Syngenta Thrive

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No grower wants to see their fertilizer investment go to waste, so it’s important to maximize yield potential early in the season by protecting this high input cost. By removing early-season weed competition, growers maximize fertilizer inputs — helping their crops take up essential nutrients.

Weeds not only steal water and sunlight from crops, but also take vital nutrients. As fertilizer costs continue to rise, weeds will impact growers’ bottom lines in yet another major way.

What’s Behind Rising Prices?

Many factors contributed to increased fertilizer costs over the past year. “One is increased demand,” says Shawn Hock, U.S. corn herbicide product lead for Syngenta. “There were transportation and distribution challenges as well. It’s a combination of several things.”

Another thing contributing to high prices are the sanctions resulting from the continued conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Belarus is a large producer of potash, and Russia is a large producer of nitrogen and phosphorus. Both countries have struggled to get those products to the world market because of sanctions, and with more trade barriers predicted in the future, the world market may be further disrupted.

Fertilizer prices hit a 13-year high in the spring of 2022 but have slightly decreased since. Regardless, high fertilizer cost remains top of mind for many growers as they head into the next growing season.

The good news: There are ways growers can mitigate high costs and get the most out of their fertilizer investment.

How Can High Fertilizer Costs be Mitigated?

Growers may be tempted to reduce spending on other inputs, like herbicides, to offset the high cost of fertilizer. But to reach the high yields they’re striving for, a strong weed-management program is a necessity.

“In today’s world, farmers are trying to increase yields to achieve record profits,” Hock says. “However, there are a number of rising inputs costs — not just fertilizer, but also seed, crop protection, land, labor, equipment and machinery. While there’s a chance for record profit, growers are squeezed by rising input costs.”

Hock recommends that growers “leverage investment in variable expenses — like fertilizer, crop protection and seed — to increase yield potential.” An important piece of this puzzle is eliminating weeds before they steal vital nutrients, space, water and sunlight from the crop.

“I would view the control of weeds as a prerequisite to high yield and would argue that the higher the yield, the greater the negative impact of weeds,” says Fred Below, professor and crop physiologist at the University of Illinois.

Below points out that weed control starts with a good preemergence herbicide. “If you can stop a weed from germinating in the first place, then it’s not going to compete with the crop for nutrients,” he says.

Weeds reduce the crop’s access to sunlight, water, space and nutrients. A Syngenta study across 20 locations found that weeds as short as 2-4 inches consumed 13.4 pounds of nitrogen, 0.85 pounds of phosphorus and 16.8 lbs. of potassium.1  At the time of the study, this equated to roughly $24 per acre in lost fertilizer nutrients alone. The current impact is even greater with increased fertilizer prices.

In addition to using a quality preemergence herbicide, knowing when and where to place fertilizer helps unlock the full potential of the investment. “If you place fertilizer where the crop row is going to be or time it to coincide when the crop roots are available, you can improve its efficiency of uptake,” Below says.

Lastly, know which nutrients already exist in the soil and in what quantities before making decisions on fertilizer investment. A soil test indicates nutrient levels, including those of potassium and phosphorus, and helps growers avoid overspending on fertilizer. That knowledge informs growers on how best to spend their hard-earned dollars.

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Should You Invest in a Weed Control Program?

When tackling tough weeds, implementing a full-season approach is important. Starting with a good preemergence herbicide containing multiple sites of action and following up with a post-emergence herbicide with residual control helps ensure weeds don’t get established and rob nutrients from the crop. Growers can carry that momentum into the offseason, keeping the weed seed bank low.

“When it comes to weed control, growers can take a multi-faceted approach,” Below says. “There are preemergent herbicides that prevent the weed from emerging in the first place. And then there are post-emergent herbicides, meaning the weed has emerged and growers are going to make an application in-season to control that weed.”

Hock reiterates the importance of using multiple active ingredients (AI) in an herbicide program. “Acuron® corn herbicide has four AIs, broad-spectrum weed control, long-lasting residual control and excellent crop safety,” he says. “Growers can protect their fertilizer investment by keeping the weeds controlled before they emerge with overlapping applications of this herbicide.”

Hock recommends growers apply their post-emergence herbicide on their second pass before weeds come up. As an alternate to Acuron, he recommends using a foundational preemergence herbicide like Lexar® EZ, Lumax® EZ or Calibra™ herbicides, followed by a post-emergence application of Acuron GT or Halex® GT herbicides. When it comes to soybean herbicide programs, growers should consider preemergence herbicides like Boundary® 6.5 EC and Tendovo® herbicides.

If growers can’t control weeds before they emerge, Hock suggests eliminating weeds before they reach 1-2 inches. However, weeds are already cutting into a growers’ fertilizer investments and stealing vital nutrients by that point. It is also important to check labels for application directions and best practices for herbicide-resistance management.

When making decisions for the new season, high input costs may tempt growers into looking for bundles or “deals.” But reducing upfront costs may also reduce yield potential. Ultimately, the growers who produce higher yields will have the greatest profits, Hock says. That starts with quality weed control and sound agronomic practices.

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1Weed Nutrient Uptake Source: Approximately 20 Syngenta Learning Center Research locations between 2006-2008. Nutrients measured from samples taken from weeds 1-2” and 2-4” in height. Analysis completed by Midwest Labs, Omaha, NE. Period from weed emergence to removal at 1-2” in height was 10 days and 2-4” in height was 20 days. Cost of Weed Uptake Source: https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/fertilizer-prices-rise-moderately-2021. Calculations used 28% UAN as the nitrogen source; DAP-(18-46-0) as the phosphorus source and muriate of potash-(0-0-60) as the potash source.

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During the 16 years since Syngenta launched Thrive, American farmers and their agricultural partners have taken giant steps toward feeding, fueling and clothing an ever-changing world with greater efficiency and success. Many of the people, relationships and technologies that spurred such unprecedented growth have appeared in Thrive® magazine.

This issue is no exception. On the pages that follow, you’ll learn about the hidden cost of weeds and the benefits of aerial fungicide applications. You’ll also discover best practices for introducing new products on your farm and gain better understanding why succession planning is paramount to safeguarding your family’s future.

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Syngenta understands that you deserve nothing less than our best and brightest to help illuminate the exciting road ahead.

Susan Fisher Founding Editor of Syngenta Thrive Magazine

As one of the magazine’s founding editors, I can honestly say that sharing these quarterly informational journeys with you — our loyal readers — has been one of the greatest professional honors of my life. Since 2007, you’ve welcomed the stories we thought you’d like to hear into your homes and offices. And, sometimes, when you allowed us to tell your story, you were the featured hero in print whose talents and hard work positively impacted your community and set the stage for a better tomorrow.

But, over the years, like the industry on which it reports, Thrive has advanced technologically and is poised to turn the page to a more robust, easily accessible digital-only format. While this inevitable transformation marks the end of the print magazine, its companion website, SyngentaThrive.com, will build on its success with more breaking news, stories from the farm, videos and interactive content — all readily available to you on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Admittedly, saying goodbye to Thrive print magazine this quarter is bittersweet for those of us who helped bring its pages to life. But a new day is dawning for SyngentaThrive.com, with an editorial and creative team that is more committed than ever to delivering the information you need to succeed in today’s fast-paced, complex marketplace. After all, Syngenta understands that you deserve nothing less than our best and brightest to help illuminate the exciting road ahead.

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It’s no secret that production costs will be significantly higher for the 2023 growing season. In the Midwest, the cost of raising a bushel of corn will exceed $5.50 per bushel next year, up from just $3.97 in 2020. Fertilizer remains an enormous source of the upturn, but pressure comes from nearly every budget line item.

Producers usually don’t have much flexibility to offset rising expenses. However, these three strategies help producers progress toward long-term goals despite higher costs.

#1. Be Aware of Availability Bias

Because readily accessible prices have an outsized impact on our thinking, most of us notice rapid cost changes quickly. For example, gasoline prices are posted on signs and updated daily. Prices for other goods and services, such as mowing your lawn or getting a haircut, aren’t nearly as visible. This is known as “availability bias” and occurs when the most readily available data impact perceptions. It’s no surprise managers often focus on categories with readily available prices.

Figure 1 shows the allocation of total production expenses, averaged back to 1991, for a 50:50 corn and soybean rotation in Indiana. Consider the fertilizer, seed, and pesticides category which accounted for 27% of total production expenses. The size of this slice undoubtedly varies from year-to-year and looks different in corn than in soybeans, but the idea is that farm managers may spend considerably more than 27% of their attention on these expenses.

A pie chart showing total expenses as percentages for high-quality Indiana farmland in 50:50 corn and soybean rotations
Figure 1. Percent of Total Expenses, High-quality Indiana Farmland. 50:50 corn-soybean rotation, 1991-2022.

#2. Mind Fixed Expenses

The left side of figure 1 shows the fixed expenses: family labor, land, and machinery. Collectively, these expenses account for the majority cost (59%) of raising corn and soybeans and present a few unique management challenges.

First, prices for family labor, land, and machinery don’t typically post and update regularly. For instance, a farm’s annual machinery expense is the depreciation, interest, repairs, taxes and insurance expenses of several pieces of equipment utilized over several years.

Second, fixed costs are challenging to calculate, measure accurately and incorporate into budgets. These costs may be predictable two or three years out, but initially measurement is challenging.

Third, fixed expenses can be tough to adjust lower in the short run. For example, a three-year cash rental agreement signed when corn is $7 per bushel will take years to renegotiate if corn prices suddenly change.

#3. Consider a Long-run Strategy

Producers know that those with the lowest cost accrue significant advantages in the long run. In other words, those with the lowest per-bushel cost are usually the most profitable. So the question is “how can producers create and maintain a long-run cost advantage?”

It’s important to sharpen the pencil across every category, but in most cases producers find the greatest differentiation and cost advantage within fixed costs. Alternatively, fixed costs tend to create long-term disadvantages.

Availability bias tempts producers to pursue a 5% – 10% advantage on variable expenses, while potentially overlooking more significant opportunities in fixed expenses. In addition to being a large share of total expenses, fixed expenses may offer a greater chance to find a 15% – 20% cost advantage.

Wrapping It Up

The allocation of costs looks slightly different for each commodity, but management implications are consistent. First, availability bias is a powerful force often focusing attention on variable expenses. Second, fixed costs are difficult to track but important to monitor in periods of rising prices. It can take several years to lower fixed costs if they get too high. Finally, producers should examine all categories to create and maintain long-term cost advantages. Often, it’s the categories that are hardest to measure and benchmark – such as machinery or family labor – that provide the biggest source of opportunity.

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David and Brent are the co-founders of Ag Economic Insights (AEI.ag). Founded in 2014, AEI.ag helps improve producers, lenders, and agribusiness decision-making through 1) the free Weekly Insights blog, 2) the award-winning AEI.ag Presents podcast – featuring Escaping 1980 and Corn Saves America, and 3) the AEI Premium platform, which includes the Ag Forecast Network decision tool. Visit AEI.ag or email David (david@aei.ag) to learn more. Stay curious.

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The passing of the head of the family is an emotional event, but when that transition also includes an agricultural business and decades of family tradition, it has even larger implications. By planning in advance for the farm’s future, farmers can protect relationships, finances and the family legacy.

Cari Rincker is an Illinois attorney whose firm, Rincker Law, PLLC, specializes in helping families plan for farm succession. Coming from a farm family herself, Rincker’s experience with farm succession issues is more than professional.

“My father is a farmer, and he’s looking at gradually reducing the time he spends doing physical labor,” she said. “So, as we go through that transition, we’re starting to have more conversations about what’s next.”

It can be difficult to talk to a loved one about the farm’s future, but such conversations lay the groundwork for a smoother transition from the owners to the successors, Rincker says.

“The law is one thing, but every family has its own dynamics,” she says. “When you’re talking about money, business and family, a lot of raw emotions can come up, and balancing all that can be quite a dance.”

Having a neutral third party in the room — or on the video conference — can help in those situations, she said, noting that farm succession mediation has become more common over the last 10 years.

Three overlapping components are important in plotting a farm’s future: estate, business and succession planning.

Estate planning may include making a will or trust to distribute assets to the intended beneficiaries, whether it’s a farm-specific asset or a more standard personal inheritance.

“I recommend trusts because assets in a trust don’t have to go through probate — they pass to the beneficiaries instantaneously,” Rincker says, noting that a will can take a year to go through probate before the assets are released. “I also recommend a trust because it’s private. It doesn’t ever become public record.”

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Don’t try to have this perfect estate plan right off the bat. Just get something in place and then perfect it over time. Because even if you don’t have a will or a trust, there is still a plan.

Cari Rincker Attorney, Rincker Law, PLLC

Business planning includes making the farm a business entity, such as a limited liability company or corporation, to help protect assets.

“A farm or ranch should consider becoming a business entity to reduce personal liability,” Rincker says. “General partnerships and sole proprietorships don’t protect the land or personal assets in a lawsuit.”

Succession planning, on the other hand, spells out who will assume the farm’s operation and in what roles.

“This is the transition of management and knowledge from one generation to the next,” she says. “It’s probably the most delicate aspect, but also the most important. Without that, it doesn’t matter how great your estate plan and your business plan, you’re not going to succeed in passing the farm business to the next generation.”

Expect the Unexpected

Andrew Branan, an attorney-turned-professor at North Carolina State University who focuses on farm succession planning, says the plan needs to include not just how the farm will pass to the successors, but what happens if, ultimately, it doesn’t.

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“One of my successes as a lawyer was a failure of succession,” Branan says.

Branan recounts working with a client who wanted to gift a percentage of his large, profitable operation to his two sons. His client’s plan included a provision for what would happen to those assets if the sons’ plans changed.

“A year or two later the client called and said his sons were leaving,” Branan says. “Fortunately for dad, he was able to hold on to the wealth — his operation wasn’t injured by having two of the principal players pick up their marbles and go.”

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Both Rincker and Branan note that the planning components are living documents that should be reviewed and revised as necessary, and that information gathering can be carried out by families while the legal documents are in the works. Basic operation manuals, written procedures and redundancies in access to everything from building keys to account and policy numbers prepare heirs and employees both for the future and for unforeseen events.

“Sometimes I get terrified thinking, ‘If something happened to my father, am I going to be able to find the FSA numbers or get all the details in order to deal with the growing season?’” Rincker says. “I think those are details families need to work on.”

Perhaps most important of all, Rincker says, don’t let perfect get in the way of good.

“Don’t try to have this perfect estate plan right off the bat,” she says. “Just get something in place and then perfect it over time. Because even if you don’t have a will or a trust, there is still a plan — it’s just the plan the law in your state has given you. I think we’d all rather have the autonomy to decide for ourselves how things will pass to the next generation.”

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Women increasingly aid agricultural transformations with their valuable perspectives and work. According to the 2017 USDA census of agriculture, 36% of United States farmers are women and 56% of all farms have at least one female decision-maker. Aside from their growing on-farm presence, women play key roles across agriculture, including the development of new crop protection technologies.

Janet Tarus, Ph.D., senior group leader in analytical development and product chemistry at Syngenta, was born and raised on a family farm in Kenya. Tarus came to the U.S. to complete her graduate studies at Louisiana State University and earned her doctorate in chemistry in 2004. She now works with the analytical development team to develop new methods to analyze crop protection products for quality, efficacy and reliability. “We’re constantly looking for ways to innovate and deliver better products to growers more quickly,” she says.

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Networking with other female farmers can help women navigate more effectively in this rapidly changing environment — and make better decisions.

Janet Tarus, Ph.D. Analytical Development and Product Chemistry Leader at Syngenta

Tarus embodies the Syngenta commitment to women in agriculture. She serves as a mentor to other women in ag and demonstrates the value that a global mindset brings to product development.

“One of the challenges women, and all farmers, face today is the sheer volume of information available regarding agricultural products and practices,” Tarus says. “Networking with other female farmers can help women navigate more effectively in this rapidly changing environment — and make better decisions. Working together, women can be a force in farming.”

With a goal of overcoming gender bias in the workplace, Syngenta provides opportunities for women through a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Syngenta actively supports industry events, such as the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, driving awareness and encouraging women pursuing agricultural careers.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 to recognize and empower the women who help drive industries. Learn more at www.internationalwomensday.com or join the conversation on social media with #WomensDay.

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College senior Johanna Hooten has two goals: be the first in her family to receive a college degree and earn that degree without taking on student loan debt. A Syngenta Accelerating a Generation Scholarship — one of six awards given annually to students seeking agriculture degrees — is helping her achieve just that.

Hooten calls the Accelerating a Generation Scholarship “a true blessing.” The scholarship is helping her remain debt-free while finishing her degree at Murray State University in southwest Kentucky.

Hooten was fascinated by pumpkins and watermelons as a child. That fascination grew into a passion for agriculture. She finds joy in teaching others about agriculture, and this is what drove her to pursue a degree in horticulture.

“I know that the only way to give others reliable information is to learn it first myself,” Hooten says.

Luke Heupel of Kalispell, Montana, another scholarship recipient, believes that agriculture improves the planet and its people.

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The world’s population is increasing, and the amount of usable farmland is decreasing. I believe that a degree in agriculture will allow me to do my part in helping to feed the world.

Luke Heupel Student at Montana State University

“The world’s population is increasing, and the amount of usable farmland is decreasing,” says Heupel, a sophomore at Montana State University. “I believe that a degree in agriculture will allow me to do my part in helping to feed the world.”

As part of the scholarship, students can designate a $500 donation to an agricultural charity or civic group. Heupel selected Field of Hope, a Christian nonprofit that provides agricultural training programs in developing countries. Hooten’s donation is earmarked for her university’s arboretum.

Regan Draeger, another scholarship recipient and a senior at Ohio State University, selected her local 4-H chapter for the donation.

“These 4-H members are invested in their community, and this donation will allow them to continue serving their community to the best of their ability,” Draeger says. She knows because she joined the chapter when she was 11 years old.

The three other scholarship winners and their designated charities are:

  • Taylor Baggett from Jay, Florida, a sophomore at the University of Florida, designated Farm Aid.
  • Deziree Lee from Coffeyville, Kansas, a freshman at Kansas State University, designated Montgomery County 4-H Fair.
  • Ashlyn Persyn from Hondo, Texas, a freshman at Texas A&M University, designated Medina Valley FFA Boosters.

Syngenta awarded the $2,500 scholarships in partnership with the National FFA Organization (FFA).

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Cover image: Headshots courtesy of students. 

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Imagine a high school where classrooms connect to a barn with goats, students care for alpacas, and cows graze in the distance. You’re probably picturing a rural community, but this school is in one of the most populous cities in the country: Chicago.

“What we’re learning here is so important for the agriculture industry,” says senior Zachary Gonzalez-Murillo. “Not a lot of kids know what agriculture is.”

The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences is a magnet high school within the Chicago Public Schools system. In addition to typical high school curricula, students graduate from this high school with technological skills and agricultural knowledge. This gives them a major step up in college and beyond, says Robin Thomas, early talent and university relations manager with Syngenta.

An Urban Oasis

Despite the urban setting, the school sits on 73 acres of land — 32 of which are filled with livestock, beehives and a market garden that produces a variety of crops, including sweet corn, peppers, squash and pumpkins. As part of their curriculum, students tend to the animals, manage crops, and take that harvest to the school’s farmstand — where they sell it to the community.

“In their last two years, students have mini majors where they’re placed into one of seven agricultural pathways,” says Noelle Coronado, lead agriculture teacher and FFA chapter advisor at the ag sciences school. “Everything they’re doing in these ag classes has an instructional portion and a hands-on project. And all their projects benefit the school, its animals and crops, and the local community.”

Following their sophomore year, students rank their top pathway choices, which include animal science, agricultural mechanics and technology, biotechnology in agriculture, agricultural finance and economics, horticulture and landscape design, food science, and natural resources and environmental management.

Connecting the Dots

As a senior in the animal science pathway, one of Kaili Norwood’s biggest responsibilities is caring for the school’s three alpacas. Norwood arrives each morning to check the animals’ food and water and ensure their home is clean. Alpacas Mikey, Gunner and Tina each have distinct personalities and play a key role in the agricultural environment of the school.

“Right now, some of the students are working to turn the alpacas’ stool into fertilizer that is then used in the market garden to help the soil, because it has great nutrients for the crops,” says Norwood. “I’d never thought about how animal science is agriculture before, but now I definitely get to see how it’s all tied together.”

Many of the pathways overlap in ways the students didn’t consider before attending the school.

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Everything they’re doing in these ag classes has an instructional portion and a hands-on project. And all their projects benefit the school, its animals and crops, and the local community.

Noelle Coronado Lead Agriculture Teacher and FFA Chapter Advisor at The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences

“Our agricultural finance students are in charge of managing many aspects of the farmstand,” says Coronado. “The stand opens after the school day ends and, on most Saturdays, our students are the ones helping in the shop, selling the products and learning how to successfully manage a real business.”

The farmstand, connected to the barn, serves as a place for students to sell the products they’ve been creating in the hands-on portion of their classes. Beyond food, the nearby community visits the farmstand for its farm-to-market products that include soy candles, zucchini bread, goat milk lotion and yarn spun from the alpacas’ wool.

“We’re getting to see what problems farmers face and where the money they spend on their farm goes, including to crop protection and general management of their farms,” says Gonzalez-Murillo, who is in the agricultural finance and economics pathway.

A Lasting Impact

Teachers at the school believe the students will apply what they’re learning to life after graduation, and many do continue on to higher education programs and careers in ag.

“We’re grooming the next generation of farmers,” says Brittney Kee, horticulture science teacher. “We have budding agronomists, soil scientists and greenhouse producers. I have a lot of kids that are really into urban farming, so they like vertical gardening. We’re getting more and more students excited and passionate about agriculture.”

Alumni contributions demonstrate the lasting impact the high school has on students. A former student donated the school’s most recent addition to its alpaca family, and many of the teachers remain in contact with former students who work in the industry. Additionally, seven of the 10 staff in the agriculture department are alumni themselves. They wanted to give back to a place that was so formative in their youth.

“My life-long mentor still works at the school and is a huge reason for my career change that led me back here as an educator after graduating over 10 years earlier,” says Coronado. “I don’t think I would ever want to leave this position. I love watching students have these light bulb moments about how much agriculture plays a key role in their day-to-day lives, and I see them learning how to speak articulately about the industry.”

Moving Forward

Schools like this one help students prepare for careers by providing them with networking and internship opportunities that many high school students typically don’t receive. All the school’s students are members of their FFA chapter, attend a two-week summer education program after their sophomore year, and can apply for a paid summer internship prior to their junior and senior years.

When it comes to applying for college-level internships or an entry-level position at a company like Syngenta, these activities help them stand out from their competition.

“When I’m talking to college students about their resumes, I always recommend they leave high school activities like their FFA and 4-H leadership positions on there until they graduate,” Thomas says. “That kind of experience, especially at a unique school with a diverse background, shows us that they’ve already acquired a lot of the skills that will help them in their career.”

Their agricultural involvement goes above and beyond the extracurricular activities of FFA. Students participate in agricultural activities during all four years of high school through their curriculum, annual career fairs with ag professionals and internships that provide an outlet to apply what they’re learning to real situations. They also bring an urban voice to a traditionally rural field, which brings new perspectives and ideas to the industry.

Not all students who attend the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences end up with a career in agriculture, says Coronado, but all gain understanding of its importance and how they can be better stewards of the land, their food and the industry that keeps the world moving.

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Modern ag science continues improving the efficacy of crop inputs. Growers today have more options for plant nutrition, managing pest resistance, controlling weeds and increasing profit potential. But variables still exist that compromise product efficacy. Experts say year-round attention to best practices is the path to optimum performance.

Input Performance is Elemental

Awareness of soil characteristics is fundamental to crop protection product performance, says Kelly Morgan, Ph.D., professor of soil fertility and water management at the University of Florida’s Southwest Research and Education Center.

“You typically have to put more product on soils with higher organic matter than you would in a sandy soil,” says Morgan, who specializes in soil ecosystems for agriculture. “That’s because the organic matter is going to tie-up some of the chemical you’ve put out.”

Another factor is the “soil solution,” which impacts plants’ nutrient uptake. “There are three elements that affect nutrient and chemical availability to a plant,” Morgan explains. “If the soil solution is on the acidic side — a pH below seven — you have iron and aluminum, which bind nutrients and chemical products to the soil so they’re not as available to the plant.”

And the more acidic the solution is, he says, the tighter it binds. On the other hand, in the alkaline range — above a pH of seven — calcium is the culprit, keeping the crop from taking up the nourishment it needs, as well as the herbicides that would give it a jump on competing weeds.

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There are three elements that affect nutrient and chemical availability to a plant. If the soil solution is on the acidic side — a pH below seven — you have iron and aluminum, which bind nutrients and chemical products to the soil so they’re not as available to the plant.

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D. Professor of Soil Fertility and Water Management
University of Florida’s Southwest Research and Education Center

Morgan recommends growers test the soil for each field annually. In the case of shorter-season crops, the interval should be increased to testing before each planting.

“A lot of growers have gotten away from regular testing. But we’re trying to get them to go back to it, because if they just make the same applications they did last year, they may get different results,” Morgan says, noting that applying only what the soil needs is better for the environment and improves a grower’s bottom line.

Leon Hunter, agronomy service manager for Syngenta’s east Heartland region, says in his experience, growers do run soil tests regularly, as part of field planning.

“If a soil analysis indicates there are nutritional differences, be it micronutrients or macronutrients, growers can correct the soil pH,” he says. “Fertility and lime is one way to do that.”

Those corrections have a positive impact on herbicide use, Hunter adds, helping growers increase bushels overall.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Some common shortcuts to crop protection plans often adversely impact product performance. Using incompatible products, adding generics to name brands, and not following recommended mixing orders can all lead to problems. In some cases, those problems decrease yield and increase costs.

“If you mix something in the wrong order, it can waste a whole tanker load of product,” Matt Geiger, Syngenta agronomy service representative for south-central Illinois, says. He strongly recommends that growers who plan to mix new products do a jar test before going all-in on a full tank. Using a 2-liter bottle or a mason jar, Geiger measures out the products in the tank-mix in smaller amounts at the same ratio in the planned tank-mix to test compatibility.

“For example, if you want to spray 3 quarts/A of Acuron1 corn herbicide, you’ll need 200 milliliters in the jar to equal the 3-quart spray rate,” he says. “Then you add products at equivalent rates of what they’d be in the field.”

Geiger calls it the mini spray tank and it gives growers a visual on whether the mix is uniform, also referred to as homogeneous, or needs to be adjusted.

“You’re using that to see if you get any sort of what we call flocculation — chunks, basically,” he says. “If the mixture stays clear and doesn’t get cloudy or get these flocculation-type pieces in there, you’re good to go.”

However, if you mix something in the wrong order, “it can go to what we call ‘cottage cheese,’ and sometimes you can’t get it back,” Geiger adds.

More Agitation, Less Aggravation

Insufficient agitation can undermine even a good mixture, especially if it includes fertilizer, which has a higher bulk density than the herbicide. Geiger says products can separate in the tank if you’re not agitating.

For example, he says if a grower mixes up an entire tanker load of herbicide plus liquid fertilizer and does not agitate it, there is a chance of nonuniform application of the product across the field, or fields. The first part of the field may get a higher rate of fertilizer and a lower rate of herbicide, and the opposite toward the end. Agitation, especially in complicated mixtures, is very important to get a uniform application of product.

In fact, it’s such a big deal that Syngenta has a group of scientists with diverse specialties dedicated to the successful application of products for every kind of crop. Their focus is dose transfer: ensuring active ingredients reach the plants with minimal off-target movement or unintended damage. Scientists also thoroughly assess which application tools growers need for the job.

The head of the application technology group, Ram Ramalingam, Ph.D., says product familiarity, equipment calibration, and nozzles set for proper flow rate and spray pattern are key to make the best possible applications.

“We want to minimize the amount of active ingredients left in the tank and the frequency that clogged filters or nozzles affect a grower’s ability to complete the process. We also look at whether products are compatible in the tank or have sedimentation issues,” Ramalingam says. The group does extensive testing to ensure various common products are compatible. If the group finds products are not compatible, they notify commercial colleagues right away to get the word out to growers.

Time and Temperature Work Against Efficacy

Water also matters with application, Ramalingam says, and it’s not just its quality or pH that impacts products.

“Temperature plays a huge role,” he says. “As it gets hot, the rate of hydrolysis increases, and if you leave a mix in the tank for extended periods of time in broad daylight, it could also get really hot inside. In terms of losing efficacy, both time and temperature play a major role.”

Timing is perhaps the most important factor in product efficacy.

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is folks trying to wait until the weeds come up to do their weed control programs,” Geiger says. “They call it row-and-go. They want to make sure they’ve got rows of corn before they spray their herbicides, but weeds are much easier to control if they aren’t out of the ground yet.”

It’s a risky choice because weeds can emerge and surpass 4 inches in height rather quickly, which is over the labeled size for species like waterhemp on many herbicide labels.

And then it rains.

“If you’re out of the field for three days, that could result in 3 to 4 inches of weed growth and then your weeds are off-label,” Geiger says. “It’s a lot more challenging to control weeds after they emerge.”

Ultimately, these experts agree, growers can implement a few simple management steps to help mitigate potential crop management issues. Testing soil, careful product selection, and timely and accurate applications provide crops with the conditions they need to thrive.

A tool is only as good as the way it is used, Geiger says, and even the most efficacious products must be used properly to maximize performance.

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1Always consult the product label for complete use and application information.

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Lindie Huffman, 2022 winner of the Syngenta #RootedInAg contest, grew up surrounded by tobacco fields and beef cattle while most children were playing with tablets or riding bikes. She moved to the sixth-generation operation when she was just five years old. Her agrarian playhouse, otherwise known as the family farm, sits in northern Kentucky.

“It’s hot, time consuming and labor-intensive work,” Huffman says. “Our farm was very much about quality over quantity.”

At the center of the operation is the home of Huffman’s grandparents, where she spent countless hours. She worked the land and bonded with her Grandfather Kenny, whom she coined Papaw. He became the most influential person in her life.

An Influential Bond

The #RootedinAg contest from Syngenta asks growers and ag professionals to share the story of their ag mentor. In her essay, Huffman honors her grandfather, who worked as a roadside agronomist for the state of Kentucky while managing the family farm. “His level of commitment is what I saw,” says Huffman. “And that showed me the opportunity within agriculture.”

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He passed that on to Huffman, who is passionate about lending a helping hand to all involved in the ag industry. Her desire to serve others is driven by lessons learned from her grandfather. “I realized that I have a servant’s heart and I want to be able to help other farmers,” she says.

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His level of commitment is what I saw, says Huffman. And that showed me the opportunity within agriculture.

Lindie Huffman Accounting Extension Agent for Agricultural National Resources, University of Kentucky

Huffman says her grandfather taught her critical ag lessons from a young age that propelled her towards an agricultural career. He taught her about different plants by showing her how to identify blades of grass and picking up leaves around the tobacco fields.

“He was the only person in my family who had gone to university, and he made sure I had that opportunity,” says Huffman. “I went to the University of Kentucky, where he attended.”

Huffman’s story made an impression on both the online voters and the #RootedinAg contest judges, who named her the 2022 grand prizewinner.

“Lindie’s roots in ag run deep,” says Wendell Calhoun, Syngenta strategic marketing and operations manager. “We thank her and everyone who shared their stories. Those stories inspire us to stay innovative for the future generations of the ag community.”

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Making an Impact in Ag

Huffman is now an accounting extension agent for agricultural national resources at the University of Kentucky. On top of her work in educational programing and community development, she helps local farmers adopt new management practices and find new marketing opportunities.

One of Huffman’s largest projects was growing the Pendleton County Farmer’s Market from three vendors in 2012 to 34 in 2022. “Farmers’ markets are a catalyst for community,” says Huffman.” The market is now a center where the community connects with food and local growers’ profit and provide the public with fresh produce.

The farmer’s market is also home to Sprout’s Kids’ Club, a farmers’ market-based children’s program that teaches about produce, local food systems and more. Here children engage directly with farmers by spending tokens as regular market shoppers would.

As part of Huffman’s prize, Syngenta made a $1,000 donation in her grandfather’s name to the Sprouts Kids’ Club at the Pendleton County Farmer’s Market. The club educates children about agriculture as Huffman’s grandfather did for her, which is why she chose it as the donation’s recipient. The donation will provide the children with access to more opportunities to learn and connect with agriculture.

“I think that there’s power in storytelling and opportunity in letting people know where their food comes from,” says Huffman. “It builds relationships with the consumer. My mission is to keep farmers farming and to keep families fed through access to local foods.”

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Knowing when to plant feels more akin to roulette than science in the face of unpredictable climate patterns.

When farmers decide to plant profoundly affects the rest of their growing season. Everything — from fertilizer applications to pest and disease pressures, from irrigation schedules to harvest, all the way into storage and sale — depends on planting date.

One crop’s schedule can affect those of other crops. Delayed planting dates for a particular crop can put growers who produce multiple commodities behind the 8-Ball for the rest of the season. If an Idaho grower, for example, is forced to delay planting winter wheat, harvesting that wheat may bump up against his scheduled start to potato harvest, stretching thin such fundamental resources as equipment, manpower and, perhaps most crucially, time.

Those variables are on the mind of growers of every crop as planting time nears. Do you plant early to achieve higher yields? Do you hold off to avoid potential disaster like freeze or flood? It’s tough to find that sweet spot, but collecting information helps.

“The best way to determine your planting date is to look at historic weather data and to take into consideration hybrid and variety selection,” says Jami Loecker, a Manhattan, Kansas-based agronomy service manager for Syngenta. Loecker works with producers growing a variety of crops, including corn, soybean, sorghum, wheat, potatoes and sugarbeets — giving her regular firsthand looks at the consequences of myriad planting decisions.

After considering that data, Loecker says that growers need to take an honest look at their operations and determine which worst-case scenarios they can accept as consequences of planting either too early or too late.

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The best way to determine your planting date is to look at historic weather data and to take into consideration hybrid and variety selection.

Jami Loecker Agronomy Service Manager at Syngenta

Planting Cotton in the Southeast

Planting considerations vary by crop and geographic area. Take cotton in North Carolina, where planting typically takes place throughout the month of May.

Guy Collins, an extension cotton specialist with North Carolina State University, advises growers across the state. He says that for cotton, there is no more important indicator in most years than air temperature. Collins’ rule of thumb is that growers need to see a total of 50 “heat units” in the five days leading up to planting. Growers calculate a day’s heat unit measurement by adding the daily high temperature in degrees Fahrenheit to the daily low, dividing that number by two, and then subtracting 60. For example, a day with a high of 70 and a low of 50 would have zero heat units; a high of 80 and a low of 60 has 10 heat units.

“Five days in a row with an average of 10 heat units a day is the ideal planting condition for cotton,” Collins says. “But there are many, many times where conditions aren’t ideal. Those first couple days, you’re at the highest risk of chilling the cotton and killing the seed, so growers need to be aware and cautious.”

To aid growers, NC State Extension developed a planting conditions calculator for cotton (available at products.climate.ncsu.edu/ag/cotton-planting). The site uses Google Earth and National Weather Service forecasts to calculate planting conditions on a particular day in a location as precise as a specific field. While the calculator is specifically designed for cotton, Collins says the data can be used to calculate for multiple crops.

Corn Belt Considerations

Throughout most of the Corn Belt, conventional wisdom states that the best window for planting corn appears for about a month, from mid-April to mid-May. The perfect date, of course, depends on several factors, including latitude, soil moisture, soil temperature, air temperature, and final market. These circumstances sometimes contradict one another, further complicating the decision-making process.

“It is possible for early-planted corn in one year to yield more than, less than or equal to later-planted corn in another year, depending on the exact combination of yield-influencing factors for each year,” says Bob Nielsen, a corn specialist and professor of agronomy with Purdue University Extension. “Farmers know this to be true because many have had late-planted crops in recent years yield better than any crop they have ever had because the remainder of the growing season was extremely favorable for crop growth and development.”

In an April 2022 article titled “The Planting Date Conundrum for Corn,” Nielsen notes that most corn agronomists will preach the importance of timely planting, even if data strongly suggest that planting date accounts for a mere 10% of the variability in year-to-year yields. With his state’s (Indiana) corn planting largely delayed by about two weeks in 2022 due to unusually wet weather, Nielsen cautioned growers not to panic:

“Let’s not succumb quite yet to fearmongering triggered by the delayed start of planting the 2022 corn crop,” he wrote. “‘Mudding in a crop early to avoid planting late will almost always end up being an unwise decision.”

Shifting Schedules

So, what are some best practices growers should follow when planting in less-than-ideal conditions? According to Loecker:

  • “Growers should not panic and make drastic changes due to slight delays.”
  • “They should consult trusted agronomists to verify whether any changes in their plan based on planting date are necessary.”
  • “Always plan for a successful crop regardless of planting date — even if you don’t get what you think is a perfect start, provide the crop with the best chance to perform under whatever circumstances it’s placed under.”

Most producers agree with Loecker’s point that no growing season is ever perfect. But when things start going south, a lot of folks’ first instinct is to rush to fix the problem — a human tendency that lends itself to overcorrection.

That’s exactly why having a plan B (and plans C, D and E) long beforehand is so important. A changed planting schedule alters other factors throughout the growing season, and the most successful growers are ready for any eventuality. “If initial schedules significantly shift, growers may consider altering their hybrid or variety maturity. In the worst cases, it might even be necessary to switch to a different crop altogether,” Loecker says. “They should also consider how pest pressures will change with a later-planted crop.”

Loecker also recommends utilizing available digital tools like Syngenta’s Cropwise™ Financials. “As we implement more precision technology — achieving more accuracy regarding planting depth, plant spacing and nutritional needs — the less issues we will see compounded by planting date,” she says. “Additionally, Cropwise Financials makes it simple for a grower to create and modify a plan as needed once the season gets into motion.”

Collins adds that while everyone expects a normal year, there is no such thing.

“But if growers are timely on management of disease and pest threats throughout the rest of the year, they will usually come out of it okay after a late planting,” he says.

In a nutshell, experienced agronomists encourage growers and their consultants to trust themselves and each other to do their own due diligence and make the right call. You may not be right every single time, Collins says, but no one is better equipped to make decisions about your crops and land than you.

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