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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 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 New weapon in herbicide arsenal THE INTRODUCTION of a new herbicide that can be used on rangeland, pastures, wildlife habitat areas and other non-cropland areas has sparked the interest 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 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) 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 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 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 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 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 BREAKING NEWS Low Foam Technology Syngenta announces that new Touchdown Total herbicide with Low Foam Technology reduces foaming during mixing and tank fill. Low Foam CROPS Arrow herbicide Makhteshim Agan of North America (MANA) introduces Arrow herbicide, the first generic clethodim, which can be used for eliminating the New calcium products ProfitPro, Albert Lea, MN, introduces two new proprietary calcium products SoilCal and PlantCal. According to the company, SoilCal conditions the soil Software developers and suppliers 2005 AGRIS Corporation 800/795-7995; Fax: 770/238-5205 E-mail: info@agris.com; sales@agris.com Web site: www.agris.com What's new: AgroGuide is an agronomy End wheel ruts WHEEL RUTS challenge growers who irrigate, especially in certain soil types. The new Spider Dual Drive by Valley helps alleviate rut problems in the field. Apache line grows EQUIPMENT Technologies unveiled two new self-propelled sprayers at a recent media event. The new AS710 and AS1010 join the Indiana company's line of Apache 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, 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 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 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 Nematode knowledge A NEW online course about cotton nematodes is now available from Syngenta Crop Protection and offers certified crop advisors one continuing education 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, 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 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 Spiral stairway BROWNIE'S NEW Safe-T-Max spiral stairway system is made of all-galvanized steel and modular construction for easy installation. Smooth, circular, 1-in. 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 Better lifting WORKSAVER HAS developed a new rail-style pallet fork that attaches to a tractor's front loader. The new PF-448 fork will easily handle bulky or palletized New formulation DUPONT'S STEWARD EC insecticide in a new formulation has received registration approval from EPA. The new formulation is in a more convenient form, according Tougher Tundra GROWERS AND retailers who want more options for a full-size pickup will have another choice next year. Toyota is releasing an all-new, next-generation New radial technology JUST WHEN you thought the radial bulge couldn't get any bigger, Michelin introduces its new Axiobib IF800/70R38 tire with technology. The tire is mounted No-shake shots CANON'S NEW Elph PowerShot SD700 IS digital camera uses image-stabilization technology from its video camera and high-end still camera lines to improve JCB Fastrac tractor THE 8250 Fastrac is the largest tractor JCB has ever built. A Tier-3-compliant, 8.3-liter Cummins QSC engine produces 280 hp and 1,179 Nm of torque. The 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, 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 Reinventing the radial Michelin Ag says it has taken radial technology to the next level. Last month the company rolled out its new IF800/70R38 Axiobib radial tire with Ultraflex Next level of guidance When lightbar guidance systems came on the market a few years back, agricultural retailers and custom applicators quickly saw their potential to improve both application quality and the quantity of work that could be accomplished in a day 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 Soybean crop protection manufacturers Advanced Biological Marketing America's Best Inoculant High Concentrate: Advanced Biological Marketing designed this 3.1-liter high concentrate inoculant Wireless controls guide pivots A NEW GPS-guided irrigation control system from Reinke helps growers keep track of year-round pivot activities and ensures correct alignments with 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 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 A boom in control AUTOMATIC BOOM section control is emerging as one of the most popular features on high-tech sprayers. As controller manufacturers have added this option 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 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 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 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, BT breakdowns Corn growers may never find a method to control corn rootworms with 100% effectiveness. Even Bt rootworm hybrids sometimes stumble in their attempts