Syngenta Thrive

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Breanna Chavez is starting a new chapter in her life. Chavez, the 2021 valedictorian at Harmony High School in Big Sandy, Texas, and first in her family to attend college, is in her first semester at Texas A&M University – and she has a little help from Syngenta.

Chavez is one of six students who earned a $2,500 scholarship and a donation to the charity of their choosing through the Syngenta Accelerating a Generation Scholarship program, which is managed by the National FFA Organization (FFA).

Chavez directed her donation to the Texas FFA Foundation and looks forward to the next steps in her agricultural pursuits. “This scholarship means the opportunity to attend college as a first-generation college student,” she says. “It’s a real self-esteem booster to know that an organization on the national level believes in me.”

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It’s a real self-esteem booster to know that an organization on the national level believes in me.

Breanna Chavez Scholarship Winner

Chavez saw the importance of nutrition in order to live a healthy life through her agriculture courses and time in FFA. She is majoring in nutrition to help people and because it’s a strong platform for agricultural advocacy. “Throughout my time in FFA, I completed Agriscience Fair research projects and even won nationals with my studies regarding nutrition. It became clear that my passion for this topic is desperately needed,” Chavez says.

Charities around the country are benefiting from the hard work and dedication of these young scholars.

Another 2021 scholarship recipient, Madison Hargarten of Winchester, Indiana, directed her donation to the Winchester Community Garden. She says she’s happy pursuing her passion for agriculture, and the scholarship helps relieve financial stress as she heads to Purdue University to major in agricultural economics. “I love being immersed in agriculture, whether that’s being in the barn or mentoring younger kids,” Hargarten says. “Doing something every day that makes me this happy reassures me in my career path decisions. This scholarship helps me achieve my goals.”

Rewarding High-Yielding Talent

A talented group of students applied to the 2021 Syngenta-funded scholarship program. In addition to Chavez and Hargarten, selected winners and their designated charities include:

  • Leah Hudson from Topeka, Kansas; Kansas State University student majoring in agronomy & crop science; designated charity: Kansas 4-H
  • LeAnne Pace from Mount Hope, Alabama; Auburn University student majoring in environmental science; designated charity: Lawrence County Alabama Cattlemen’s Association
  • Leslie Webb from Greenwood, Delaware; University of Delaware student majoring in environmental engineering; designated charity: Delaware 4-H Foundation
  • Elise Wilkins from Tekoa, Washington; Montana State University student majoring in agricultural business management; designated charity: Second Chance Ranch of Spokane

Like Chavez and Hargarten, this class of talented students are excited about using those talents to improve the industry they love.

Kim Weseli, senior regional director of the National FFA Foundation, sees bright futures for these scholarship recipients. “The possibilities for these winners are limitless. They’re our future scientists, community leaders, national politicians, farmers feeding the world, front-line heroes and the list goes on,” Weseli says.

Looking Forward

Stewarding the next generation is an agricultural tradition that keeps the U.S. agricultural industry strong. “It’s essential for students to feel supported in agriculture because the industry must train the next generation of agricultural leaders,” says Pam Caraway, communications lead for Syngenta. “The strength of our industry is the people who lead it. Investing in the next generation is a path to continual growth as we continue to raise the level of crop performance, enhance the land through our stewardship and develop new technology to help us provide food, fiber and fuel to the world.”

Visit ffa.org/scholarships to learn more.

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Instead of spending hours trudging through wheat, barley and potato fields hoping he gets a good idea of what overall field health looks like, Brad Nielson takes a bird’s eye view, saving him time and boot tread. Aerial imagery aids diagnosis for Nielson, an agronomist for Walters Produce in Newdale, Idaho, making his scouting more efficient. “In a year like this, imagery pays for itself in crop quality and crop health,” he says. Nielsen relies on FarmShots™, a satellite imagery platform that integrates scouting and variable rate prescriptions for farmers, agronomists and retailers.

“We have center-pivot irrigation on almost every acre, but we must be good stewards because the Northwest is in a major drought,” he says. “We’re trying not to over irrigate, but we can’t afford to under-irrigate either. We’ve used FarmShots to try to find inconsistencies in our watering patterns.”

With center-pivot irrigation, a partially plugged or incorrectly sized nozzle is detrimental, but those issues are hard to recognize from the ground before crop damage occurs. Using satellite imagery, in this case FarmShots, Nielson takes a daily look at how fields respond to irrigation and the toll taken by abiotic stressors. If the imagery starts showing stress in a circular pattern, for example, he knows to look closely at the irrigation system to find the source of the stress.

Management with a Bird’s-Eye View

Drones and satellite imagery are increasingly popular as farmers strive to be more sustainable and cost-efficient. Because these tools provide a whole-field perspective, they help guide management decisions that must be made at harvest.

“When you think about the size and scale of some of the farms we see today and how much physical scouting one person can do, drones and satellite imagery make it possible to manage the crop despite those limitations,” says Rob Austin, North Carolina State University precision agriculture specialist. “They can cover a lot more acres.”

As farms consolidate, Austin anticipates that the use of drones or satellites — and possibly the two synergistically — will only increase. (If you’re wondering if one or the other would be a better fit for your farm, see the side-by-side comparison at the bottom of this page.)

Drones require more of a do-it-yourself approach than satellite imagery. Drones also have more restrictions and a greater learning curve. Austin warns potential operators to be sure to understand state and Federal Aviation Administration requirements before investing in drone technology.

Know What to Expect with Satellites

Because satellite imagery isn’t a do-it-yourself tool, it’s important for users to understand their options. For FarmShots specifically, several different types of images are available.

“The satellites provide an aerial view of what’s happening on the ground,” says Gina Sanson, FarmShots product marketing manager. “One of the most beneficial images is NDVI [normalized difference vegetation index]. It measures plant health by determining how much light a plant is absorbing versus how much it’s reflecting.

NDVI and other algorithms being applied to images mean you’re not simply relying on the naked eye to recognize color difference in fields, Nielson explains. This simplifies input decisions, harvest decisions and other plant health choices that may impact your bottom line each season.

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In a year like this, imagery pays for itself in crop quality and crop health.

Brad Nielson Agronomist at Walters Produce

“You can look at an image with some of these algorithms and filter out the noise that comes from having bare dirt in the field like in the early season,” Nielson explains. “This gives us a better idea of the actual plant health.

Nielson participated in a pilot project this past year that evaluated the value of daily high-resolution imagery. “This year we’re getting an image every day. Because FarmShots is getting photos processed and back to us quicker, it’s been very meaningful as we make decisions. That’s why we used FarmShots this year — they had faster turnaround time on images,” he continues.

FarmShots promises to offer satellite imagery in a simple and straight-forward interface that’s easy to understand. In addition, it’s mobile, desktop and tablet friendly. Users can take scouting notes, find problem locations with GPS tracking, and allow agronomists and input suppliers limited access.

Like the images created by drones and satellites, the future for this technology is clear — and only getting better. Whether in response to growing farm sizes, tight farm economics or the desire to be more sustainable, the use of an eye in the sky may help put money in your hand.

Satellite Imagery Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
Coverage area Global Field-specific
Resolution Meters (from 1 to 30) Centimeters (1 to 10)
Timeliness Daily to weeks Instant
Payload 1000+ pounds 0.5 to 55 pounds (drone + payload maximum)
Airspace restrictions None Yes, uncontrolled airspace (class G) less than 400’ above ground level
Technology reliability Proven New, evolving quickly
Cloud-cover limitations Can obscure images Operates below clouds
Ease-of-use Most require subscriptions Additional skills, registration and time to learn required to collect data
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If you are considering purchasing a drone for farming purposes, it’s important to understand the drone is subject to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulations, Part 107.

Here are a few highlights:

  • Operators must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from FAA Part 107.*
  • Aircraft must weigh less than 55 pounds, inclusive of payload and cargo.
  • Keep drone within unaided sight.
  • Only fly during daylight hours.
  • Do not exceed 100 mph or 400 feet above ground level.
  • Preflight inspections are required.
  • One aircraft per operator.
  • Aircraft must be registered with FAA and display a registration number.
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*For more information, visit faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators. Refer to Federal, State and Local Laws for Drone Operation Guidelines.

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On December 31, 2020, Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a decree with major implications for American farmers. He announced Mexico was phasing out the use of genetically modified (GM) corn for human consumption and banning the use of glyphosate. So much for a “Happy New Year.”

“It’s a serious threat to American agriculture,” says Kevin Ross, a sixth-generation corn grower from Minden, Iowa, and chairman of the board of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). “It’s something we haven’t seen before in our relationship with Mexico, which is a top export market for U.S. corn.”

Obrador’s goal in signing the decree, the equivalent of an American presidential executive order, is to help Mexico achieve self-sufficiency and food sovereignty. The decree calls for the phasing out of GM corn by January 2024.

The GM announcement is just one troubling factor in the U.S. relationship with its southern neighbor. Trade with Mexico also is slipping because of other regulatory action – or inaction.

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Mexico has been one of our most reliable markets for corn and is almost always our No.1 or No.2 export market.

Rosy Brummette Manager of Public Policy at NCGA

High-level government officials in Mexico have put together a list of 80 crop-protection products — including atrazine, 2,4-D, neonicotinoids and pyrethroids — that Mexico considers hazardous. They will likely be put, like glyphosate, on a ban list. Currently, 2,000 delayed pesticide registrations are awaiting approval in Mexico. “These delays have created an estimated $500 million loss in U.S. sales of crop protection products from 2015 through 2019,” says Mary Kay Thatcher, senior manager of Federal Government and Industry Relations at Syngenta.

The Mexican government hasn’t approved any biotech traits since Obrador took office in 2018. “Like some European leaders, Obrador follows the precautionary principle,” says Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). The precautionary principle, often used by the European Union, bases decisions on potential hazards rather than science.

Obrador’s decree is not based on a comprehensive risk assessment. “This is a troubling shift within Mexico’s regulatory processes because it sidesteps science,” says Rosy Brummette, manager of public policy for NCGA. “We don’t want this to set a precedent.”

While Mexico wants to become self-sufficient in corn production, without glyphosate or biotech traits, Obrador’s decree doesn’t follow international trade rules. “Mexico’s failure to approve any biotech traits, and Obrador’s decree regarding GM corn and glyphosate, are contrary to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),” LeGrand says. “This can’t stand.”

The Stakes are High

Mexico provides a major market for U.S. corn and policies that potentially impede this are very concerning. “Mexico has been one of our most reliable markets for corn and is almost always our No.1 or No.2 export market,” Brummette says.

During the 2018-2019 marketing year through April 2020, U.S. corn exports to Mexico accounted for nearly 40% of total U.S. shipments and hit record-high values, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS). In addition, the United States supplied 96% of Mexico’s total corn imports in 2018-2019.

Of the 20.4 million metric tons of corn Mexico imported from the U.S. during 2018-2019 marketing year through March 2020, 95% was yellow corn, ERS adds. To replace these imports, Mexican farmers would need to dramatically increase domestic production.

The USGC has no plans to stop promoting U.S. corn in Mexico. “We’re moving full speed ahead with export marketing programs,” says Heidi Bringenberg, assistant director for Mexico, USGC.

This approach provides important benefits for Mexico, where more than half of its citizens live in poverty. Since Mexico is a feed-deficit country, U.S. corn imports help feed poultry and swine, providing protein sources that boost the food security of the Mexican population.

Despite Obrador’s decree, there have been no trade disruptions yet. “In fact, U.S. corn exports to Mexico have increased in the past year,” says Cary Sifferath, senior director of global programs for USGC.

What’s Next?

Going forward, America can’t cede U.S. trade policy to foreign governments, Ross says. “The NCGA is working with our industry partners to push a unified message through the appropriate diplomatic channels and educate members of Congress about this key issue.”

Agriculture and agribusiness leaders, including Syngenta, are working with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the USDA and industry partners to challenge Obrador’s decree. Thatcher says there are, unfortunately, unique complications since no one has yet been nominated, let alone approved, to serve as the USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. She goes on to say no one is currently serving as Chief Agricultural Negotiator for USTR. “The World Trade Organization’s Dispute Settlement Body has essentially been nonexistent since the fall of 2020,” Thatcher adds. “We must resolve the Mexican trade dispute. Ensuring that major export markets are willing to buy U.S. grain let’s us continue developing new technologies that benefit farmers.”

Sifferath is cautiously optimistic that the situation will resolve itself in a way favorable to U.S. growers. “Through the years, I’ve heard many world leaders say their countries are going to become self-sufficient,” he says. “I’ve yet to see anyone do this successfully.”

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Cover image: Kevin Ross, a National Corn Growers Association leader and Iowa corn farmer, strongly supports unfettered access to the Mexican corn market. Photography by the Iowa Corn Growers Association. 

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Q: Please define the primary factors that affect soil health.

A: Wayne Fredericks, farmer in Osage, Iowa: In row crop farming in my area of northern Iowa, the intensity of tillage, presence of soil cover and year-round living roots, use of multiple plant species, and, if available, the integration of livestock all affect soil health.

A: Doug Wolf, environmental safety technical expert, Syngenta: Soil health integrates physical, chemical and biological factors that impact productivity, environmental quality and profit potential. It’s assessed through multiple, interconnected indicators. I consider soil organic matter (SOM) to be the most significant soil health indicator because it plays a primary role in numerous soil functions such as soil structure, water use, nutrient cycling and availability, agrichemical fate and transport, and biological activity and biodiversity. SOM is sensitive to land use and agronomic management practices such as tillage, cover crops and crop rotation.

Q: How does tillage affect soil health and what are the benefits of reducing tillage?

Doug Wolf, environmental safety technical expert, Syngenta
Doug Wolf, environmental safety technical expert, Syngenta

A: Fredericks: Tillage reduces soil carbon, which was verified in the recently released results of a 12-year study conducted at Iowa State University. On my farm, after discontinuing full-width tillage over 20 years ago, I have seen an increase in SOM at a rate of 0.1% per year.

A: Wolf: Conventional tillage generally has a detrimental impact on soil health, especially compared to reduced tillage because it causes SOM to decompose more rapidly and disrupts the soil structure of the soil root zone. Continual conventional tillage tends to accelerate soil erosion, which has an adverse impact on soil health. Reduced tillage has been associated with increased aggregate stability, SOM, water-holding capacity, soil microbial and fungal abundance and biodiversity, reduced runoff and soil erosion, as well as economic benefits such as reduced fuel and labor costs.

Q: How can a farmer measure the impact soil health has on yield and profit potential?

A: Fredericks: I shared 18 years of digital yield and weather data with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Ames, Iowa. This team of researchers did a deep-dive analysis of my farm’s information, and they were able to document reduced yield variability and improved water-use efficiency within the fields, which translates to overall improvements in yields and profitability.

A: Wolf: Syngenta is assessing the impact of soil health on yield and profit potential through projects like Bin Buster led by the Digital Agriculture Solutions Team. The Bin Buster project assesses on-farm agronomic productivity and profitability on two commercial farms in Illinois growing corn under selected treatments. I am part of a team collaborating within the Bin Buster project to evaluate soil health and sustainability parameters on both farms using Cornell’s Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health analysis, which examines physical, chemical and biological soil health indicators. We will relate these indices to SOM, farm productivity and profitability. Tools such as the Predictive/Retrospective Soil Health Economic Calculator use soil health indices to conduct a partial budget analysis and an economic cost/benefit analysis associated with adopting soil health practices.

Q: What are some strategies to increase organic matter in soil, and why is that important?

Wayne Fredericks, farmer in Osage, Iowa
Wayne Fredericks, farmer in Osage, Iowa

A: Fredericks: First, farmers should look to eliminate tillage. I went to no-till soybeans and strip-till corn. You can also add cover crops to the rotation and look to plant into green cover crops, thus extending the time for them to accumulate biomass. This is important because SOM is the key to healthy, resilient soil.

A: Wolf: Strategies to increase SOM typically center on residue management systems coupled with stover and compost/manure management to yield a net accumulation of SOM. SOM, which is typically less than 5% by mass of agricultural soil, increases soil fertility as it acts as a reservoir for macronutrients and trace elements that release during microbial degradation, improving soil structure and aggregation, increasing available water-holding capacity, and enhancing soil biological diversity and abundance.

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I consider soil organic matter to be the most significant soil health indicator because it plays a primary role in numerous soil functions such as soil structure, water use, nutrient cycling and availability, agrichemical fate and transport, and biological activity and biodiversity.

Doug Wolf Environmental Safety Technical Expert at Syngenta

Q: How does soil health affect available water for cropping systems?

A: Fredericks: Looking back at the 18-year study by USDA ARS of my farm’s data, the biggest revolution was an improvement in water-use efficiency. Because my soil health was improving, I was raising more bushels per inch of water as the years progressed. This improvement far exceeded the change in normal trend-line yields, and the key was focusing on organic matter.

A: Wolf: Soil aggregate stability is a critical indicator of soil health. Soil aggregate stability is largely dependent on SOM and biological activity and typically increases as they increase. Stable soil aggregates increase plant-available water by increasing the amount of pore space, water infiltration and the soil’s water-holding capacity, contributing to decreased runoff and erosion. Stable soil aggregates and the associated pore space also promote crop root growth and penetration within the soil root zone.

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Photography by Tim Pearson and Bert Vanderveen.

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While still a relatively small agricultural sector, organic production has surged in recent years with sales of $9.9 billion in 2019, an increase of 31% in three years.1 Agricultural professionals generally agree that both conventional and organic agriculture have roles to play in meeting consumer and downstream market demands.

Today, many growers employ both agronomic practices on their farms. However, misinformation about farming practices runs rampant among the public. Knowing a few key facts about the differences between conventional and organic farming practices can go a long way toward helping people understand the importance of various agronomic practices.

The Big Picture

Despite its rapid growth, organic agriculture is a niche market within the broader U.S. farm economy.

  • Total U.S. Farms: 2,025,635; Certified organic farms: 16,585.2
  • Total U.S. Acres: 894,722,302; Certified organic acres: 5,495,274 (0.6% of all U.S. farmland).2
  • Total U.S. Market value of agricultural products sold: $378,596,784,000; Total value of certified organic products sold: $9,925,911,000.2

Yields Differences

  • 34% lower yields result from organic agriculture.3
  • +100 million more acres would be needed for organic agriculture to grow the same amount of food currently produced by conventional agriculture.4

Costs Differences

  • +7%–13% higher labor costs are required by organic agriculture.5
  • 47% higher costs on average for consumers when they purchase organic products.6

Organic Farming’s Environmental Downsides

  • 50%–70% more greenhouse gas emissions would be released if all agricultural production were converted to organic agriculture.7
  • 37% higher potential for eutrophication and 13% greater risk of acidification with organic farming runoff, posing serious threats to aquatic life.8
  • Copper Sulfate, a widely used pesticide in organic agriculture, is toxic to people, other mammals, fish, soil fauna, pollinators and other insects, and it can build up in the soil and cause harm to crops.9

Separating Fact From Fiction

  • Modern pesticides have enabled U.S. growers to increase farm output by 300% on 10% less land since 1950, preserving 120 million acres for wilderness and land for other purposes.10
  • Innovative, synthetic pesticides decrease yield losses and reduce the energy required to produce crops.11
  • Genetically modified crops produce higher yields, bring down production costs and boost production efficiency.12
  • Herbicide-enabled no-till farming can decrease soil erosion up to 98%.13 No-till farming practices also reduce cost and energy requirements.14
  • Pesticide toxicity has declined 97% since the 1960s. Most pesticides today are less toxic than coffee.15

A Closer Look PDF

Cover image: Illustration by Andrew Lyons. 

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Syngenta has announced two more exciting AgriPro® brand wheat varieties for 2022 planting – AP Smith and AP Gunsmoke CL2.

AP Smith is a hard red spring variety that is widely adapted for the Northern Plains. With superior standability and straw strength, its combination of high protein and high yield potential gives growers the opportunity to maximize their potential economic return.

For the Western Northern Plains, AP Gunsmoke CL2 is a medium-maturity, hard red spring variety that allows growers to use Beyond® herbicide in their production systems to control weeds when necessary. Both varieties offer above-average tolerance to bacterial leaf streak and Fusarium Head Blight.

Backed by more than 50 years of wheat-breeding expertise, AgriPro brand wheat varieties offer best-in-class disease packages, leading agronomics and outstanding yield potential.

To learn more, visit www.agriprowheat.com.

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Kamterter Products, L.L.C., won the 2020 FarMore® Vision Award for its dedication in providing essential support to the seed treatment industry. Kamterter, an independently owned product development and seed enhancement service company based in Waverly, Nebraska, brings a new generation of seed priming, seed lot refinement, and seed coating technologies and services to the industry.

“Kamterter is honored to receive this award,” says Chris Petersen, president and director of research at Kamterter. “As a seed enhancement and coating service provider, Kamterter has a primary mission of helping those involved in the fruit and vegetable industry get the most value from their seeds.”

Shawn Potter, head of marketing for Syngenta Seedcare, adds, “Partnerships with companies like Kamterter help us deliver on our promise to bring innovative technology to the field.”

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Acuron® GT, a herbicide for post-emergence use in glyphosate-tolerant corn, will be readily available in 2022, giving yield-driven growers who rely on post-emergence weed control an enhanced management option.

“It’s simple,” says Mark Kitt, corn herbicide technical product lead at Syngenta. “Weeds steal sunlight, moisture and nutrients from the growing corn crop, so the better you can control those weeds, the less yield-robbing weed competition you have. Acuron GT raises the bar for post-emergence-plus-residual weed control in glyphosate-tolerant corn, resulting in higher potential yield and increased revenue for growers.”

Acuron GT combines the proven performance of Halex® GT herbicide with the unique active ingredient bicyclopyrone, which helps Acuron GT deliver enhanced post-emergence control of yield-robbing weeds and longer-lasting residual activity. That combination of four active ingredients and three sites of action helps growers manage difficult weeds longer into the season, which protects their yield potential.

Across 16 head-to-head field trials, the higher-level control and longer-lasting residual of Acuron GT delivered more bushels per acre than any other post-emergence-plus-residual corn herbicide.1

Field trials also showed that Acuron GT averaged greater than 90% post-emergence control on all weed categories, including small- and large-seeded broadleaves, such as giant ragweed, morning glory and cocklebur, and highly competitive pigweed species, including Palmer amaranth and waterhemp.2

“Compared with Halex GT, field trials show Acuron GT provides an 8% increase in residual control of annual grass and small-seeded broadleaf weeds and a 14% increase in residual control of Palmer amaranth when evaluated 42 to 56 days after treatment,”2 says Scott Cully, a Syngenta R&D scientist in Illinois. “The fact that Acuron GT may help growers achieve almost 90% control of weeds 6 to 8 weeks after post-emergence application is a true testament to the residual power of bicyclopyrone, the additional active ingredient in Acuron GT.”3

For optimum yield protection, Syngenta recommends using Acuron GT early post-emergence, before weeds reach 4 inches in height, in a planned two-pass program following a preemergence application of Lumax® EZ, Lexar® EZ, Bicep II Magnum®, Bicep Lite II Magnum® or Dual II Magnum® herbicides.

1Syngenta and external trials (HBI007A-2020US): CO, IN, KS, MI, NE, SD, TX, VA, WI, MO-1, MO-2, OH-1, OH-2, AR-2, IL-2, MN-2; 2020.
2Syngenta Vero Beach Research Center, FL; 2020.
3Syngenta and external trials: IL, TX; 2019.

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Aprovia® Top fungicide, recently registered for use in California, delivers a potent one-two punch to help growers manage resistance and control diseases in grapes, cucurbits, fruiting vegetables and garlic.

The two active ingredients in Aprovia Top from Syngenta — SOLATENOL® technology and difenoconazole — offer dual modes of action to combat disease resistance and increase marketable yield potential. Other benefits include:

  • Excellent rainfastness and application flexibility.
  • Extended, long-lasting residual control.
  • Systemic activity with even distribution throughout crop leaves.