Good morning and Happy National FFA Week!
If you sported the blue corduroy at any point in your lifetime, remember to thank those (yep, ag teachers!) who supported your path into this awesome industry.
Stories:
- 'Drought' Doesn't Cover It Anymore
- Bayer Stays Busy
- A Patent Party at Inari
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'Drought' Doesn't Cover It Anymore |
The American West is enduring its worst drought in 1,200 years (that’s not a typo).
A series of record-breaking winter storms gave many high hopes that the drought's end was in sight. But January and February have still been drier than any others in California’s recorded history.
Western states are on a precipitation pendulum, swinging from record-breaking weather events to record-breaking dry months. From the Sierra Nevada to Denver, snow isn’t showing up when expected. Experts say La Niña is to blame for lower than normal rainfall in the Southwest.
Past parched: Water experts are now saying that "drought" may not cover the current situation. "Aridification" may be the updated lingo for experts who are wondering how temporary the mega-drought of the last 22 years really is.
Not just the Golden State: After February started drier than the heart of a haystack, the drought monitor shows worsening conditions in many regions. 32% of U.S. corn areas and 72% of wheat areas are experiencing some sort of drought, both big increases over 2021.
Where this goes: Water curtailments may be back on the table in California. The state’s Water Resources Control Board is preparing for the worst-case water scenario. Some good news, though: the recent infrastructure law will provide $1.66B per year for the next five years for water-related projects.
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→ Don’t stop believin’, dicamba. Legislators in Congress are asking the EPA to reconsider restrictions on the herbicide given current supply chain challenges.
→ JBS gets cold feet. The meat behemoth withdrew its proposal to purchase the remaining shares of Pilgrim’s Pride that it doesn’t already own after a disagreement over the final price tag.
→ Ag goes nano. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture invested $5.4M via grants for nanotechnology-based research on projects including swine vaccines, ag wastewater treatments, and more.
→ Texas sends border farms a booster. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will offer financial assistance to farmers and ranchers along the southern border who experienced damage to fields and farming infrastructure like fencing and water structures.
→ Deere doesn’t blink at revenue hurdles. First-quarter revenue for the equipment giant saw a 5% jump despite continued supply chain issues and November’s UAW contract strike.
→ India’s snackin’ on lots of soyoil. The country signed a contract to purchase 100,000 tonnes of soyoil from the U.S. as its substitute palm oil is reaching record highs.
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Andreas Rentz / Getty Images
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There is no lack of big news coming out of Bayer’s R&D department with all the buzz about launches coming in both their seed and herbicide portfolio. Here’s the rundown:
Digits: 30 years. Bayer’s new herbicide (not expected until 2030) will have the first new mode of action commercialized in nearly 30 years.
More digits: 6 to 8 feet. The height of Bayer’s Short Stature Corn will have better standability and maximize fertility and crop input products compared to normal hybrid heights of 9 to 11 feet.
Soundbite: "To give you some context, there’s more interest [among farmers] in Short Stature Corn right now than there ever has been for any biotechnology trait that we ever introduced into the market," noted Bob Reiter, Head of R&D for Bayer.
The More You Know: Learn more about these two launches and other news on Bayer’s precision breeding efforts, corn rootworm traits, and carbon offerings.
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*As of 2/18/22 since markets were closed for Presidents' Day.
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Ag-Friendly Software Solutions |
When it comes to custom software, you don’t want just anyone tooling around with future applications that can make or break your business.
That’s where DelMar comes in.
This software development team has worked on projects from custom websites to complex applications that live on phones, tablets, PCs, and more.
And here’s the fun part… they’ve got the ag industry experience to make your custom software dreams come true.
A few notable ag clients include FieldWatch, CropZilla, Illinois Foundation Seeds Inc., and AgReliant Genetics.
With 140 clients nationwide and over 140 years of professional software development under their belt, they’ve got the know-how and resume to back up what they build.
Discover what DelMar can do for your company today.
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Magnetic's Must-See Stuff |
A career pivot worth considering... Pivot Bio is rounding out the hiring of its scaled-up Commercial Agronomy team. Build the future of fertilizer today and apply.*
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No lack of world hunger solutions. Check out this interesting AgFunder News read on how a slew of agriculture CEOs would spend Elon Musk’s cash to feed the world.
*Sponsored Post. Looking to advertise your event, announcement, or product here? Learn more.
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Recent U.S. headlines have often referred to one specific animal that’s capable of property damage and spreading disease.
The map below reveals the population by county of the ‘invasive’ species.
What animal is it?
Answer at the bottom of the email.
**Win a Magnetic koozie when you submit a trivia question and it gets used in a future newsletter! Submit questions here.
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ICYMI, Inari is #winning at the patent process with several already granted and more in the "patent-pending" camp.
Like GMOs, but not… Inari uses proprietary gene editing technology to change genes directly. Gene editing is a cheaper and more PC version of altering seeds to create higher-yielding, pest-resistant plants, which is a win-win for growers, consumers, and the environment.
Soundbite: "We are proud to be the first company granted patents for gene editing GM traits," Inari CEO Ponsi Trivisvavet said. "Inari can give growers access to the leading GM traits for pest control they have come to rely on, coupled with the sustainability benefits of our unique gene edits — all available through our proprietary technology platform."
The first two patents for gene editing traits include insect protection for corn and weed management for soybeans. Trailing not too far behind are 15 additional patent applications with various applications across corn, soybeans, canola, and cotton.
Better for earth. "Our gene editing technology aims to reduce land, water and fertilizer — by packaging this technology with our edited GM traits, we can reach more growers and increase our potential for a positive impact on the planet," Trivisvavet said.
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