Syngenta responds to Viptera corn marketing controversy
AgProfessional was one of the first national sources of information about two major grain companies announcing they would not be accepting corn containing the Agrisure Viptera trait. Syngenta has since provided its side to the situation by several means including mail, e-mail and personal telephone calls to their sales representatives and customers. Full story.
California may mandate GMO labeling
An anti-biotechnology group has launched a campaign in California to require mandatory labeling of GMOs in food in the state by 2012. Full story. First three-gene herbicide-tolerant soybean
Dow AgroSciences LLC, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, and M.S. Technologies LLC announced a collaborative submission to the USDA for the approval of the first-ever, three-gene herbicide-tolerant soybean. Full story.
MU completes first drought simulator
Researchers at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources have completed two drought simulators designed to test the effects of water deficiency on crops. Full story.
Environmental groups threaten to sue EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's failure to act on a petition urging the revocation of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' authority to regulate factory farm water pollution has led three groups to serve the federal agency with a notice of intent to sue. Full story.
Researchers improving GPS accuracy in 3D
Researchers who are working to fix global positioning system (GPS) errors have devised software to take a more accurate measurement of altitude — particularly in mountainous areas. Full story. Drivers of land prices: But how fast, how far?
Demand for farmland continues upward, both in price and in intensity of demand by farmers. This is driven by high crop prices, expectation for that to continue, low interest rates, and the potential for land values to inflate. Full story. DuPont opens innovation center in Thailand
The first DuPont Innovation Center in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region opened in Bangkok, Thailand, this week and will focus on collaborative solutions for the food and agriculture, oil and gas, renewable energy and construction industries. Full story.  BIG PICTURE
By Doane EconomistThe Cattle on Feed report released on Aug. 19 was a bearish surprise. While the trade was anticipating a 17 percent increase in placements from a year ago, placements were up even more strongly, increasing 22 percent in July to 2.153 million head. This is the highest placement figure for July on record for this data series back to 1996. All weight categories increased, but the lighter weights increased the most. Placements of under 600 pounders are up 51 percent from a year ago, while 600 to 700 are up 33 percent.
MAGIE 2011 - Featured Products
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John Deere
John Deere will demonstrate and display several of the new 4940 Self-Propelled Sprayers, along with many other ag service products, at the 2011 MAGIE Show. The 4940 Sprayer is the largest, most advanced applicator from John Deere and comes Direct Injection Ready. It features a 120-foot boom with 11 independent sections controlled manually or automatically with Swath Control Pro; and GreenStar 3 2630 Display for the most advanced system control and documentation. Read more.
Mid-State Tank Co. Inc
Mid-State Tank has been a sponsor of MAGIE for the past 25 years and June, Mid-State Tank celebrated its 25-year anniversary. Mid-State Tank is a major supplier of stainless steel tanks for the agricultural industry. This year, Mid-State Tank will be displaying some of their most popular stainless steel agricultural tanks, along with a 5,000 gallon stainless steel UL142 bulk chemical tank. Read more.
For more, visit the MAGIE 2011 Product Showcase.
Crop Fertility Resource Center
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Arkansas Rice Expo shows N tests and more
A major advance in soil testing for nitrogen fertility, a possible future rice variety and research on managing weeds and diseases were presented in a field tour of research projects at the Arkansas Rice Expo Aug. 1 at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Rice Research and Extension Center. Full story.
For more, visit the Crop Fertility Resource Center.
New bean leaf beetle threshold calculator
Are you cooling your wheat?
With 80-degree days and 60-degree nights, combined with low humidity, now is a prime opportunity to begin lowering the temperature in your wheat storage bins. Full story.
For more, visit the Wheat Resource Center.
Are you positive you have Goss's wilt?
Although there have been many reports of Goss's wilt this growing season, University of Illinois researchers caution producers that not every account confirms the disease. Full story.
For more, visit the Corn Resource Center.
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Inoculant Benefits Show in Late-Planted Beans
"We were extremely wet early and then we were extremely dry. Now it's wet again so it has been a very challenging year," says Todd Mathewson, owner/partner of New Era Ag in Monroe, Ind. Mathewson recommends to his growers that they apply VAULT® HP every year, but the benefits of using the product have been even more evident this growing season.
"When you look at the soybean plants with the VAULT HP seed treatment system, compared to those plants that weren't inoculated, the difference is obvious," says Mathewson. "It seems like the soybeans treated with VAULT HP kept their green color while the other fields turned yellow."
"Flooding or standing water in fields can create an anaerobic soil environment, which can kill many rhizobia in as little as two to five days," explains Dr. Jim Beuerlein, professor emeritus in agronomy extension at The Ohio State University and technical advisor to Becker Underwood. "For maximum nitrogen-fixation and pod-making potential, soybean plants benefit from fresh, robust rhizobia every year."
"Two things really stick out to me," says Mathewson. "Number one, VAULT HP is a great product for our customers, because they're getting the yield results to justify using it. And number two, the profitability of treatment goes up dramatically for us as a retailer. VAULT HP is part of our seed-treatment process so it's basically no extra work for a measurable improvement."
Mathewson says his customers were at least three weeks behind usual this year. Even so, they stayed with their earlier decisions regarding what they were planting, and they didn't hesitate to treat their soybeans with the best products available.
The BioStacked® VAULT HP system pairs a patented biological performance enhancer and a high-count rhizobia inoculant with INTEGRAL® biological fungicide. Collectively, these components stimulate rhizobial activity; help extend protection from key soil-borne diseases; and enhance root vigor, nodulation and nutrient uptake. That means potential for more root nodules, nodes, blooms and pod-making capability as the plant develops.
Stacking biologicals with multiple modes of action can help provide more consistent and dependable performance improvements across a broad range of environmental and soil conditions.
"We absolutely recommend to growers that they apply VAULT HP to their soybean seed," continues Mathewson. "We've run a lot of replicated plots and trials in the past so our customers have seen the difference. We no longer have to prove its value — it sells itself."
Learn more about the VAULT HP soybean seed treatment system and other soybean seed enhancements at at www.BeckerUnderwood.com or call 1-800-892-2013.
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Four keys to connecting with your inner genius
Stan couldn’t get rid of the nagging ache in his stomach. Was his body the problem, or was another culprit responsible? Constant preoccupation with discomfort had taken a toll on his ability to be productive both at home and work. He was skilled in employing all the latest technology to improve efficiency, but at the end of the day, there was barely enough energy left to pull his bulging lap top bag up from the floor. To add insult to injury, a new employee was making more work for Stan. Granted, John needed time to get acclimated to the new position, but this was the worst possible time for mentoring a coworker. Stan’s stomach really kicked up when he thought about everything that needed to be accomplished. Once he felt better, pitching in for the team was priority number one. For now, figuring out what was wrong with his gut came first. Doctors had already performed scores of tests, none of which had revealed a medical problem. Full story.
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