It was a busy year for BASF’s U.S. Crop Protection division. While the company had plenty to talk about when it came to topics such as disease control and weed resistance, BASF employees were hard at work ensuring the future of agriculture is filled with dedicated, bright and passionate leaders.

A BASF rep noticed Andy Herring’s interest in pollinator populations and introduced him to the Monarch Challenge, led by BASF’s sustainability initiative, Living Acres. Launched last year, the Monarch Challenge encourages growers and farm families to plant milkweed in non-crop areas of their land to aid monarch butterflies in their migration.

Feeding the world is the main mission of those involved in agriculture, and BASF is no exception — from helping farmers grow smart to working to end hunger in the communities they serve.

When it comes to keeping unwanted insects away from corn, there are multiple strategies growers can follow, whether it be tackling the problem from above the soil or beneath it. BASF Technical Marketing Manager Paula Halabicki shares her thoughts on how to manage pesky soil borne critters.

As a perennial crop, alfalfa presents unique challenges for growers. No matter how many years alfalfa plants have been in a field, structural crop integrity is key with the multiple cuttings that take place each season.

As many growers throughout the country rely on agriculture pilots to help make on target applications, BASF supports aerial applicators with scholarships and safety education efforts.

From increased education and field trials to industry yield contests, BASF has been involved in helping wheat growers achieve success. This includes recent involvement in two industry initiatives.

Each grower may have their own definition of success, but regardless of the definition, growers still need to develop a crop management plan that has a good offense and defense.

Recently, BASF sponsored an event focused solely on wheat production, where attendees were able to learn from growers and industry professionals on how to contribute to the profitability of their operation.

Biologicals have huge potential in agriculture, and the benefits they offer are constantly being researched. Specifically, biologicals are naturally occurring organisms, plant extracts or organic substances. They complement conventional chemical seed treatments to help enhance plant vigor and stand establishment.

Despite a late start this year, most potato growers faced minimal disease pressures and powered through harvest with good qualities and yields. Now that 2017 is coming to an end, attention must be turned to the possibility of diseases and pesky weeds in 2018.

Farming is going digital, and growers have a number of data sources and tools available at their fingertips. Earlier this year, BASF acquired ZedX, a company that develops agronomic weather, crop and pest models that can rapidly translate data into insights for more efficient agricultural production.

Growers in the U.S. have a new solution in the fight against resistant weeds: Zidua^® SC (Suspension Concentrate) herbicide. Zidua SC herbicide offers the same long-lasting weed control as Zidua herbicide, but in an improved SC liquid formulation.

BASF was feeling lucky on Friday, October 13, as they company announced an expanded herbicide portfolio and is entrance into the seed market, with the acquisition of significant parts of Bayer's seed and non-selective herbicide businesses.

Using seed treatments on cereal crops is a key component for staying a step ahead of Mother Nature to make sure plants have the season-long protection they need to flourish. To that end, the newly-released Stamina^® F4 Cereals fungicide seed treatment helps to provide growers with a faster start at planting and a stronger finish at harvest.

There are plenty of complex topics potato growers need to understand to run a profitable business, but when it comes to outputs there are two simple measures of success growers strive for that are easy to understand – high yields and high quality.

Last month, BASF joined the fight against hunger by participating in Hunger Action Month in partnership with Feeding America. To kick off the month, the company donated $75,000 to Feeding America’s National Produce Program.

The Farm Progress Show brings together professionals from all over the country to learn about the latest and greatest innovations in the agriculture industry. During this year’s show, Scott Kay, BASF Vice President for U.S. Crop Protection, met with Illinois grower Grant Strom to learn about his experience with Engenia® herbicide.

Laura Vance, Biology Project Leader for Soil Management at BASF, encourages anyone interested in helping the monarchs to create a milkweed habitat of their own. She shares some helpful tips to get started.

Before harvest season comes to an end, there may be a need for final herbicide applications. BASF’s Technical Service Representative Ken Diebert has a few pointers on making a successful crop desiccation application.

As consumer appetite for almonds continues to grow, almond growers are going nuts this harvest season as a result of favorable growth conditions and increased acreage.

For farmers, there is no silver bullet for managing disease in their fields. However, a new tool from BASF will offer specialty and row crop growers a disease control option that can help with a wide range of crops and diseases.

How BASF develops solutions with growers in mind

BASF announced the expansion of its manufacturing facilities in Saskatoon for biological inoculants production.

A love-hate relationship on the open road with Rob Sharkey and Donnarie Hales

Growers Perry Galloway of Arkansas and Scott Dauk of Minnesota both opted to plant dicamba-tolerant soybeans this year after dealing with water hemp, pigweed and giant ragweed. This led them to apply Engenia® herbicide to help manage these troublesome weeds. Problems with other herbicides were prevalent on Scott’s 1,800-acre farm.

Crops combat a number of issues to remain healthy. For cereal growers in the Northern Plains and throughout the Midwest, adding a seed treatment and fungicide to the tank mix not only aids in the plant health of their crops, but also helps to combats diseases, from Rhizoctonia to common smut. But what does plant health really mean, and what benefits do plants receive from wheat seed applications?

Because black dot infects potato plants relatively early in the season and symptoms generally do not appear until late in the growing season, potato growers must always be prepared.