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Watchful waiting While U.S. soybean growers' attitudes about Asian soybean rust (ASR) range from concern to near panic, it is not a new threat to many soybean growers Be prepared If the prospect of Asian soybean rust (ASR) hasn't already given you a scare, keeping track of the treatment options could add to the fright. A dozen Dry run IN 2005, agricultural retailers confronted grower fears, procured adequate fungicide supplies and developed plans for rapid application, all for a disease 4 ideas for coping with ASR WORK HARD to manage growers' expectations about Asian soybean rust (ASR), advises Duane Mol, chemical manager for Crop Production Services, Galesburg, Soybean rust Is this the year? AT THIS time a year ago, retailers were scurrying to stock up on fungicides to quell panic among soybean growers about Asian soybean rust (ASR) and finalizing Ready for rust A new fungicide, plus label changes on existing fungicides, will give growers and crop advisors more choices for controlling Asian soybean rust (ASR) Reaching rust Results from a two-year Ohio spray study show air-assisted technologies consistently perform best in delivering fungicide below the middle and lower-leaf canopy where Asian soybean rust (ASR) is most likely to develop First lab accredited BIODIAGNOSTICS of River Falls, WI, is the first seed lab in the United States to become a USA Accredited Seed Lab under USDA's new seed lab testing program. Weed control in small grains TWO NEW broadleaf weed herbicides geared to wheat and other small grains will be available for growers this spring. CleanWave and Starane NXTcp herbicides Price hike for services FIGURES FROM the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicate that between the last week of February 2005 and the last week Grain storage spillover LIKE MANY grain-handling businesses, Buckingham Cooperative, near Waterloo, IA, needed to react quickly last year to find enough storage space to accommodate Recycling adds up 0 Cost to grower, dealer or custom applicator, in most areas 3 Rinses per container for triple-rinse 4 Recycling contractors serving the ACRC across the A fresh approach We need to look from the outside in to step back and reassess how we are conducting business, says retailer Tim Sanders of the DeLong Company, Clinton, Valued partners In the last few years, distributors of crop inputs have seen their role evolve from warehouse and transportation managers to providers of information FROM THE TOP Tell us about your experience with Syngenta Crop Protection in Latin America and what that experience will mean to your new position here in North America. FROM THE TOP Are you pleased with the acceptance of ESN Smart Nitrogen, and how does that new product fit with retailers and their relationships with their customers? Value and profits Although retailers across the country specialize in helping growers produce a wide variety of crops from rice to soybeans to peppers, retailers have one FROM THE TOP An interview with Stan Howell, vice president, North America Regional Commercial Unit, Dow AgroSciences Tell us about Glyphomax XRT and Durango herbicides Complaint control UNCOOPERATIVE WEATHER patterns in much of the Corn Belt kept many ag retailers and applicators working overtime to keep pace with farmer demands this 3 ideas to help you keep customers THESE DAYS it's extra challenging to satisfy and keep customers, says Nancy Friedman, president, Telephone Doctor, St. Louis, MO, an international customer Invaluable service WHY SHOULD ag retailers sell services? The resulting customer interaction is invaluable and helps create long-term ties that are difficult for competitors Treat seeds for success SINCE THE INTRODUCTION of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant traits in corn and soybeans, ag retailers have seen a huge shift Invaluable service WHY SHOULD ag retailers sell services? The resulting customer interaction is invaluable and helps create long-term ties that are difficult for competitors Shipping paper and label changes NEW DEVELOPMENTS in the harmonization of international standards will change some of the shipping and label designations to which ag retailers have been 4 risks in buying fertilizer PERHAPS THE biggest lesson learned by the agricultural supply industry in the past year is that the business environment is riskier than ever, especially The well-appointed Seed portfolio Not Unlike clothing stores attuned to the latest fashions, ag retailers will be carrying certain must-have seed and seed accessories for spring 2007. Tools of the trade Growers have become more dependent on the tools of precision ag to manage their margins, and ag retailers that can help producers use the new technologies Thwart meth makers Some 10.4 million Americans age 12 or older have used methamphetamine (meth) at least once in their lifetimes Assessment tool The Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA) has a good tool to help ag retailers ensure that they are complying with regulatory requirements Courting the young customer Ag retailers trying to determine how to sell to their younger customers should not make assumptions about their motivations or buying habits. Some [young 6 steps to capture customers online Most agricultural retailers have Web sites, but they rarely use them effectively as a business-building tool. That's a shame, because a Web site has the Now! Recently I had one of the most incredible discussions I've had in 25 years. Following a series of seminars AgKnowlogy conducted with Apply, I contacted Shifting loyalties I like orange juice in the morning as part of my breakfast ritual. What made me think about that was a study done at the University of California Berkeley