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BREAKING NEWS Court rules in favor of Monsanto A U.S. district court in St. Louis, MO, recently denied efforts to certify an antitrust class-action suit levied against Soybean crop protection manufacturers Advanced Biological Marketing America's Best Inoculant High Concentrate: Advanced Biological Marketing designed this 3.1-liter high concentrate inoculant Strong track record In Wyoming County in upstate New York the state's top dairy county farmers are looking for good silage hybrids as well as good hybrids for grain. Tom Innovations at Agromek Boom controller, seed monitor. LH Agro introduced its 75 Command Box at Agromek. The Command Box can command up to seven boom sections using pulse width Fungicide-insecticide combo SYNGENTA CROP Protection hosted two June field tours near Gilbert, IA, and Champaign, IL. Company seed treatment specialists, university experts and crop One up on Wal-Mart AN IMPORTANT part of the success of Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is attributed to its sophisticated inventory management systems. In the world Double-span pivot A NEW dual-span irrigation pivot from Valmont Irrigation is helping growers in the West raise high-density crops such as carrots. Two sets of spans on 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. Stacks flood seed market SEED COMPANIES recently announced the release of their new 2006 corn hybrids and soybean varieties. Technology traits continue to dominate the market, Win free seed GARST SEED Company is celebrating its 75th anniversary in the seed business by giving away 75 acres of free Garst brand seed corn to 75 growers. Growers 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 Virtual terminal THE NEW IntelliAg virtual terminal from Dickey-john is designed to interface with seed sensors, shaft monitors and hydraulic valves on planters, grain 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. New products from Garst GARST SEED Company, based in Slater, IA, offers 31 new corn hybrids and 18 new soybean varieties for 2006. Nine of the new hybrids contain Agrisure traits, State-of-the-art facility SYNGENTA SEEDS recently celebrated renovations to its Phillips, NE, corn production facility. The $4.7 million project increases the plant's seed-conditioning Ways to manage health-care costs AS INSURANCE rates have risen over the last few years, ag retailers have looked for more cost-effective ways to offer high-quality benefits for their Looking to lenders CROP INPUT financing programs have become as competitive as the products themselves, and all signs point to a continuation of this trend. The crop input 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) Pro-Chute helps fill the planter Snap the new Pro-Chute discharge chute onto a bulk seed box and watch seed slide smoothly into a planter or planter fill equipment. The Pro-Chute, from Bayer sells Trace BAYER CROPSCIENCE announced plans to sell its on-farm application seed treatment business to Chemtura Corporation, Middlebury, CT. The transaction includes Memorable field days FIELD DAY season rolls around again in just a few months. Farmers will attend, knowing they will more than likely get a good meal and a seed cap. But Seed trackers THE MANY new combinations of traits and seed-applied insecticides have quickly multiplied the number of seed choices available to growers. Although most 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. Shift to seed Dealing with change can be stressful, but change has created a significant upside in the business revenue of two South Dakota ag retailers 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 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, Swift action Timing is the name of the game in treating Asian soybean rust. That message was sounded loud and clear by researchers and company executives at the recent 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 Environmental protectors Agricultural businesses and individuals must project a positive image by promoting environmental stewardship of the crop protection industry to receive Learning the lessons When you've had the chance to visit with farmers, ag retailers, and farm managers for more than 30 years, there's one thing you learn right away about 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 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 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 Service-selling tips WHEN SELLING to a customer, you must illustrate value, and to keep a customer, you must prove value over time, says John Wagner, president of AgRePlan More E85 at the pump CHS ANNOUNCES it will provide a Cenex-branded E85 fuel to 22 terminals in Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and South 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. Low impact? U.S. SOYBEAN producers, bombarded almost daily with reports of new discoveries of Asian soybean rust, may be wondering at what point new findings of the 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 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 Wireless grain COMMODITY Resource Corporation (CRC) based in Caledonia, NY, is one of a growing number of operations that are working to bring bulk commodity handling 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 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, 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 To expand or not to expand EXPANSION THROUGH merger or acquisition has been taking place in the ag retail industry for some time now. Some mergers and acquisitions have gone relatively Atrazine adjustments FOR GROWERS concerned with using atrazine to control weeds on sensitive watersheds, management alternatives are plentiful, says Bill Johnson, Purdue University Optimal application NOT EVERY expert agrees on how best to boost a sprayer's effectiveness, but few would disagree that the ultimate objective of a crop protection application 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, Variable-rate review GLOBAL POSITIONING systems (GPS) and variable-rate technology (VRT) have been available to ag retailers and their farmer-customers for more than a decade 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 Natural disaster preparation LAST YEAR'S hurricanes and flooding made many stop and think about what they would do if they, too, were hit by such a natural disaster. Not long after Less chemistry, more biotechnology BY NOW, it's no surprise to most agricultural retailers that few new herbicides are entering the corn and soybean marketplace. Because new product development Cherry-picked software solutions WHEN MIDLAND Co-op Inc. and Impact Cooperative Inc. became partners in 2002, the partnership, called Midland-Impact LLP, faced the challenge of integrating 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 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 Old habits die hard YOUR GROWERS' crop rotation has most likely changed over the years, but their lime applications may not reflect that change. Some Midwestern researchers 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 Too reliant on Roundup? RYEGRASS AND marestail were the first two weeds to develop resistance to glyphosate, such as Roundup and Touchdown herbicides, but they won't likely be 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 First-class delivery SPRAYER AIR technologies have been around for more than 20 years, but until recently, retailers and growers didn't use them much. That has changed, due Environmental edge SOME AG retail businesses have found a lucrative new enterprise in an unlikely source: manure. Take the Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), Sioux Center, 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 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 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 The Phosphorus Index NEW EPA and USDA efforts to improve surface water quality throughout the nation emphasize keeping a close eye on phosphorus (P), says Antonio Mallarino, 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 Nourishing the bottom line Offering nutrient management services requires a fair amount of investment whether it be in additional staff, training, specific software or simply more 21 days and counting It generally takes 21 days for a certain behavior to become a habit, says Colleen Francis, president of Engage Selling Solutions, a sales training company 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, Covering new ground Venturing into new markets can have its ups and downs. Some ag retailers have successfully added lawn and garden or hobby farmer product lines, for example New GVM sales rep Charlie Hickman takes over as the southern sales representative for GVM, Inc. He brings 20 year’s experience in related fertilizer and crop protection Q&A DAN TOWERY created Ag Conservation Solutions, an ag consulting business, in January 2005, after working 25 years with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation 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 Cotton crop protection manufacturers Bayer CropScience A new product on the way to help California cotton growers battle mites this season is Oberon Insecticide/Miticide. Belonging to a new 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 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 Nematode knowledge A NEW online course about cotton nematodes is now available from Syngenta Crop Protection and offers certified crop advisors one continuing education 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. New calcium products ProfitPro, Albert Lea, MN, introduces two new proprietary calcium products SoilCal and PlantCal. According to the company, SoilCal conditions the soil Precise ag chemical injection CHEMILIZER says its new CP33 injector adjusts easily to a range of water volumes and helps to deliver chemicals quickly and accurately into the water Ready for an E-business bonanza? Ag retailers might want to reexamine how to better attract and retain customers via Web-based tools. According to experts from Purdue University, more The first impression Finding reputable home remodeling and repair companies is never easy, but after we decided to replace all the windows on the front of our 30-year-old Managing what you know What do we know? I might say I know my customers, but what does this mean? Do I know these people socially, and do I have deep knowledge of their business The meaning of full-service dealer At a recent international conference, my Brazilian pesticide stewardship counterpart, Joao Rando of the industry-run organization inpEV, described in Win back lost customers If you could increase your chance of selling to a particular customer group by 20 to 40%, would you pursue it? According to research from Marketing Metrics, 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 Marketing your services PICK UP ANY marketing book and you'll find hundreds of ideas that you could use to market your services and products, but before deciding to implement Stay ahead of your customers WITH THE fast pace of change nowadays, identifying your customers' needs may seem like trying to hit a target moving at the speed of a Japanese bullet Communicate 24/7 Creative agricultural retailers have learned that the Internet, once feared to be the potential source of unwanted competition from afar, has turned out 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 3 ideas for finding good employees ASK ANY ag retailer today about his or her biggest challenges and most likely finding good employees will be at or near the top of the list. Recognizing RMP compliance Looking for help in training personnel about Risk Management Program (RMP) requirements? The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is offering myRMP, a Web-based Immigration reform Just how important is agricultural immigration reform? Judging by a letter that was sent to Congress last month, it's extremely important to almost 400 CROPS Arrow herbicide Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA) introduces Arrow herbicide, the first generic clethodim, which can be used for eliminating the Inoculant application system PIONEER HI-BRED International says silage producers can save time and wear and tear on their choppers by using its patented Appli-Pro Super Low Volume Aphid-resistant soybeans PIONEER HI-BRED International is analyzing its soybean varieties for resistance to soybean aphid. The company has screened numerous soybean lines with Switch hitter THE PIONEER Inno portable satellite radio plays XM Satellite Radio's 160 digital radio channels, plus MP3 and WMA music files. It also has memory to record 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