In the first key ruling on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in Europe, a majority of Member States refused to support a proposed restriction on the chemical’s use.

 

Very close to the downtown area of Frankfurt, Germany, lies a sprawling 11/2 -sq.-mile industrial park that straddles both sides of the Main River. It’s an impressive sight, with all the trappings you’d expect. It is here where Bayer CropScience houses its global research and development programs of the company’s herbicides.

A new series of Pioneer brand soybean products, developed through the DuPont Pioneer Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT) process, will bring soybean growers across North America a range of high yielding varieties.

Weed resistance in corn and soybean fields is driving a renewed interest in a wide variety of crop protection products. And companies are responding. They have produced an arsenal of herbicides that feature multiple modes of action, new manufacturing processes, and improved formulations of older products. These products offer growers many options for protecting the yield potential of their corn and soybean fields. Here’s a look at what’s new.

As seed companies continue to deliver new genetics and trait packages in their seed products, producers can expect to pay a bit more in 2013. While individual pricing packages vary depending on the product mix, industry sources indicate seed will be 5% to 10% higher.

Press conferences are a staple to the life of an agricultural journalist. They are a necessary function that allows us to gather news and information of critical importance to our readers. But they are also critical to companies as well. These meetings allow the company to disseminate relevant information to its audience. And depending on the company, the media attending a press conference can be from the surrounding states, or worldwide. The news generated from these events can help tell a story of a new product, provide updated market information to shareholders, and even provide a glimpse of the company’s overall marketing strategy. It’s truly a goldmine of information for journalists. Often, however, we only report what goes on behind the microphone. To be fair, it’s often what is said at these events that is the news story. But these events also sometimes give us a glimpse of the company that goes beyond the media packet or press release. And through these photos, we’d like to share a glimpse of a media event. I had the opportunity to attend the worldwide annual press conference for Bayer CropScience in Monheim, Germany. Journalists from around the world assembled in Monheim to listen to company updates from top management, and to ask questions.

The DLG Field Days is a three-day open-air agricultural show that is held every other year, organized by the DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts- Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society). This year’s show was held in Bernburg-Strenzfeld, Germany, at the site of DLG’s International Crop Production Center. The region, which was located in the former East Germany, has some of the most highly productive farmland in all of Europe.