Clearfield expanded BASF and DowAgroSciences have agreed to expand the availability of the Clearfield Production System (formerly known as IMI-corn from Cyanamid) herbicide-tolerant trait to the seed corn industry. Dow already markets the trait in hybrids sold through its Mycogen Seeds business unit. Now it can produce and sublicense the technology to third-party seed companies through its crop genetics marketing subsidiary Advanced AgriTraits LLC. The purpose of the pact is to combine BASF's herbicide-tolerant crop expertise with DowAgroSciences' insect protection traits and hybrid development skills.

Don't overlook secondary pests Remind your customers that secondary soil pests are reason enough in some cases to justify the cost of a soil insecticide. David Englund, Farmers National Company, Hastings, NE, says while his firm's overall use of soil insecticides has gone down during the last three or four years because of switching from continuous corn to rotations, he still sees a frequent need to control wireworms. Cutworms are also a threat when corn is planted into wheat stubble or eco-fallow.

Crop consultant Lance Murrell, Ida Grove, IN, thinks that secondary pests do more damage than is commonly thought. "When we cut back to two-thirds or three-fourths the recommended rates on insecticides, we may still control rootworms, but we may also have been sacrificing control of certain secondary pests," he says.

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