Although the potash and phosphate fertilizer markets closed out 2011 on a down note, prices may rebound in 2012, but slowly.
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Liberty herbicide to replace Ignite for LibertyLink crops
Bayer CropScience announced that the brand Liberty herbicide will replace the Ignite herbicide brand for use on LibertyLink crops in the U.S. market starting in the 2012 crop season.
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Monsanto highlights progress in research efforts
Monsanto recently announced its annual research pipeline update across multiple platforms.
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Research finds atrazine aids the environment
A Syngenta-funded study discovered that atrazine helps farmers reduce aggregate soil erosion by up to 85 million tons per year.
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Asmark Institute to build training center
The Asmark Institute announced plans to construct a new training complex in Bloomington, Ill., to host its Ammonia Technician Course and a series of new courses designed for grain facilities.
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Newest granular zinc sulfate plant in the U.S.
Old Bridge Chemicals announced the completion of its granular zinc sulfate production facilities in Old Bridge, N.J.
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Nominees needed for land management planning
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a call for nominations to serve on a newly-formed advisory committee that will guide better management of our national forests and grasslands.
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Winfield Solutions' Answer Plot results revealed
Winfield Solutions shared data it collected from its Answer Plot program in 2011, which had data from more than 180 sites.
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CropWorld North America speakers announced
Speakers for the CropWorld North America 2012 event were announced recently. This event is geared toward ag industry professionals to share best practices and hear practical knowledge.
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BIG PICTURE
By Doane EconomistUSDA suspends weekly Crop Progress Reports at the end of November each year and they don’t resume until April. However, individual state divisions of NASS put out monthly updates beginning in January and Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, the key producing states for hard red winter wheat, have recently released them. We ended last fall with 52 percent of winter wheat overall rated "good-to-excellent" and just 13 percent rated "poor-to-very poor." That was a bit better than the fall of 2010 when 47 percent of the 2011 crop just entering dormancy was rated "good-to-excellent" and 17 percent was rated "poor-to-very poor."
