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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Atrazine adjustments FOR GROWERS concerned with using atrazine to control weeds on sensitive watersheds, management alternatives are plentiful, says Bill Johnson, Purdue University Listen up JUST HEARING the words of a speaker does not make for a good listener. Real listening the kind that brings results, solves problems and clarifies the 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 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 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 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 The great (driverless) race IT TOOK two tries over two years and a doubling of the prize money from $1million to $2 million, but in October 2005, the DARPA Grand Challenge found 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 GreenSeeker goes red GREENSEEKER technology will now be sold in the South and Midwest through Redball. The GreenSeeker technology that uses optical sensing for crop application 8 ways to reduce atrazine runoff ANOTHER CROP season means another season of atrazine application. Farmers and custom applicators need to take steps to protect sensitive watersheds from 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 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, 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 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 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) 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 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 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 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, 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, 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 Complete systems THE WORD may cause some ag retailers to cringe, but not Rod Miller, seed systems manager for Crop Fertility Specialists (CFS), Rossville, IN. Miller says Dry run IN 2005, agricultural retailers confronted grower fears, procured adequate fungicide supplies and developed plans for rapid application, all for a disease 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 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 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 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 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 Design inspiration AN EXCELLENT company Web site is much more than a billboard in cyberspace. Instead, it creates an inviting and easy-to-use environment where prospective 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 3 steps in creating a company brochure WHEN YOU create a brochure for your company, the act of identifying the benefits your customer receives from your service is, in and of itself, a valuable Achiever or Struggler? THE FUTURE of agriculture is likely to look dramatically different in the next 10 years, says David Kohl, professor emeritus, agricultural finance and 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 It's not all about you According to business speaker and coach Donald Cooper, most businesses make the mistake of defining themselves by what they sell and by how they do business 5 ways to build referrals How can I get more referrals? is a question that Colleen Francis, president of Engage Selling Solutions, a sales training company based in Ottawa, Ontario 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