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New grass herbicide SYNGENTA Crop Protection anticipates that its new postemergence grass herbicide Axial will be approved for U.S. and Canadian registration and sale later RMP compliance Looking for help in training personnel about Risk Management Program (RMP) requirements? The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is offering myRMP, a Web-based Hybrids for high-temp drying RESEARCHERS AT the University of Illinois have found that different hybrids handle drying at high temperatures better than others. The researchers found The adjuvant advantage MORE THAN 4,000 adjuvants are on the market today to help improve a herbicide's performance. Bryan Young, associate professor of weed science at Southern Tougher beans STEVE HENRY, who farms near Nevada, IA, is trying to learn everything he can about Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS). However, he's frustrated with the lack Scout for western bean cutworm WESTERN BEAN cutworms (WBCs) have been a problem in the western Corn Belt since the 1940s and last year were discovered to have migrated further east Double-crossed CORN MIGHT not be the only hybrid farmers find in their fields. While corn breeders have been making strides since they first hybridized corn in the '30s, Prevent rust in nurse tanks IF YOU test your company's nurse tanks, remember to put ammonia back into the tanks as soon as possible to prevent the inside of the tank from rusting, NH3 nurse tank data plates THE AGRIBUSINESS Association of Iowa (AAI) has provided updated information on how to keep NH3 nurse tanks in service if the tanks' ASME data plates are Climate change winners If climate changes that are predicted as a result of global warming turn out to be true, the U.S. Corn Belt will be one of the winners in a world where License plate enforcement The state of Illinois recently announced that it will more uniformly enforce the requirement for fertilizer wagons to have license plates Environmental protectors Agricultural businesses and individuals must project a positive image by promoting environmental stewardship of the crop protection industry to receive The "git 'r done" approach Git 'r done. Anyone who has watched the Blue Collar Comedy Tour knows the phrase has been a good one for Larry the Cable Guy. It might be just as good Computers don't get tired The sole purpose of Tri-State LLC, located in Fairmount, ND, is to supply either raw or blended fertilizer for other retailers. For that reason, it has Nurse tank plates THE ILLINOIS Fertilizer & Chemical Association recently posted an important reminder to ag dealers on its Web site. Nurse tanks for carrying anhydrous Strip-till's profit boost AG RETAIL businesses wanting to expand sales should investigate new ways to help current customers become more profitable, says Dan Towery, ag consultant, Buying flexibility A NEW 40,000-ton dry fertilizer plant standing alongside a unit-train spur in Alton, IA, has allowed its owners to largely avoid this winter's expensive Fertilizer outlook HIGH ENERGY prices that put the fertilizer market in the doldrums this fall and winter could result in spot shortages of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers Friends of the environment THE DECISION to invest in new storage and handling facilities in the last few years has reaped rewards for Eastern Farmers Co-op and Farmers Elevator New mix for pop-ups FMC CORPORATION has developed a new formulation of its Capture insecticide for corn that has better mixing properties than emulsifiable concentrates (EC) Price predictions THIS GROWING season there is good news about nitrogen fertilizer: It appears that prices for the fertilizer will fall in late spring and early summer Just-in-time fertilizer THE TIME when fertilizer dealers will be able to reliably supply customers who want to book fertilizer just before they need it is coming to an end. Dealers, Energy anxiety AFTER HURRICANE Katrina battered the Gulf States in August of last year and inflated the nation's energy-related prices, some ag retailers were caught 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 Smart nitrogen advances If David Hodges' experience with marketing Agrium's ESN (Environmentally Smart Nitrogen) fertilizer in 2006 is any indication, sales of the polymer-coated Volatile product Michigan is one of only six states to have passed legislation that regulates the use of ammonium nitrate, an important nitrogen (N) fertilizer used to Thwart meth makers Some 10.4 million Americans age 12 or older have used methamphetamine (meth) at least once in their lifetimes Crop Sensor: Q & A VIACHESLAV (SLAVA) Adamchuk is one of several U.S. land-grant researchers currently investigating innovative ways to use sensor technology for precision agriculture STEP up to stewardship The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) recently recognized three ag retailers that have gone above and beyond the requirements of their state and federal laws to ensure good stewardship in their communities Fall fertilizer forecast Fertilizer Management has become more of a year-round responsibility than it used to be, says Gayle Melcher, manager of Clarinda Co-op Company, Clarinda, Company merger CROMPTON Corporation and Great Lakes Chemical Corporation recently completed an all-stock merger to create Chemtura Corporation, the fourth largest publicly SPCC update THE EPA has been visiting agricultural dealerships to check on Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans, reports the Illinois Fertilizer MANAGING HIGH FUEL COSTS Q&A with Ken Burdullis, president, AG RX, Oxnard, CA AG RX is a full-service ag retailer providing products and services to growers from northern Los Angeles County to southern San Luis Obispo County in Contract savvy As more products with valuable output traits come out of the crop technology pipeline, so, too, should come new opportunities for ag retailers and growers. Urban opportunities URBANIZATION HAS contributed to the demise of some ag retail operations. But for retailers able to adapt to the changing landscape, it has opened new Droplet size control CONTROL OF spray droplet size is critical for minimizing the risk of drift, says Scott Bretthauer, University of Illinois Extension specialist in application Tough pumps THE NEW Diamond series 5500 roller pumps from Delavan Ag Pumps are made of a special alloy body and end plate to help them tolerate harsh agricultural Court good customers WHAT'S THE best way to keep good customers coming back and to attract new ones? Fix annoying problems The first step is to focus on frustrations, says Compatible data for GPS/GIS NEW SOFTWARE that allows automatic download of compatible data into major GPS/GIS software is now available from The Consulting Company of DeWitt, IA. Recycling news HOW-TO videos for rinsing and recycling and an order form for training materials are just a few of the many features on the Ag Container Recycling Council's 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 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 5 ASR tune-up tips ALTHOUGH ASIAN soybean rust (ASR) already has been found on kudzu across the South (see page 18), it's not too late to fine-tune your treatment plans 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. 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