Quickly after the arbitration ruling in favor of Pioneer, Monsanto filed a federal lawsuit against six of the Pioneer PROaccess seed companies claiming breach of their separate contracts with Monsanto for failing to pay royalties for past use of Roundup Ready soybean and corn technologies, prior to the seed companies being acquired by Pioneer.
New 2011 data from university field trials reinforce that Dow AgroSciences SmartStax continues to provide effective control of corn rootworm, as the company tries to set itself apart from farmer concerns about failed CRW-control by some single-trait Bt hybrids sold by various seed companies in 2011.
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Biotechnology & variation in average yields
A new study examines the deviation of average U.S. yield from its trend-line yield. The objective is to provide information concerning the commonly-expressed argument that biotechnology has reduced yield variability.
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Yara, OCP announce fertilizer joint venture in Brazil
Yara International ASA and OCP S.A. have agreed to key terms for the establishment of a 50/50 joint venture in Brazil and the entry into corresponding phosphate rock supply and other commercial arrangements.
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Solum's "No Wait Nitrate" field lab chosen
Solum Inc. announced that its No Wait Nitrate field lab has been chosen by the National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment to support soil nitrate measurements across a broad set of field research programs.
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Onset announces new sensor for wind monitoring
Onset announced its new Wind Direction Smart Sensor, a research-grade plug-and-play sensor for measuring and logging wind direction data.
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Bayer, Performance Plants sign agreement
Bayer CropScience AG and Performance Plants Inc. (Kingston, Canada) have entered into a research and commercial license agreement, giving Bayer exclusive rights for PPI's Heat & Drought Tolerance Technology in cotton.
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BIG PICTURE
By Doane EconomistBack-to-back farmland auctions in Iowa and Kansas brought a total of $8,295,000 last week, demonstrating that the rise in land values extends to a variety of areas and land types."Both of these farms sold at very strong prices by historical standards in their respective pockets, showing once again that farmland values continue to show strength across the board," said R.D. Schrader, president of Schrader Real Estate & Auction Company, which conducted both auctions. In Southwest Kansas, the company sold 699 acres Wednesday for $1,825,000, with most of the tillable land averaging $2,952 per acre.
