Bayer CropScience and Janssen Pharmaceutica nv, Beerse, Belgium, have concluded a multi-year research agreement to develop new

AMERICAN NEWS AND MARKETS

CROP PROTECTION INPUTS CAN SAVE MONEY ON FERTILISERS

Crop protection input costs account for less than 15% of a grower’s variable production costs for corn and soybeans, but can provide returns of 300% or more, according to Syngenta Crop Protection. “In 2008, crop protection was estimated to account for 8.8% of corn variable costs and 12.4% of soybean variable costs,” reports Pat Steiner, AgriEdge corn programme manager with Syngenta. “In corn, extensive research has demonstrated that a soil-applied herbicide is one of the best investments you can make,” said Mr Steiner. This was recently reinforced by results from independent herbicide timing studies conducted in 2007 and 2008. According to researchers at the Ohio State University, pre-emergence herbicides typically give around a 10% yield advantage over post emergence application when the weeds are larger than 4 to 6 inches (10 to 12.5cms) tall. The additional revenue, minus the cost of pre-emergence herbicides of approximately $10 to $15 per acre ($24.7 to $37.1 per ha) gives growers $6 to $30 more per acre in net gain, they conclude.
Early-season weed control can also save money on corn fertiliser, according to a recent University of Wisconsin (UW) study that teamed soil specialists with weed scientists to evaluate the effects of herbicide timing on nitrogen (N) efficiency. “In 2006 and 2007 field studies, delayed post-emergence glyphosate programmes required up to two times more nitrogen to produce the same corn yield as plots treated with pre-emergence herbicides or early post-emergence herbicides,” reports Chris Boerboom, UW weed scientist.  Giant foxtail and common lambsquarters were the predominant weed species in both years.  To encourage early season weed control, Syngenta’s AgriEdge corn programme offers incentives for using a range of pre-emergence herbicides in conjunction with qualifying Garst, Golden Harvest or NK Seeds corn hybrids.  Incentives for early-season weed control in NK Soybeans are also available through the AgriEdge soybean programme.

DU PONT LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCTS IN INDIA

DuPont Crop Protection has recently launched three new products in India which the company says will make a real contribution to the prosperity of rice and sugar cane farmers in the northern parts of the country. The new products include a novel new insect control product, Coragen, and two new weed control products Londax Power and Velpar. “All three products will help the farmers to protect their crops, improve crop quality and optimise yield potential,” said Ram Mudholkar, director, DuPont Crop Protection, South Asia. Coragen is gives long lasting control of a wide range of damaging pests on rice, sugar cane, cotton crops, cabbage and cauliflower. It is based on Rynaxypyr the award winning new chemistry from DuPont. Londax Power weed control comes in an easy-to-use granular formulation and is a new option for long-lasting control of grasses and broadleaf weeds in rice through a single application. Velpar K-4 (hexazinone) provides control of broadleaf weed and grasses in sugar cane.

SIPCAMADVAN EXITS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH CERTIS

SipcamAdvan is exiting its US distribution agreement with Certis USA, effective 1 May 2009. This is in line with its strategy of further strengthening its proprietary portfolio of biorational plant protection products. “We value the relationship we have had with Certis in the US and abroad, but see major advantages to building our own exclusive line of biorational products,” said SipcamAdvan president and CEO Andy Lee. “The biorational market holds tremendous potential, and we look forward to expanding our offering of profitable and differentiated solutions.”


“The development of biorational products that are as effective or better than conventional chemistry is a high priority for us, and part of our long-term strategy to meet the needs of a changing market,” added Mr Lee. “Biorational and conventional crop protection products can be complementary and allow growers to achieve cost effective production, while meeting the demands of consumers”. In addition to an expanding

line of biorational products marketed under the ADVAN brand, SipcamAdvan markets a comprehensive line of plant protection products based on traditional chemistries.

MONSANTO DONATES COTTON TECHNOLOGY TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Texas AgriLife Research (http://agriliferesearch.tamu.edu) has received a large private donation of cotton technology from Monsanto. This includes some 4,000 cotton molecular markers and associated information which will be offered to the public domain through the globally accessible cotton genome databases. “This will benefit research programmes and breeders interested in one of world's key crops,” said John Purcell, global cotton technology lead for Monsanto. The gift is expected to not only help scientists further map the cotton genome, but also has the potential to provide valuable contributions to cotton farmers. "Farmers are looking for ways to increase productivity to meet growing demand for food, feed and fibre," added Mr Purcell. “Last year, we announced a challenge to double production by 2030, using 2000 as the base. We think that's possible through our research and by working with others in the industry through efforts like this. The donation of molecular markers is an active component of realising that vision and will help the cotton community achieve that goal.”
Dr Richard Percy, research leader of the US Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service's crop germplasm research unit manages the cotton database, which will house the information. He said the donation greatly increases the number of markers now available to the public. “The cotton genome is very large and complex compared to other plants that have already been mapped. This donation will stimulate research and development in the cotton industry by providing powerful tools that will ultimately help cotton farmers get more out of every acre. Scientists often use genetic markers as a flag to identify the specific location of a genetic trait on a chromosome. By flagging the desired trait, plant breeders can breed plants more efficiently and more accurately. Monsanto researchers have found areas of the cotton genome that have disease resistance or high yield potential. Adding markers helps the researchers easily find specific traits where and when they need them. Markers also allow us to screen a lot of cotton varieties in the lab before even going to the field.”