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Monday, Dec. 3, 2012
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Offering small-scale NH3 production plants
Beowulf Energy LLC announced it has acquired the rights to N-Flex distributed ammonia technology — a process that converts low-cost natural gas or stranded electrical power to high-value nitrogen products. Full story. Novozymes acquires Natural Industries
Novozymes has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Natural Industries Inc. based in Houston. U.S. Natural Industries Inc. has annual revenues of $5 million and is a bioagricultural company. Full story.
AFBF urges presidential declaration for Mississippi River
The American Farm Bureau Federation has urged President Barack Obama to issue a presidential declaration of emergency for the Mississippi River to ensure that water levels do not fall below the level needed to support commercial navigation. Full story. AGCO names Glen Slabaugh 2012 Operator of the Year
Recognizing his outstanding commitment to his profession, high level of performance and service to his community, Indiana custom applicator Glen Slabaugh was named the 2012 Operator of the Year by AGCO Application Equipment, which sponsors the annual program to recognize North America’s best professional applicators. Full story.
Looking at updated farm income forecasts
This week USDA updated their farm income forecasts for 2012. The new forecasts for net farm income and net cash farm income are lower than the ones released in August, but both measures are still near the record highs recorded in 2011. Full story.
BASF completes acquisition of Becker Underwood
BASF has completed the acquisition of Becker Underwood from Norwest Equity Partners, a U.S.-based private equity investment company, for a purchase price of $1.02 billion. Full story.
Agrochemicals benefit human health and the environment
In a new study, Angela Logomasini, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, argues history has proven Rachel Carson wrong. Agrochemicals have not caused the “sinister” ills Carson predicted in her book, Silent Spring. Full story. Risks faced by farms with high cash rents
Generally, farms with more of their acres cash rented at higher cash rent levels will face more downside income risk compared to farms with fewer acres cash rented at lower cash rent levels. As a result, farms with high cash rent levels could face large losses in some future year. Full story. BHP may be looking for partners in potash
BHP Billiton Ltd. may be looking for financial partners for its Canadian potash project, according to Deutsche Bank AG, which said BHP could attract investment of $2 billion from fertilizer producers and sovereign wealth funds. Full story. Potash Corp sees 'lots of hurdles' to takeover of ICL
Potash Corp of Saskatchewan Inc, the world's biggest potash producer by capacity, sees "lots of hurdles" to its plans to take over Israel Chemicals Ltd., an executive of the Canadian fertilizer company said on Wednesday. Full story.  BIG PICTURE
By Doane EconomistUSDA released full details Thursday morning of the recent soybean oil export sales up to November 22. For the weeks ending November 15 and November 22, sales each week exceeded 100,000 tonnes. Those are large in terms of soybean oil. USDA reports total soyoil export commitments to November 22 at 570,900 tonnes. The significance of the total is that it exceeds the USDA export forecast for the entire 2012/13 (Oct./Sept.) marketing year of 540,000 tonnes. And since November 22, USDA has announced at least two sales of 20,000 tonnes each in its daily reporting system. Unless USDA has reason to believe that there may be later cancellations of these sales, USDA must increase its export forecast in the December supply/demand report. Strong demand for soybean oil is a bullish factor for soybean prices as it finds a destination for soybean oil that is usually considered a less valuable byproduct of the crush that has to seek demand.
Crop Fertility Resource Center
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Poultry litter: Nutrient availability, value and storage practice
Findings about manganese in soybean production
Manganese can do soybeans a lot of good in many situations, according to field projects and trials by DuPont Pioneer agronomists. Full story.
For more, visit the Soybean Resource Center.
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Pretty sure isn't sure, now is it?
Mother Nature tends to throw curveballs from time to time.
Just when a grower thinks he has clear skies to spray for weeds, storm clouds converge out of nowhere. Application windows this unpredictable call for the flexibility of SureStart® herbicide from Dow AgroSciences.
When you recommend SureStart, you're recommending a product that can be sprayed anytime from preplant to postemergence. And it works with three modes of action to perform under heavy weed pressure.
There are no sure things in farming. But it doesn't get much closer than SureStart.
Learn more about the benefits of SureStart herbicide at SureStart.com.
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Top 10 tips for running a great meeting
Any meeting you conduct at work is a reflection of you. What kind of image are you portraying? Professional, on-target, and efficient? Or unprepared, unproductive, and ineffective? Unfortunately, few people receive formal training on how to conduct a great meeting, and this lack of training is apparent in corporate conference rooms across the country. Full story.
For more Focus on Business articles, click here.
Wheat genome sequence a breakthrough for global food security
USDA scientists working as part of an international team have completed a shotgun sequencing of the wheat genome, a paper published in the journal Nature reported. The achievement is expected to increase wheat yields, help feed the world and speed up development of wheat varieties with enhanced nutritional value. Full story.
For more, visit the Wheat Resource Center.
Intensive versus low-input corn trial conducted
DuPont Pioneer conducted a comparative corn yield performance study using a system of aggressive soil fertility and pest management practices with a more conventional low-input system during 2012 that showed the intensive management and appropriately matched seed had an advantage. Full story.
For more, visit the Corn Resource Center.
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