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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 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 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 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 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 Soybean rust confirmed in Georgia The USDA recently announced that Asian soybean rust has been identified in Seminole County, GA, on volunteer soybeans. This is the first confirmed U.S. PRODUCTS New fertilizer grades Honeywell has launched two new grades of Sulf-N ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S) and improved quality specifications and supply for Pollen blocker HOEGEMEYER HYBRIDS, a regional seed company based in Hooper, NE, appears to have found a way to prevent cross contamination of pollen from genetically 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 Atrazine adjustments FOR GROWERS concerned with using atrazine to control weeds on sensitive watersheds, management alternatives are plentiful, says Bill Johnson, Purdue University Nematode knowledge A NEW online course about cotton nematodes is now available from Syngenta Crop Protection and offers certified crop advisors one continuing education Company merger CROMPTON Corporation and Great Lakes Chemical Corporation recently completed an all-stock merger to create Chemtura Corporation, the fourth largest publicly 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 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 Unlimited calling THE CHATTER Bug is about the size of a computer mouse, but it has the power to provide unlimited long-distance calling in the U.S. and Canada for $9.95 Cover-All offers hybrid COVER-ALL Building Systems introduces a new building with a clean exterior design, unique shape and low roof line. Called the Meridian Building, the new 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 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 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, More ethanol plants New Cargill subsidiary Emerald Renewable Energy LLC has announced plans to develop four ethanol plants in the Midwest and is considering several potential 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,