Syngenta Thrive

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Mary Pat Sass faces the sits in a field on her farm and smiles

Mary Pat Sass

Instagram: @marypat.sass
Facebook: @marypatsass

Mary Pat Sass farms with her husband in Illinois. Sass Family Farms grows corn, soybeans and winter wheat. She shares updates on her Instagram and YouTube channels about the “why and how” behind their farm operations.

Crop rotation and seed treatments have been a big part of their Sudden Death Syndrome prevention program. In 2021, Sass will share updates on her experience using Saltro® fungicide seed treatment to protect their soybean crop using the #SaltroChallenge hashtag.

“We started planting soybeans much earlier this year than I can ever remember us doing in the past. The weather warmed up fast; the soil was right; and we felt confident in our Saltro-treated seeds’ ability to withstand early-season stressors.”

 

Levi and Jena Oschner of Double O Farms stand in a grain cart, holding out handfuls of corn and smile at the cameraJena and Levi Ochsner

Instagram: @doubleo.farms
Facebook: @doubleofarms.nebraska

Jena and Levi Ochsner operate Double O Farms near Sutton, Nebraska. They focus on corn, soybeans and Angus cattle. Jena documents the fun and the challenges of farm life through the Double O Farms blog and social media.

The Ochsners began using Acuron® corn herbicide about six years ago, and it’s become their preferred herbicide on more than 250 corn acres. Use the #FindMoreBushels hashtag to see more of their story.

“Without good control, weeds can quickly start to overtake a field and have a detrimental impact on yield and profitability. We’ve been using the trusty herbicide Acuron from @SyngentaUs on our corn acres since 2015, and we continue to have great weed control!”

 

Alex Rusch kneels between rows of corn and inspects a stalkAlex Rusch

Instagram: @lr_rusch_farms
Facebook: L&R Rusch Farms
YouTube: L&R Rusch Farms

Alex Rusch’s family farm in Illinois has been in operation for almost 100 years and currently produces corn, soybeans and wheat. He thrives on improving his processes from year to year and learning about new ways to increase his yield potential.

Rusch trialed Acuron® corn herbicide for the first time in 2020. Acuron managed some of the toughest weeds on his farm, and this year, he will apply it again and document its performance using the #FindMoreBushels hashtag.

“[I] heard Acuron has some great ingredients, like bicyclopyrone and mesotrione, that perform better in heavier soil types like what we have in our Illinois ground.”

 

Jenny Weg smiles at the cameraJenny Weg

Instagram: @mrsjennyweg
Facebook: The Faithful Farming Family

Jenny Weg and her family share their farming journey from their operation in Iowa. They grow commercial corn and soybeans and tend their Holstein cattle. The family works hard and plays hard, showing the fun and dedication of farm life.

Weg will apply Acuron® corn herbicide in 2021. She cites occasional issues with weed control in past programs and will share her experience with Acuron using the #FindMoreBushels hashtag.

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Syngenta continues its partnership with local chapters of the National FFA® Organization this year to support the young leaders of the agriculture industry. For every Grow More™ Experience (GME) site attendee who registers with a valid email address this season, Syngenta will donate $5 to that site’s local chapter or chapters.

“As a former FFA member, I’ve seen firsthand the difference support from groups like Syngenta can make,” says Marshall Dolch, Syngenta district marketing lead. “Supporting local communities doesn’t only include the growers, retailers and agronomists of today, it also includes those of tomorrow. Helping FFA members pursue their passions sets up the next generation of agriculture leaders for success.”

As a result of GME site attendance in the last two years, Syngenta has made donations of $26,600 to FFA chapters around the country. Each chapter uses the proceeds to support ongoing agricultural education and skills training for local students, laying the groundwork for their future careers.

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In 2022, farmers who plant NK will have the added benefit of accessing one of the only portfolios in the industry that pairs Enlist E3® soybeans with long-proven soybean genetics exclusive to Syngenta Seeds.

“As a result, growers and retailers are going to see a step change in stability of performance,” says Travis Kriegshauser, Syngenta soybean strategic marketing manager.

In combination with high-yielding genetics, NK® soybeans with Enlist E3 technology provide tolerance to 2,4-D choline, glufosinate and glyphosate herbicides for critical protection against tough, yield-robbing weeds for big advantages in the field.

In addition, growers will have access to exclusive Enlist E3 soybeans and XtendFlex® varieties through the new Field Forged Series™ from NK Seeds, launching for the 2022 growing season. The Field Forged Series introduces a step change in innovation for NK soybeans — with varieties that pair the latest, most desired traits in Enlist E3 and XtendFlex with proven, exclusive NK genetics.

Doug Stierwalt, a grower in Champaign County, Illinois, saw the advantages Enlist E3 soybeans bring when he planted them in 2020. “We were really happy with the yields, and the emergence and stands were really good,” he says. “There’s also a good range of maturities available.”

To help growers further maximize profit potential, NK Seeds and Syngenta launched the Cropwise™ Seed Selector in 2020. This cutting-edge tool empowers NK retailers to make highly accurate, data-driven seed recommendations specific to growers’ fields and farms. Tapping into a depth of information, the Cropwise Seed Selector helps make sure every NK customer is planting the best mix of hybrids and varieties for his or her operation.

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As the agricultural community focuses on feeding the world, we must also focus on feeding the spirit of community, feeding the spirit of creativity and feeding the spirit of innovation.

Since our inception, the values-driven approach to everything we do at Syngenta is a hallmark of our dynamic culture and approach to agribusiness. The backbone of our business and operations is centered on people and the range of needs of our communities and partners.

Our values-driven approach extends to our belief that communities that embrace and celebrate diversity and inclusion to the broadest extent create a truly equitable agricultural community. As we consider our approach to people and partners like you, we believe the diverse exchange of ideas and perspectives feeds the spirit of community for which agriculture is known. When we embrace each other fully, we feed the spirit of creativity. When we leverage difference to generate solutions, we feed the spirit of innovation. The combined power of community, creativity and innovation enables us to fully bring human potential to life.

As the agricultural community widens its embrace of equity, diversity and inclusion, we would all do well to look for ways to broaden our perspectives. Lean into conversation and different points of view with a desire to learn. Engage difference as an opportunity to grow rather than as a barrier to collaboration. Agriculture has always been a community that contains a brilliant amount of diversity. We must embrace each other to overcome the most pressing challenges facing us today. Our mission of feeding the world is a charge that involves us all, and we thank you for your partnership in helping us execute this mission daily. We look forward to engaging the future of agriculture, together.

Brandon Gregory Bell, M.Ed.
Diversity and Inclusion Lead
Syngenta North America

Cover Image: Brandon Gregory Bell, M.ED. Photography by Bert Vanderveen. 

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Embodying the intersection of mathematics, big data and agriculture, the 2021 Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics competition focused on optimizing year-round corn hybrid breeding processes.

The finalists, listed in no particular order, are:

  • Optimal Schedules for Corn Planting and Storage — Reena Kapoor and Rodolfo García-Flores affiliated with CSIRO Data61 (Australia).
  • Scheduling Planting Time Through Developing an Optimization Model and Analysis of Time Series Growing Degree Units — Javad Ansarifar, Faezeh Akhavizadegan and Lizhi Wang from Iowa State University (U.S.).
  • Optimizing Crop Planting Schedule Considering Planting Window & Harvesting Capacity — Saiara Samira Sajid and Guiping Hu from Iowa State University (U.S.).
  • A Multiobjective, Soft Constraint Solution to the 2021 Syngenta Crop Challenge — Mingshi Cui, Kunting Qi and Byran Smucker from Miami University (U.S.).

For more information about the Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics, visit  ideaconnection.com/syngenta-crop-challenge.

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Severely lodged corn can put yield potential at risk. One way or another, however, it must be harvested safely and carefully. Andy Heggenstaller, head of agronomy for Syngenta Seeds, suggests keeping these four factors in mind when harvesting lodged corn.

  1. Go Slowly. If at all possible, avoid speeding through harvest. Rushing quickly through the fields is an inefficient way to harvest lodged corn. Slow your combine speed to reduce the risk of missed ears and be sure to go against the grain to diminish loss.
  2. Set Up for Success. When harvest conditions vary across fields and harvest dates, it’s important to reset the combine before going into a field. For example, you may need to reposition gathering chains on their sprockets so the lugs are directly across from each other to grip stalks more aggressively.
  3. Be Equipped. Make sure your combine is equipped with the proper reel to handle root or stalk lodging. The ideal attachment will lean out ahead of snouts to pick up the plants and effectively guide them into the combine. Many growers intend to rent such equipment when times get tough, but after events like the derecho in 2020, reels quickly become scarce in regions such as east Iowa. Invest in your own equipment now to avoid a headache later.
  4. Keep Quality in Mind. When harvesting corn that’s lying on the ground, quality issues are inevitable. Corn ears that have been in contact with the soil for too long fall victim to a range of toxins that farmers must address. Be on the lookout for additional mold and grain quality loss from ears being close to the ground. Harvesting early helps ensure the stalks are in the best condition possible to aid in getting crop into the head.
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No matter what plan you develop for harvesting lodged corn, don’t let yourself get frustrated with the time and effort required. Proper safety practices should always be put in place, as rushing through harvest can be dangerous and counterproductive. With a little preparation and critical thinking, however, you can salvage much of your yield.

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Grow More Experience Sites Demonstrate Localized Grower Solutions

If you have been farming long, you’ve probably been asked, or perhaps even told, about the slow, relaxing pace of farm life. And of course, you’re aware that’s a myth. There are new challenges every day. New products can help meet those challenges, but products need to be tested in local soils for you to really know how they perform. Across the country, Grow More™ Experience (GME) sites are bringing needed testing to your backyard.

Cully Brumwell, a grower attendee at a 2020 Yarmouth, Iowa, event, appreciates the different trials, different chemistries and different tillage programs the GME sites showcase. “The value that the GME sites provide is endless,” Brumwell says. “Every year they’re trying something new. You have to keep up with everything that’s changing, and this is one of the best ways to do so.”

Localized Experiences

With locations in 29 states, GME sites demonstrate how products perform in local environments. Corn and soybeans are tested in the Midwest and throughout the country. Potatoes are tested in the Pacific Northwest. In the South, cotton, peanuts, and vegetables are tested. Permanent crops, such as tree nuts and grapes, show up in GME sites in California. Wherever crops are grown, there’s a good chance of finding a GME site nearby.

“Many Syngenta employees grew up around farming ourselves, so we’re passionate about understanding the newest technologies on the market each year,” says Jami Loecker, Syngenta agronomy service manager. “When you know the soil, weather and pressures of the region, you can make better recommendations about what’s going to work for the growers in that area. Our team is personally invested in the sites we oversee. We want to make sure we’re able to provide our attendees with information they find useful on their, or their growers, farm.”

Man holding potatoes to demonstrate better yield
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Pest and disease pressures vary widely from site to site and crop to crop, so each site is equipped with experts with a deep understanding of how these issues have impacted the area from year to year. Before each season, Syngenta agronomists attend internal training days to discuss the latest agronomic techniques and technologies. The agronomists combine their historical knowledge with the year’s new products and can then share these insights during events.

Mike Moss, Ph.D., head of technical development at Syngenta, recognizes that GME sites must match the growing situations of each region and be staffed with the appropriate specialists.

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“We have agronomists with decades of combined experience in their particular territories,” Moss says. “They can make specific agronomic recommendations for each grower and are able to show them the actual tests and the data that contributed to the specific recommendations.”

At the edge of a field, the yield impact can be severe – up to 100% because they can completely kill plants – but then as you go further into the field, it’s typically less severe. It really depends on the year and the field size/shape.

Dean Grossnickle Technical Development Lead at Syngenta

Comparative Research

GME sites are rooted in local research and showcase much more than just Syngenta technologies. Farmers often want to learn about the efficacy of new products but don’t have the time or money to test those products themselves. The featured products at GME sites vary from place to place and year to year. Updated trials reflect grower and retailer feedback from the previous season. Participants are free to engage with site managers and provide input on practices and products that would be valuable to test in the future. Conversely, Syngenta experts learn from site attendees which comparisons attendees are most interested in seeing, including competitor products.

Efforts at the GME sites are made to showcase crop trials with product combinations that growers would use on the farm. The GME sites allow attendees to compare products and make informed decisions for their own fields. In a year where a lot of new products hit the market, this approach is especially helpful because it allows growers to see new products tested locally and saves them time so they can concentrate on their current crops.

Season-long Connections

Site attendees are encouraged to return for multiple events and see the trial results through to harvest. As the weed, insect and disease pressures change, the trials being featured change, too.

“These trials aren’t just simulated situations during one period of the season, and that’s why they are so incredibly valuable,” says Marshall Dolch, a Syngenta district marketing lead. “We often talk with growers during the preseason about product selection, but there aren’t always opportunities to follow through and actually show the performance.” The GME sites provide an opportunity for Syngenta reps to discuss product performance with the same growers throughout the season.

Virtual Access

For years, site visitors stepped into the fields to see, touch and dig and gain deeper understandings of the tests they saw. Faced with the challenges the pandemic posed in the past year, the GME team found innovative new ways to let growers get close to the action and stay safe.

On-site events with smaller groups and enhanced safety measures still occurred, but as in-person visits necessarily decreased, many sites also added a virtual component. Hosts began filming the trial results and placing them on the Know More, Grow More blog. This valuable innovation during the pandemic will stay in place to serve growers or retailers who can’t attend sites they would like to visit.

“We saw an opportunity to bring the GME sites to our visitors no matter where they were,” says Ann Vail, Syngenta customer event and trade show lead.

“By taking the sites online,” Vail says, “we help our agronomists and growers continue their discussions outside of in-person events.”

GME sites bring a lot to the table. The sites provide opportunities to see new products and practices, to hear from researchers familiar with the local land and to build relationships with industry peers. Now some sites even provide the ability to see the latest trials from your computer screen. After all, Vail says, what drives GME sites is innovation at the local level.

For more information about the Grow More Experience sites, contact your Syngenta representative.

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Beef producers can achieve a potential 5% increase in feed efficiency while also helping to improve their environmental footprint by using Enogen® corn for feed.1 That’s the takeaway from a new life cycle assessment released by Syngenta Seeds and the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center.

Enogen helps cattle convert starch to sugars more efficiently, resulting in more readily available energy for livestock. In research studies at leading universities, Enogen has shown potential to increase feed efficiency by 5%,2 which can help cattle producers improve profit potential for their operations. The assessment shows that this nutritional boost helps improve efficiency in the farming, backgrounding and feedlot operations involved in livestock production. As a result, for every 1,000 head of finishing beef cattle, producers can potentially achieve the following environmental benefits:

  • Reduction of greenhouse gases equivalent to removing 35 passenger cars from the road for one year.3
  • Decreased land use for growing crops to feed the animals, equivalent to 50 American football fields.3
  • 6 million fewer gallons of water, enough to fill nine Olympic-size swimming pools.3
  • Enough energy saved to power 22 average homes for a year.3

To put the impact of these benefits into perspective, there are about 15 million head of beef cattle on feed at any given time in the U.S., and the industry processes approximately 35 million head of beef cattle each year.4

“The potential environmental benefits of feeding Enogen corn to finishing beef cattle could be very significant as the technology becomes more widely adopted,” says Duane Martin, head of Enogen marketing at Syngenta.

For more information on Enogen corn , go to enogenfeed.com.

1G. Thoma, M. Matlock, and M. Christy. 2020. Analysis of Life Cycle Impacts of Using Enogen Feed Corn in Feed Rations in Beef Cattle Production, University of Arkansas Resiliency Center.
2University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Studies, 2013–2017; Kansas State University Research Studies, 2016–2018; Penn State University Research Study, 2020.
3Based on LCA conducted by the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center, 2020, for 1,000 head, backgrounding through feed yard, using these experimental data and resources: Transl. Anim. Sci. Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2019, 504–512, https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txy121 (Exp 2); Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 4: Issue 1, https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7543 (Exp 1); https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator; and https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/energy-conversion-calculators.php.
4“Cattle on Feed Report,” released Feb. 19, 2021, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture.

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The European Union’s (EU) Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F) might have admirable climate goals — but the price tag for farmers and the global population is high.

Some of the proposed changes include strict guidelines for fertilizer and pesticide use along with increased organic production goals. They look good on paper, but the impact of F2F approval is an imposition on EU farmers who would have to use more land and spend more money —; both of which will produce lower yields. Lower yields mean more people go hungry.

And if passed, it might not be long before more growers than just those in the EU are losing income.

“Farm to Fork isn’t something that’s just going to affect European farmers,” says Mary Kay Thatcher, senior manager of Federal Government and Industry Relations at Syngenta. “It could easily limit the ability for the U.S. farmer to export products to those countries. There’s no question that the EU will further limit the use of pesticides on imported crops, and U.S. farmers need to understand what’s going on.”

A Brief Overview: Farm to Fork

F2F falls under the European Green Deal, an initiative that strives to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

“A shift to a sustainable food system can bring environmental, health and social benefits, offer economic gains and ensure that the recovery from the [COVID-19] crisis puts us onto a sustainable path,” says Stella Kyriakides, EU directorate-general for health and food safety in the Farm to Fork Strategy prepared for the European Commission.

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We applaud the EU’s goal of improving environmental sustainability in agriculture, but policies must also address food security and livelihood of farmers.

Mary Kay Thatcher Senior Manager, Federal Government and Industry Relations at Syngenta

But Ted McKinney, agricultural consultant and former undersecretary of agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, sees problems with the F2F Strategy. “The EU’s intentions are good with this program, for example, their objectives are laudable but their tactics don’t work,” he says. “They didn’t ask farmers — they didn’t even ask the commissioner of agriculture at the EU — making the plan.”

Ultimately, the EU wants to change the global standard for how food is raised — and the F2F plan is positioned as the first step.

A few highlights on new restrictions proposed in the F2F Strategy include reducing the overall use of pesticides by 50%, limiting nutrient losses by 50% by requiring farmers to use 20% less fertilizer by 2030, requiring more carbon-efficient livestock production, removing 50% of antimicrobials in farmed animals and aquaculture production by 2030, and transitioning at least 25% of EU’s agricultural land to organic farming practices.

“We applaud the EU’s goal of improving environmental sustainability in agriculture, but policies must also address food security and livelihood of farmers,” Thatcher says. “There are many trade-offs to be managed — such as significantly increased land use of organic farming — and targeting the use of inputs in isolation will not do anything to mitigate climate change. We would rather work with all stakeholders to establish a functioning measurement and incentive system for increasing carbon in soil, limiting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing biodiversity.

“Healthy nature and productive agriculture are not contradictions. At Syngenta, we believe there is a place for many different agricultural practices, and their impact needs to be properly and thoroughly assessed,” she continues.

This proposed strategy would only regulate EU farmers to start but that might not be the case for long.

“The EU is a major agricultural producer and participant in international agricultural trade. This policy shift is likely to affect international markets for agricultural commodities.” the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports in “Economic and Food Security Impacts of Agricultural Input Reduction Under the European Union Green Deal’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies.”

U.S. farmers have seen EU decisions impact them at the farm gate before through nontariff changes, Thatcher says. “Prices are likely to fall if this goes through because it’ll push our exports down and the EU is our 5th biggest trade partner.”

To put it into numbers, a recent study by ERS shows that if the F2F Strategy is adopted globally, gross farm incomes will decrease by 34%. Per capita food costs in the U.S. will increase by $512. Globally, they’ll increase by $450 per capita. Furthermore, ERS forecasts 185 million more people would go hungry.

A Harder Way to Farm

The F2F Strategy restricts farmer options and impedes farmers’ right to choose how they farm. It’ll start in the EU only but could quickly begin to impact global production.

“If they’re further limiting the use of pesticides, and they’re checking for residues, it’s likely going to change production practices here,” Thatcher explains. This would require a different focus in what currently is an efficient system.

McKinney believes the basis of much of the proposed plan is flawed. The idea that organic farming and reducing the use of pesticides that have been proven safe will make the climate and producers better off is not accurate, he says.

“If you’re not allowed to use pesticides or you’re forced to go organic, you still have to find some way to get rid of weeds and pests,” McKinney explains. “It’s not going to work with no-till, for example, and you’ll have to pull out the moldboard plow and do a lot of tillage, and you’ll see more erosion and certainly more greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Diversity and inclusion programs may focus on opening doors to women and people of color, but they also ultimately drive tangible benefits and opportunities for the entire agricultural industry.

“As agriculture becomes more diverse, more companies are realizing diversity is good for the bottom line,” says Ebony Webber, chief operating officer of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS). “They see opportunities to expand into new markets and stay competitive.”

MANRRS, which has 2,050 members in 65 chapters across 38 states, promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agricultural and related scientific careers. The organization helps members through networking and leadership-training programs. It also provides role models and networking opportunities for student members as early as the seventh grade. A growing number of companies are offering internships and full-time positions to MANRRS members.

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As agriculture becomes more diverse, more companies are realizing diversity is good for the bottom line.

Ebony Webber Chief Operating Officer
Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)

“Once our members have the chance for hands-on experiences and realize the opportunities in agriculture, they become more engaged,” says Antomia Farrell, Ed.D., assistant dean and director for diversity, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky. She is also serving as the 2020–2021 national MANRRS president and as the University of Kentucky’s MANRRS adviser.

Women are already playing a sizeable role in agriculture. Female-operated farms accounted for 38% of U.S. agriculture sales and 43% of U.S. farmland, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

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Joy O’Shaughnessy, chief operating officer, agribusiness, at HighQuest Partners, works with Women in Agribusiness. This group encourages its members to learn about the many career opportunities in agriculture, such as law, finance, insurance, research and more. A part of O’Shaughnessy’s role is working with ag retailers looking to transform their workplaces by hiring and retaining more female employees.

In addition to supporting groups like MANRRS and Women in Agribusiness, agricultural companies can develop their own initiatives. For example, Syngenta recently launched a four-year equity, diversity and inclusion plan. The plan focuses on building diversity and inclusion into senior-level and management teams as well as into employee recruitment, advancement and retention, says Brandon Bell, diversity and inclusion lead at Syngenta, North America.

Webber believes that working together is the key to building greater diversity and inclusion in agriculture. “I hope that as an industry we can become more proactive,” she says. “It’s going to take everyone. But this is a marathon, not a sprint.”