By Dave Downing

Senior Marketing Manager

Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA)

You don’t need a weather report to see a perfect storm brewing in the agrichemical market as factors on several economic fronts collide. High oil prices. A declining dollar. More acres going into production. Widespread adoption of biotech crops worldwide – especially glyphosate tolerant crops. …more

INDIANAPOLIS — April 11, 2008 — Dow AgroSciences has selected two industry veterans to head marketing and research efforts leading to the anticipated launch of SmartStax™ in 2010. Brent Stauffacher was recently named SmartStax product manager and Doug Barker is the SmartStax research and development project lead. …more

Program Offers Attractive Premiums for Soybean Growers

DES MOINES and IOWA CITY, Iowa, April 10, 2008 – Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, and Asoyia, Inc., have entered into an agreement making Pioneer® brand one percent ultra low linolenic soybean varieties with the Roundup Ready® trait eligible for participation in the Asoyia® Identity Preserved soybean program. …more

Growers have a new solution for controlling a broad range of insect pests



RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (April 10, 2008) ¾ Soybean growers faced with the most damaging sucking and chewing pests have a new tool. Leverage® 2.7SE insecticide from Bayer CropScience recently received EPA registration for soybeans. Featuring two modes of action and a broad spectrum of protection, Leverage 2.7 controls a wide range of pests such as soybean aphid, bean leaf beetle, Japanese beetle and corn rootworm beetles. Leverage 2.7 is also registered for use in cotton. …more

Reinforces Long-Term Commitment to Product Development in the Region

VOLGA, S.D., April 10, 2008 - Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, today announced plans to build a permanent research center here. The new site represents a $3.5 million investment in a state-of-the-art facility, equipment and professional staff to develop and deliver exceptional hybrids for farmers in South Dakota, western Minnesota and northwest Iowa.

The new research center will open this fall and support a major expansion in Pioneer efforts to develop corn hybrids for the northwestern Corn Belt. …more

Program Offers Attractive Premiums for Soybean Growers

DES MOINES and IOWA CITY, Iowa, April 10, 2008 - Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, and Asoyia, Inc., have entered into an agreement making Pioneer® brand 1 percent ultra low linolenic soybean varieties with the Roundup Ready® trait eligible for participation in the Asoyia® Identity Preserved soybean program. …more

Growers boost their potential return-on-investment with a two-pass program

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (April 8, 2008) ¾ Corn, soybean and cereals growers know that weed control is a good practice. But weed management is even better.

Weed management means addressing weeds before they cause significant economic impact in your corn fields—not simply eliminating weeds, regardless of size or type. …more

Research Triangle Park, N.C., April 8, 2008 — Bayer CropScience LP and Monsanto Company today entered into an exclusive agreement on a new cutting-edge fungicide seed treatment for corn. The treatment, which is expected to be commercialized in conjunction with the planned launch of Monsanto’s SmartStax™ seed offering in 2010, will provide corn farmers with a significant improvement in early-season protection against seedling diseases and insects. …more

Greensboro, N.C., April 7, 2008 - Input costs racing upward at a steady pace are putting more pressure on growers’ bottom lines, requiring them to rethink their profit picture and place a sharper eye on inputs. However, commodity prices are at all-time highs, which is very encouraging for the agricultural industry because of the increased demand for commodities from global pressures for feed, food and fuel. …more

GREENSBORO, N.C. and DES MOINES, Iowa, April 7, 2008 – In 2008, the newly released soybean varieties introduced by Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, will be treated with a CruiserMaxx™ Beans brand seed treatment from Syngenta Seed Care, offering soybean growers a powerful combination of traits and pest protection. …more