Tragedy Felt Throughout the Ag Community – The agriculture community is reeling from the August 29 murder-suicide on a farm near Leeds, North Dakota.  Rural mental health specialist Monica McConkey says a tragedy like this has a ripple effect throughout the community. “When these events happen in small communities, everybody is touched at some level because people know the people involved, their kids and their families.” There is typically an outpouring of support when a crisis happens. The neighbors coming together to finish harvest would be one example. McConkey says there is a need for ongoing support. “Often the need for support comes later when real life kicks in,” said McConkey. “There’s a continuing need to provide support the families and loved ones involved.” Resources are available for people who are struggling with thoughts of suicide or anxiety. That includes the new 988 crisis lifeline.

RRFN Crop Tour: Good Sunflower Crop Coming – In stark contrast to the drought conditions last year, there’s green grass in western North Dakota. Chad VanderVorst, who leads Quantum Ag at Strasburg, says southern Emmons County is one area that has been too dry. “We had about a half an inch of rain the other day and that was the first significant rain since the 4^th of July.” Sunflowers can typically handle drier conditions. “We definitely see a really good flower crop coming; as dry as we were, we’re still getting good center fill.” said VanderVorst. “Acres are up significantly because of the great contracts that were offered.” In VanderVorst’s view, soybeans and corn are holding on where there is good ground, but the poor ground looks tough. Stalk integrity should be scrutinized due to the dry conditions. The corn in the Strasburg area will need a solid three weeks before the crop reaches maturity.

RRFN Crop Tour-Corn Handling Dry Conditions Well – This season began as a complete reverse from last year in the McClusky, North Dakota area, with it being cold and wet. “It was the first time we were out of the drought status in years,” said Paul Hagen of Mid State Ag. Ranchers are happy to have hay and crops were planted into moisture. By mid-summer, drier conditions prevailed. “Corn is handling a lack of rain a lot better (than soybeans) because it has been so humid and we have a lot of dew in the morning.  That’s been a Godsend for the corn.” The soybeans look lush. “All of the pods are three or four bean pods. Very seldom do you see a two bean pod unless it is one of our competitors,” joked Hagen. View the full interview.

RRFN Crop Tour: APH Yield Expected – Clark Price has dryland corn and crop that is under pivot in the Washburn, North Dakota region.  Price, who operates the River Ag Pioneer agency, says a lot of soybeans were planted before corn. The crop was full of foliage early, “but, then they ran out of moisture.” Central North Dakota has had just one decent rain since early July. “There’s a few less pods than I’d like to see, but hopefully the beans will size up now that we’ve gotten a rain and add some yield.” Early soybeans are starting to turn. Corn is slightly behind the average pace for Growing Degree Units “so we’ll probably need the full month of September to get the crop to maturity.” What can be expected for yield? “I think we’ll have an APH crop or maybe a little less than an APH crop.” View the video.

Frost-Free September Needed – Crops are generally in decent shape in central and western North Dakota. “We’re lagging alittle behind the five-year average (for GDUs) depending on when the crop was planted,” said Larry Lunder, field agronomist, Pioneer. “Considering when we got into the field, we’re in a lot better shape than I thought we’d be. We had a fairly warm summer and that helped us make up a lot of ground.” A good, long fall is needed to get the crop to maturity. “Keep fingers crossed that we go to go frost-free throughout September.” Lunder believes sunflower and small grains will probably be the best yielding crops in his area. View the interview.

Wet Spring = Crop Delays – Kent Rivard of K-Star Ag Services at Thief River Falls hosted the first stop on the second day of the RRFN Crop Tour. “Crops are looking shockingly well, especially for the late planting season.” There were some crops planted in May, but Rivard says most of the activity was in June. The soybeans will need more time with most of the acres in the region only in the R5 stage of development. Soybean aphids were widespread, and Iron Deficiency Chlorosis was evident earlier in the season. Seed corn sales were nearly cut in half in the Thief River Falls area this spring due to wet conditions. However, “the corn that is in as long as it makes maturity, looks fantastic.” The small grain harvest is just beginning and early yields are “average to a little above average. Watch the interview.

‘Anxious’ – The water came up this spring in the Stephen, Minnesota area and was one of the longest lasting floods in memory. Alex Anderson leads a Pioneer seed agency called Eagle Point Ag and says late planting and Prevented Plant was the norm in the area. “Decisions were changing on a daily basis this spring on the crop mix and the maturities.” The crop is almost a month behind a typical growing season. How would you describe the attitude of your customers? “Anxious,” was the one word response. Watch the video interview.

Corn Denting in Walhalla Area – Combine dust fills the air in northeastern North Dakota. Small grains and canola are being harvested. Desiccation is beginning in dry beans. “Corn is just reaching the dent stage and we’re starting to put starch in the kernels,” reports Matthew Fraser, On-Target Ag Services. “We’re probably a month out for full maturity.” During the RRFN Crop Tour stop at the agency’s plot near Walhalla, 75 day-to-85-day maturity corn hybrids are on display. With recent rains, Jocee Nelson is seeing some white mold in the soybeans, “but, it is minimal.” Pest problems have been soybean aphids and grasshoppers. Watch the video.

On Pace to Finish Good – Pioneer Field Agronomist Marc Cartwright hosted the second day of the Red River Farm Network Crop Tour. Fields were checked from Thief River Falls, Minnesota to Walhalla, North Dakota. “Soybeans and corn are on pace to finish up good despite the late planting,” said Cartwright. “I’d say if we can get through the month of September, we should be in a really, really good spot.” The corn is dented in the Walhalla, near the Canadian border. “Being a full-dented product at the end of August puts in a nice timeframe for a frost at the end of September to have good crop quality.” Watch the video.

“Worst IDC Year I’ve Ever Seen’ – It is a busy time in the central Red River Valley with spring wheat being harvested and beets being lifted for the pre-pile. Thanks to a late planting season, the corn and soybeans in the area will need more time. “I’m confident they’ll reach maturity,” said Rocky Nettum, who operates Nettum Seed at Caledonia, North Dakota. “It sounds like some good weather coming up and we should be good to go.” Planting didn’t begin until mid-to-late May. After a wet start, the rains turned off in July. “The crops are doing really well for the little bit of moisture that we’ve had.” The symptoms of Iron Deficiency Chlorosis are a familiar sight. During RRFN Crop Tour, Nettum encouraged growers to use a Soygreen type product on the hot IDC ground. Watch the video.

Corn Standing Well in Grand Forks Area – The RRFN Crop Tour, presented by Pioneer, made a stop west of Grand Forks Wednesday. “The early planted corn is looking really good and we’ll probably need another two to three weeks for that,” said Mike Stenvold of Stenvold Ag Service. “On some of the later stuff, we’re between the milk and dough (stage of development) and we’ll need all of September and probably into the first week of October.” The corn is standing well and Stenvold is “cautiously optimistic.” There has been some aphid and grasshopper damage in soybeans, but it was not at treatable levels. The interview can be found online.

An Impressive Sunflower Crop – With the crusted soils, emergence was a worry for sunflowers at Fosston, Minnesota this spring. The crop pushed through and is now thriving. “The stand is great, the flowers themselves look tremendous and the head size is really impressive,” reports Matt Larson. Sunflower acres are up and Ken Hove expects that trend to continue in 2023. Corn is starting to dent with the GDUs only slightly behind the norm for this date. Nitrogen may have been lost with the early season rains and fertility levels will need to be monitored going into next year. Hove has been selling Pioneer seed since 1985 and added Larson to the agency this season. “He’s an agronomist and a great guy to have with us.” See the full interview online.

Genetics Make the Difference – Soybean pods are filling well near Page, North Dakota. “New genetics in the A Series soybeans are bringing a lot of potential this year. We like what we see,” said Paige Elsner, Page Seed & Agronomy. “I know the corn also has a lot of potential.” Jason Mewes, who farms at Colgate, describes the year as an adventure. “We started one month later than we wanted and fortunately, we got rains at the right times. Considering the obstacles we’ve had, the crops look good. Soybean harvest is about one month away.” Watch the video and hear the story.

Excited About Corn Potential – Crops in the North Dakota’s Cass County look better than what was expected after the late spring. Matt Powell, who is part of the Ihry Pioneer Seed Agency at Hope, North Dakota, offers insight into the crop. “The wheat and barley crops look really good; we’ve had some nice weather to get that off,” said Powell. “For the corn and soybean guys, hopefully, we can get through the rest of the month with some good heat units and move on to the next chapter of the year.” In many cases, the corn had to be mudded in this spring. Despite that, the corn has a lot of potential. “It was all seeded from May 17 to June and it is one of the better stands we’ve had in years. For what Mother Nature gave us, we’re excited.” Watch the interview.

Gaining Growing Degree Units – Pioneer Associate Territory Manager Nellie Spence was part of the fourth day of the Red River Farm Network’s Crop Tour. Spence said the corn maturity varies across Cass County. “The spring was a nailbiter, but we got saved by the heat this summer,” said Spence. “We’re seeing corn being maybe ten days from finishing to a month out and that’s all in the same county.” Spence said late season rains are helping the soybean pods to fill out nicely.  The video interview can be found online.

Corn with “Surprisingly Good Potential” – “The corn near Amenia, North Dakota has surprisingly good potential,” says Terry Bruns with Rush River Ag. With later planting dates, the main worry is reaching maturity. When comparing the current GDUs with the long-term average, Bruns says there are reasons for optimism. During the RRFN interview, Bruns broke an ear of corn in half to evaluate conditions. The corn is dented with little tipback. Bruns also discussed stalk health. “The forecast is giving us more GDUs and we’ve been pretty good on moisture.”

Good Early Canola Yields – In the crop tour stop south of Langdon, Ag365’s Brock Mitchell said the soybean crop was planted late, “but, I think we’re sitting in a good spot for maturity.” Mitchell gives the credit to seed genetics for the local soybean crop, especially the A series varieties. Jace Ramberg joined Ag365 this past year and will be part of the new Langdon location. Ramberg says the early canola yields are very good with more acres being desiccated in the upcoming week. Watch the RRFN video.

Black Bird Depredation Seen in Prairie Pothole Region – Even with a late spring, Northland Seed and Supply owner Lee Dahl says the crop has performed well in the Doyon, North Dakota area. “We had a very wet and saturated spring and that delayed planting dates and some guys got scared away from later maturities,” said Dahl. “Fortunately, the growing season provided to us was very rich with moisture and heat units.” Maturities in the local area range from 65-to-85 day. Like everyone else, Dahl hopes to get an extended fall without an early frost. The major crop issue is the black bird damage within the Prairie Pothole Region. The full interview is online.

Heat Will Benefit the Corn Crop – During the RRFN Crop Tour stop at Pekin, North Dakota, Carl Jensen highlighted a 72-day corn that was at one-third milk line. “Jensen, who has been selling Pioneer seed for 31 years, conceded the crop went in late.  With the nice 80 degree weather we had last week and three or four 80 degree days this upcoming week, I don’t think we’ll be too bad with maturity.” A respectable soybean crop is also evident in the area. However, ” the rains were exceptionally variable this year and yields are going to reflect that on all crops.” The RRFN interview with Jensen is available on YouTube.

Later-Season Crops May Be The Winner – Pioneer field agronomist Kristie Sundeen covers a large swatch of northern North Dakota. This is an area with a lot of variability.” “I have some spots that look really, really nice and I have some spots that are short on rain.” Wind caused some trouble spots in corn, giving Goss’ Wilt and opening. Brittle snap and root lodging was seen in a small area.  “If we can get by without catching a frost, I think the later-season crops are actually going to be the winners this year,” said Sundeen. “The wheat crop is average and I think the canola crop is fairly average; the winds, the heat and the lack of moisture hurt us for the early-maturing stuff.” Find out more in this interview.

Mostly Warm Week, Cool Weather Coming – Warm, dry conditions are in the forecast this first full week of September, but there could be a brief weather change coming. Cooler overnight temperatures are expected heading into the weekend. World Weather Incorporated Senior Agriculture Meteorologist Drew Lerner does not anticipate the cool down to bring a hard frost or freeze. Before the cold front comes through this weekend, the majority of the Dakotas and Minnesota will see 90-degree temperatures. Longer-term, Lerner says the fall conditions are still dominated by La Nina. Hear Lerner’s latest weather forecast.

Conditions Vary Across Western Corn Belt – Golden Harvest Agronomy Manager David Schlake oversees the company’s activities in the Western Cornbelt. “We have some geographies where they have been very limited by drought, particularly, Kansas, Nebraska and up into South Dakota” Schlake sees average-to-above average conditions in North Dakota and Minnesota, but time will be needed for crops to reach full maturity. Schlake encourages farmers to prepare for 2023. “Reflect back and think about what changes do you want to make for next year; you really can’t start planning too early.”

Dry Conditions Influence Iowa Corn Crop – The Iowa corn crop does not appear to be a bin-buster. “It’s not going to be uncommon to have growers talking 50 to 70 bushel corn and to 250 (bushel corn) in the same county,” said Corteva Agriscience Crop Protection Launch Lead Eric Scherder. While it has been dry in central Iowa, recent rains were seen. “It’s a little late for corn, but it will help our soybeans a lot.”

Palmer amaranth Found in Hettinger County, ND – According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, Palmer amaranth is now confirmed in Hettinger County. Several plants were found and “it appears the seeds came from a custom harvest crew from the previous year.” The plants have been destroyed.

MN Wheat Minute – In the latest Minnesota Wheat Minute, Minnesota Wheat CEO Charlie Vogel recaps the U.S. Wheat World Staff Conference.

On the Brink of Wheat Harvest – Rolla, North Dakota farmer Tim Mickelson says is looking at the start of his wheat harvest. “There’s probably ten-to-15 percent of wheat taken off in our area so far.” Weather has played a big role in dictating the timing of harvest. Mickelson says two-row barley is also in their crop rotation and the crop looks promising. “It did lodge a little bit last week due to the rain.”

South Dakota Wheat Harvest Wraps Up – The wheat harvest is nearly complete in South Dakota.  South Dakota Wheat Commission Executive Director Reid Christophersons says the winter wheat and spring wheat crops were not the same. “Winter wheat harvest was just absolutely expectational. Producers saw yields from 60-80 bushels per acre and certainly reports of 100-120 bushels an acre. Spring wheat had a little spottier conditions where yields were around mid 50s as a statewide average.”

Hot Temperatures Hurt Canola Yields – Kidder County farmer Paul Subart says there has been harvest progress in central North Dakota. “We have about 60 to 70 percent of wheat harvest done at this point, and about the same for canola.” Weather beat back some of the canola yields “where it flowered when it was hot which hurt the yields.”

Canola Minute – Canola harvest is getting started. While a few farmers are disappointed, other farmers are pleased. Hear more in the latest Canola Minute.

A Sneak Peek: USDA Support for Climate Smart Funding – Climate-smart agriculture is front-and-center at the USDA.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told attendees at the Farm Progress Show USDA initially planned to use $1 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation to invest in climate-smart pilot projects. “We asked farmers, agribusinesses and food companies, what would you do? We ended up getting 1,050 applications and the requests totaled more than $20 billion.” Vilsack outlined three projects that may receive funding. One project focuses on beef and bison production in South Dakota “producing and using climate smart grazing practices.” The plan is to quantify, monitor and verify carbon and GHG practices in terms of climate production and educate producers on climate smart production practices. The Iowa Soybean Association wants to partner with Target, Cargill, PepsiCo and others to help farmers implement climate smart production practices on corn, soybeans and wheat in the next five years. Several states, including the Dakotas and Minnesota, could be targeted for this pilot program. The USDA will formally announce the pilot programs the week of September 13.

House Ag Leader Talks Farm Bill at Farm Progress – House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn “GT” Thompson was at the Farm Progress Show discussing the next farm bill with state agricultural groups and farmers. “There’s only one option in my mind in 2023; reauthorize the farm bill before the current bill expires.” Thompson said he has been open about his frustrations with the farm bill process. “Finally in June, it seems we lit a fire under the majority party. We’ve had more farm bill hearings in Washington D.C., but we haven’t implemented many field hearings yet.” Thompson says additional farm bill field hearings will be important after the upcoming elections in November.

Bigger Pie Needed for New Farm Bill – National Corn Growers Association First Vice President Harold Wolle says the organization is focusing on farm bill priorities. “Our mantra is to do no harm to crop insurance, that’s the top priority.” The Madelia, Minnesota farmer also emphasizes the importance of trade. Wolle says Glenn “GT” Thompson is advocating for more farm bill funding. “It doesn’t do good to sit and divide up the same because someone will get shorted. It will be hard to increase the funding in any one program if the pie is one size.”

Finstad Joins Ag Committee – Minnesota First District Congressman Brad Finstad has been appointed to the House Agriculture Committee. Finstad won a special election to fill the seat left vacant with the death of former Congressman Jim Hagedorn. Finstad is a farmer and small business owner.

Recession, Input Costs Detailed in New Rabobank Report – With two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, the U.S. economy is in a ‘technical recession.’ The new Rabobank North American Agribusiness Review says the economy is fading and a recession will be declared officially soon. The report says phosphate and potash prices should moderate while a volatile nitrogen fertilizer market leaves the potential for higher prices for the 2023 planting season. Rabobank sees the potential for a double-digit increase in seed prices.

Real Estate Debt Pushes Ag Loan Balances Higher – Farm real estate loans rose nearly seven percent at commercial banks this past year. A report from the Kansas City Federal Reserve says non-real estate farm debt increased modestly after two years of significant declines. The delinquency rate for real estate and non-real estate farm loans declined for the seventh consecutive quarter. Delinquencies on production loans is close to all-time lows.

MN Beef Update – In the latest Minnesota Beef Update, hear more about the upcoming Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association meeting at Redwood Falls, Minnesota.

Competitive Fall Feeder Market – With the end of summer, the auction bans are beginning their schedule of fall feeder cattle sales. Bagley Livestock Auction co-owner Billy Bushelle is confident about the prices for the feeder cattle run. “There’s a considerably smaller amount of calves this year because of the drought and the tough calving season. I bet buyers will have to be a bit more competitive in the market.”

Dry Bean Scene – This week, U.S. Dry Bean Council Program Assistant Dee Richmond joins us to focus on the U.S. Dry Bean Council’s trade mission. The Dry Bean Scene is brought to you by SRS Commodities, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Johnstown Bean Company, and BASF.

Export Sales Report Paused – USDA will not publish its weekly export sales report until mid-September at the earliest. The Agriculture Department pulled the report last week after a technical problem caused uncertainty in the markets. USDA plans to revert to its ‘legacy’ system will it fixes the new system.

Ukraine on Pace to Match Exports – According to a Reuters report, Ukraine is on course to ship nearly as much grain this month as it did before the Russian invasion in February. Ukraine is set to export as much as four million metric tons of ag products in August. The country exported three million metric tons in July. More than 720,000 tons of grains have let Ukraine over the past several weeks.

Heading to Uzbekistan – Minnesota soybean checkoff leaders will be in Uzbekistan this week. This follows the first-ever U.S. soybean meal shipment to the former member of the Soviet Union. The trade mission is the next step in investigating the new market.

Allendale Releases Crop Production Forecast – Allendale is forecasting a 14.1 billion bushel corn crop and a soybean crop of 4.4 billion bushels. That compares to USDA’ s latest estimate of 14.4 billion bushels for corn and 4.5 billion bushels for soybeans. Allendale is estimating corn yields to average 172 bushels per acre and soybeans are just under 51 bushels per acre. This yield survey was conducted from August 15-28.

Sunflower Contract Prices Begin to Surface – Contracts for 2023 sunflower production have started to roll out at the crush plants. The National Sunflower Association says that is earlier than normal. NuSun is in a range of $23.50-to-$25.75 per hundredweight and high oleics at $26-to-$26.75.

Learn About Grand Farm During NCI Webinar – The Northern Crops Institute is proud to host another Market Update: Special Edition webinar Wednesday at 8 AM. This webinar will feature Andrew Jason, ecosystems director, Grand Farm. Jason will provide a short presentation about Grand Farm, including a video tour. This webinar series focuses on engaging with past NCI course participants and offering market insights. Registration for this event is free of charge and is open to the public

Rail Carriers and Unions Work on Labor Agreements – Three labor unions representing 15,000 railroad workers reached a tentative agreement with the railroads. Nine other unions representing 130,000 workers have not yet reached a deal. If the unions and rail carriers have not reached an agreement by September 16, strikes and lockouts are allowed through the Railway Labor Act.

Seeking Regulatory Oversight – The Environmental Protection Agency has until the end of the month to respond to 2017 petition filed by the Center for Food Safety and the Pesticide Action Network. The environmental groups are seeking regulatory oversight of pesticide-treated seed. Seed treatment was exempted from regulations as part of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The federal court in San Francisco approved a consent decree between the EPA and the activist groups.

Dicamba Drama – The EPA is asking the federal courts to maintain a temporary suspension of a lawsuit over the use of dicamba. The Center for Food Safety and Center for Biological Diversity asked the courts to vacate the registrations of XtendiMax, Engenia and Tavium in 2020. The stay was granted while a legal battle over jurisdictional issues is finalized.

Western MN Steam Threshers Meet – The Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion continues today in Rollag, Minnesota. President Duane Hovelsrud says this is the final day for the show. “Plan on spending the whole day with us. We have steam locomotives, mini-trains and steam powered machines and it will be a great day.” Tickets are still available at the grounds.

Grand Farm Announces Partnership – North Dakota Senator John Hoeven announced a new agreement between NDSU, Emerging Prairie and the Agricultural Research Service to enhance precision agriculture research by Grand Farm. Hoeven announced the project received a million-dollars in funding. “Those three entities are providing a million dollars in a cooperative agreement to advance Grand Farm and precision ag.”

New Coalition Formed to Educate Congress – A new agriculture alliance has been formed called the Ag Bioeconomy Coalition. With the current focus on climate and sustainability, this group will advocate the use of agricultural feedstocks to displace petrochemicals. The coalition includes Farm Bureau, corn, soybean and hemp groups, ethanol companies and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Corn Matters – Hear more about fuel promotion events coming up in the latest Corn Matters, presented by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

Driverless Spreader Introduced at Farm Progress Show – Case IH and Raven Industries introduced the agriculture industry’s first autonomous spreader. The driverless technology was unveiled at the Farm Progress Show. Using the Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy, farmers can plan and complete an entire field from a phone or iPad. The product will be available on a limited basis in 2023.

New Combine Introduced at Farm Progress – The new CLAAS TRION 740 combine made its debut at the Farm Progress Show. The combine is powered by a Cummins L9 engine. According to a news release, it only takes five minutes to switch from the harvesting of soybeans to corn with the CLAAS TRION 740.

New Holland and MacDon Header Debuts – New Holland and MacDon Industries have launched their co-branded combine header, the FD2 FlexDraper. It features a unique float response, more header flex and cutting capacity. This header can be mounted on any New Holland CR Series of CX Series combine.

Peterson Farms Seed Hosts Field Day –

Peterson Farms Seed Field Days took place this last week. Peterson Farms Seed President Carl Peterson says there’s topics from everything from biologicals to soil nutrient management to gene editing products.” Peterson says the focus of the field day is to provide farmers with more tools and education to make them more profitable.

Tyson Plant Suspended From Exporting Pork to China – China has suspended a Tyson pork processing plant in Indiana from its list of eligible suppliers. The reason for this suspension has not been confirmed. In a statement, Tyson officials said the company is confident the U.S. and Chinese governments can resolve this matter.

Spot Spraying Weeds – Imagine if you could spray specific weeds in a field. Bosch BASF Digital Farming created a product called the Smart Spraying solution to do just that. This machine identifies pre-emergence and post-emergence weeds with high tech camera sensors and then, spot applies herbicides only where needed in the field. “What’s wrong with broadcast spraying?” asks Customer Acquisition Manager for North America Aaron Hunsinger. “You’re putting the product everywhere. When you use a contact, non-residual herbicide, Why spray it on the dirt? Put it on the plants where it goes and kill the weeds.” Hunsinger says the system focuses on weed management in corn, soybeans and sugarbeets. In 2023, pre-series machines will be released in the United States.

Corteva + BASF Partnership – Corteva Agriscience and BASF are working together to develop new herbicide tolerant soybeans and herbicides. Corteva Agriscience Chief Technology and Digital Officer Sam Eathington says weed resistance means new tools are needed. “We have our Enlist platform today. We’ll be adding to that a new PPO gene and chemistry from BASF. We’re also collaborating on a five-gene, which would bring another mode of weed control.” The four-way stack trait will come in about eight years, in the 2030s. The next generation will come in the 2040s. Eathington also says regulatory approvals are the big hurdle in bringing products to market.

A New On-Seed Product from Pivot Bio – To help offset high prices the availability of fertilizer, Pivot Bio launched PIVOT Bio PROVEN 40 On-Seed and Return. Commercial Agronomist Seda Klachko says it’s the only on-seed application of microbial nitrogen on the market. “Our on-seed product is exactly as expected. We put our microbes directly on the seed. The 40 pounds of nitrogen is going to be there all season long.”

Syngenta Group Releases 2Q Financials – The Syngenta Group is reporting second quarter earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation at $1.7 billion. That’s up nearly 40 percent from one year ago. Syngenta Crop Protection sales grew 25 percent, reaching $8.6 billion for the first half of the year. Sales for Syngenta Seeds rose 17 percent to $2.3 billion. The ADAMA business unit enjoyed a sales bump of 24 percent.

Syngenta Promotes Whaley – Linda Arnold Whaley is the new head of communications for Syngenta Seeds and its global and North American divisions. Whaley joined Syngenta in 2019 after working for Monsanto, Bayer and BASF.

From AFBF to Smithfield Foods – Ray Atkinson is the new director of external communications for Smithfield Foods. Previously, Atkinson was the director of communications for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

A New Role for Matt Grove – Matt Grove has started a new role as the business development lead for Precision Planting. Grove has been the northwest region manager for Precision Planting. Previously, Grove worked for Intelligent Ag Solutions, HEC Agronomy, Valley Plains Equipment and RDO.

NDSU Grad Begins New Role at LMA – The Livestock Marketing Association has hired Lucas Simmer as its government and industry affairs administrator. Simmer is a Rothsay, Minnesota native and a graduate of North Dakota State University.

SD Corn Comments – In the latest South Dakota Corn Comments, we get a warm goodbye from an old friend.

Lennox FFA Wins SDFU Quiz Bowl – At the South Dakota State Fair, the Lennox FFA Chapter won the South Dakota Farmers Union Farm Safety Quiz Bowl. This quiz bowl focuses on ATV, grain and livestock safety. Three other FFA Chapters participated in the finals of the competition, including Kimball, Gettysburg and Canton FFA.

Join RRFN at the Big Iron Farm Show – The Big Iron Farm Show is fast approaching. The Red River Farm Network is once again hosting forums in our building during the West Fargo show. On Tuesday, September 13, agricultural meteorologist Eric Snodgrass will deliver the weather outlook. Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux will be on the RRFN stage Wednesday, September 14. The supply chain challenges will be dissected with representatives of CHS, Simplot Grower Solutions, Helena and Wilbur Ellis for the Thursday, September 15 forum. The latest market outlook will be discussed each afternoon at 1:30. Panelists include Tommy Grisafi, Randy Martinson, Ray Grabanski, Mike Zuzulo, Betsy Jensen, Bret Oelke, DuWayne Bosse, Kristi Van Ahn and Frayne Olson. AgCountry has seminars scheduled daily at 11:30 in the RRFN building. Farmers National Company will consider land values at 2:30 Tuesday and Wednesday and Freedom Financial Group will deliver financial planning and farm succession information at 3:30 Tuesday and Wednesday and 2:30 Thursday. All forums will be streamed online.