Archive for April, 2009

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved several label updates for Laudis herbicide from Bayer CropScience.

Label updates include:

• In most situations, growers can now rotate to sugarbeets and certain dry beans 10 months after Laudis application. The previous rotation requirement was 18 months.

• EPA approved the use of High Surfactant Oil Concentrates (HSOC) with Laudis as alternatives to traditional MSO surfactants. The label update also includes guidelines for using HSOCs with glyphosate herbicides.

• If growers need to make a second application of Laudis on field corn, white corn or popcorn, the applications can now be made seven days apart. The previous requirement was a 14-day waiting period.

Laudis was introduced in 2008 and has become a proven performer against grass and broadleaf weeds such as ragweeds, lambsquarters, velvetleaf, waterhemp and woolly cupgrass in corn fields. The success of Laudis is due in part to its proprietary safener technology, meaning Laudis ensures crop safety while providing consistent weed control.

“We heard a lot of positive feedback from growers and retailers that used Laudis in 2008,” said Jeff Springsteen, Bayer CropScience corn and soybean selective herbicides marketing manager. “While it was already easy to use, these label updates further increase the flexibility of Laudis in 2009.”

For more information about Laudis, growers can visit Bayer CropScience. In addition, growers are encouraged to contact their local Bayer CropScience representative or call 1-866-992-2973

Always read and follow label instructions.

It is a sound most soybean farmers dread, but know all too well. The rumbling, clattering noise of immature or “green” soybean stems clogging a combine during harvest season.

And with farmers needing every profitability edge possible this year, possible delayed harvests and additional wear and tear on equipment from green stems are simply not options.

Compare the sounds of green stems:

* Combine Harvesting (normal operation, no green stems)

* Green Stem Combine Harvesting (harvesting through green stem soybeans)

Green stems can occur in soybeans at the end of the season just as farmers are preparing for harvest. In most cases the plants do not properly mature, leaving the end-of-season stems and leaves green and intact versus the brittle, brown stems of mature soybean plants. These green stems not only add debris and clutter to the yield, but are extremely difficult to harvest — causing slowdowns or even halting the harvest entirely.

“We’ll have to drop from picking at four to four-and-a-half miles an hour to like two to two-and-a-half, doubling our harvest time,” said soybean farmer Michael Boyd. “But usually we’ll just stop because it’s just so hard on the combine to try and pick them when they’re green stem.”

Though researchers continue to suspect a variety of reasons for green stems, many farmers have seen improved results over green stems as well as an overall increased yield by using Domark Fungicide as part of their annual program. In 2008 university trials, Domark was five times less likely to cause green stems than other fungicides.

“Strobilurin fungicides tend to keep the plant greener longer, sometimes well into the end of the season. This can be problematic if the soybeans do not properly reach maturity in time for harvest,” said Gerald Holmes, Valent product development manager. “In various trials, we have seen that as a triazole chemistry, Domark does not have the same issues with green stem effect that is seen among strobilurin fungicides.”

Rick Kraus, Valent marketing manager for Domark, said in a year of tighter margins soybean farmers are especially focused on achieving the optimum return on their investment from fungicides.

“Domark provides farmers an average five-to-seven bushel yield improvement without the fear of end-of-season green stems and the related harvest inefficiencies,” Kraus said. “By putting out the best fungicide at the proper timing in the season, farmers will be better able to have stronger yield and a smoother harvest.”

For more information about Domark, Valent U.S.A. Corporation or Valent’s full product line, call 800-6-VALENT (682-5368).

For corn growers facing gray leaf spot disease pressure, a foliar fungicide application can boost yields in corn. Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, and the University of Tennessee have joined forces in a three-year study to show the impact of foliar fungicide applications on susceptible, moderately susceptible and tolerant gray leaf spot corn hybrids.

Gray leaf spot, a common foliar disease on fields planted to corn after corn where high residue and ample moisture or irrigation is present, has the potential to greatly reduce yields.

The study showed increased yields with a foliar fungicide application for all three types of hybrids tested in the study, with the largest boost being 24 bushels per acre with the susceptible hybrid.

“The data speaks for itself,” says Melvin Newman, field crops plant pathology specialist at the University of Tennessee. “We anticipated an increase in yields, but seeing the bushel difference confirmed the significant value in timely application of foliar fungicide in high disease pressure areas.”

The study used Headline and Quadris fungicides for the application. The corn was sprayed once following tassel. When compared to unsprayed fields of the same hybrids, the susceptible hybrids had the largest increase, adding 23.5 bushels per acre on average. The moderately susceptible hybrids averaged 12.5 bushels per acre and the tolerant hybrids averaged a boost of 7 bushels per acre.

“This study shows that Pioneer gray leaf spot ratings are effective,” says Greg Luce, agronomy services manager for Pioneer. “While there were increases in yields for all hybrids, including tolerant, those increases were much less than the susceptible or moderately susceptible hybrids. Hybrids with gray leaf spot tolerance provide a very effective avenue for growers in areas where the disease is a concern.

“Depending on commodity prices, the data from this study suggests spraying tolerant hybrids in a very heavy disease environment can be a viable practice for growers,” Luce adds.

Application timing is key when using a foliar fungicide. Applications should occur at full tassel. Research has shown applications prior to tasseling can have negative effects, potentially reducing yields. Weather also plays a vital role in application timing. If moisture continues following tassel, a grower should considering spraying. If there is minimal moisture following tassel, often disease development is slowed significantly and a foliar fungicide application may not be needed.

“Growers should evaluate three things when looking to use a foliar fungicide application during the growing season,” says Newman. “These are 1) knowing the susceptibility rating of the hybrid, 2) factors that can increase potential for the disease, such as, corn-after-corn, no-till or minimum-till fields and 3) the weather environment - ample rainfall and humidity or irrigation.”

Pioneer brand hybrids are characterized for gray leaf spot and other foliar diseases. To learn more about gray leaf spot tolerance ratings, contact a local Pioneer sales professional.

“Pioneer works a great deal with growers to get the right product on the right acre,” says Luce. “Reviewing hybrid disease and insect characterization ratings with a Pioneer agronomist or sales professional will aid in getting growers the right defensive package for their field environment.”

Houston, -based Natural Industries adds LockDown Biological Herbicide to its growing line of biological controls for the agriculture, horticulture, turf and garden industries.

Acquired from Arkansas-based ARI, the new LockDown product controls northern joinvetch, a weed also commonly known as curly indigo which wrecks havoc in rice fields all over the Mid-South.

Natural Industries, the makers of Actinovate AG Biological Fungicide, will manufacture and market LockDown to rice growers in the United States.

“We are excited to add LockDown post-emergent biological herbicide to our microbial product portfolio,” said Matt Kowalski, President of Natural Industries. “We will market LockDown in rice for control of northern joinvetch and we hope to add soybeans to the label as well this season.”

LockDown contains the microorganism Colletotrichum gloeosporioides f. sp. Aeschynomene which is sold in a dried granular formulation and works efficiently with Clearfield rice systems and hybrid rice fields. LockDown has been used effectively in the Mid-South the last two years. While before product was hard to come by, this year LockDown will be available to all growers throughout the Mid-South.

“We are working through the established distributor and dealer networks, such as Farmers Supply in Harrisburg, Ark.,” Kowalski said. “Growers and consultants can ask their local dealer about LockDown or they can simply call us for info on the nearest ag retail outlet. We are committed to making LockDown available to all growers who need it for years to come.”

LockDown is manufactured by Natural Industries, Inc. of Houston, Texas. For additional information please visit Natural Industries.

AGCO Parts, a division of AGCO Corporation, is offering up to a $10 cash rebate on select FieldStart batteries purchased from any U.S. AGCO Parts dealer between April 15 and June 15, 2009.

“Seasons are long in the ag business; the FieldStart line is rugged and reliable enough to pack the power you need for fast starts”, said Chad Bailey, AGCO Parts Product Specialist, Marketing. “Plus, the batteries we offer are matched to your AGCO machine — AGCO Tractor, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, Challenger…,” continued Bailey.

“Our quality Fieldstart portfolio includes batteries for other tractor/combine brands, trucks, lawn & garden tractors, and automotive/pickup applications. Rebates are available for many of these applications,” said Dick Wauer, AGCO Parts Manager, Marketing.

AGCO Parts offers FieldStart batteries in the U.S. and Canada. This U.S. rebate will give AGCO Parts a chance to take the battery business to the next level.

Batteries and their rebate amount available on this offer are listed below:

Part Number

BCI Group

CCA/RC

$10 or $5 Rebate

79018975

31A

950/150

$10

79018971

29H/30H

660/160

$10

79018974

31T

950/195

$10

79018970

27

675/160

$10

79018979

4DLT

850/250

$10

79018962

34

700/120

$5

79018983

U-1

230/120

$5

79019148

24

550/110

$5

79018968

24

700/130

$5

79018977

3EH

875/250

$5

For more details see your local AGCO Parts dealer or go to AGCO Parts and click on AGCO FieldStart Battery Rebate. To locate a dealer nearest you, visit AGCO Corporation.

WHAT:

Nestlé is announcing three new company initiatives as it launches a two-day forum in partnership with the UN Partnership Office and the Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations.

The initiatives include an expanded nutrition education program for school age children around the world, new projects in the field of rural development in Africa, and a new prize awarded every other year to foster innovative approaches to solve problems of nutrition, water, and rural development.

These initiatives are an integral part of Nestlé’s way of doing business, which is to create shared value both for shareholders and for society as a whole.

Join us for the press conference on Monday, April 27 and watch the forum online throughout the day on Tuesday April 28.

WHO:

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlé Chairman, and Paul Bulcke, Nestlé CEO, will discuss how these programs fit with the company’s goals. They will also introduce Nestlé’s new Creating Shared Value Advisory Board, an assembly of the world’s leading experts in corporate strategy, water, nutrition, and rural development who will meet over the course of the two-day forum.

WHEN:             

Press Conference: Monday, April 27th, 2009 8:15 a.m. (EDT)

Log-in & Attendance Details:

1. Please go online to Nestlé to watch the webcast.


2. If you are a credited reporter, you can:

- call into a teleconference to ask questions

- attend the press conference in person in New York City

- the presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.

If you are a credited reporter, please register for the teleconference or request to attend in person by contacting:

Christopher Morris, Widmeyer Communications, christopher.morris@widmeyer.com, 646.213.7246

Forums: Tuesday, April 28th, 2009, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (EDT)

09:00 AM – 11:00 AM:   Creating Shared Value: Can Shareholder & Society’s Interests be Aligned?

11:00 AM – 12:45 PM:   Water: The Growing Water Security Crisis: Needed Solutions in Policy & Action

01:45 PM – 03:15 PM:   Rural Development & Food Production: Needed Solutions in Policy & Action

03:45 PM – 05:30 PM:   Translating Greater Food Production into Better Nutrition & Quality Diets

For more information about the Forum, please go online to Nestlé.