conference on Precision Agriculture taking place the week before in Sacramento, CA.

Apps, Precision Agriculture