Herbicides

Bayer Proposes Class Settlement Deal in Monsanto’s Roundup Litigation

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:36:07 GMT

Announced today, Bayer’s subsidiary Monsanto has reached a class settlement deal —pending court approval—to reach the company’s goal of containing glyphosate litigation.

The deal includes $7.25 billion over 21 years for current and future glyphosate cases.

Almost two years ago, then-new CEO Bill Anderson said it was his goal to have the legal liabilities “under control” by 2026, which had weighed on Bayer. Company leaders said the settlement provides the greatest possible closure for the Roundup litigation by addressing all present and potential claims of non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (NHL) allegedly due to Roundup exposure.

In his statement today, Anderson said the company is “choosing speed and containment over a lengthy battle in the courts.”

“Today’s announcement does not take away from the truth, a truth that scientists and regulators around the planet continue to uphold: that glyphosate is a safe and essential tool for farmers in the U.S. and around the world,” Anderson said.

He continued, “This settlement comes at a cost, even beyond its direct monetary price. It has cost employees their jobs. It’s diverted funding away from new medicines and new seeds and towards litigation, an industry that costs the average U.S. household more than four thousand dollars every year. So, while this settlement is necessary for the company today, we maintain our significant objections to the broken tort system that makes it necessary.”

The settlement is filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The class includes people who allege Roundup exposure before Feb. 17, 2026 and who already have NHL or are diagnosed within 16 years after final court approval.

“With more than 40,000 Roundup personal injury non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma claims already in court or under tolling agreements, new filings arriving daily, a pending Supreme Court petition that could restrict plaintiffs’ recovery rights, and crowded dockets offering limited trial dates, Motley Rice began negotiating with other proposed class counsel to reach a settlement with Monsanto,” said Motley Rice co-founder and settlement negotiator, Joseph F. Rice. “I believe this $7.25 billion proposed national class settlement reached in Missouri state court is the best path forward to finally bring the Roundup® litigation to a closing chapter. Based on the hard work of class counsel and Monsanto’s counsel, both occupational and residential exposures will be covered, the rights of future claimants have been uniquely protected, and payments should begin in 2026.”

Six years ago, Bayer proposed a class settlement which did not move forward. That proposal was limited to four years of funding and future litigation beyond those four years required an expert science panel for determination of qualifications.

Beyond the class proposal, Bayer says it has reached separate confidential agreements to settle certain other Roundup cases.

Today’s news comes one month after the Supreme Court agreed to hear one of the cases , referred to as a the Durnell case, which calls into question federal preemption of pesticide labels.

AgZen, Corteva Team up on AI-Powered, Retrofit Sprayer Tech

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:10:42 GMT

AgZen announces an agreement with Corteva to further “explore the commercial potential” of AgZen’s AI-powered crop spraying optimization technology, RealCoverage.

The news comes on the heels of Corteva’s big announcement on Oct. 1 , detailing the crop protection multinational’s plan to split its crop protection and seeds businesses.

AgZen, a tech startup spun out of MIT, is making a name for itself by pioneering feedback optimization for spray applications — a new approach the company thinks has potential to improve farmer outcomes and reduce crop input costs.

(AgZen)

AgZen’s first product, RealCoverage, is a retrofit kit that can be bolted onto any sprayer to measure and optimize the number of drops of agrochemicals applied to crops. The system features a boom-mounted sensor that analyzes the coverage and quality of spray applications in real-time, displaying actionable data to a tablet mounted in the cab. Farmers can use the data to optimize the physical settings on spray rigs, both self-propelled and pull-behind, to increase coverage.

The startup says its system works by leveraging AI and cutting-edge computer vision, and customers have used RealCoverage to save 30% to 50% on input costs.

Farmer Feedback

(AgZen)

Northwest Indiana farmer Bryan Brost slapped a RealCoverage system onto his Hagie STS 16 high-clearance sprayer to use on his waxy corn and soybean crops. He says it has helped boost his spray program efficiency overall by reducing application rates while maintaining optimal coverage throughout his 12,000-acre operation.

“The payback came in the first year,” he tells Farm Journal via text message. “We have increased our acres [covered] per day with less hours on the machine, the operator and the nurse tanks supplying product [to the sprayer].”

Corey McIntosh set the technology loose across his 4,000 acre spread in Missouri Valley, Iowa. He is looking forward to using the data to improve his application efficiency across the board. He’s also letting his neighbors and local retailer in on the secret.

“I was getting a chem shuttle refilled at [the] co-op, these guys have always been complimentary of our weed control, I asked them: ‘What percentage of leaf surface area do you think you are covering with your sprayers?’ One of their best operators said he thought 50% coverage. The salesman next to him said it would definitely be more than 60%,” McIntosh says.

“They were shocked when I told them we were at 9% to 10%, but nobody has had ever had a way to quantify this before,” he adds. “We are really looking forward to making improvements.”

Since launching on the market in 2024, AgZen says it covered more than 970,000 commercial acres of application across the U.S. on row crops and specialty crops.

Your Next Read: Breakthrough Fungicide Delivers White Mold Disease Control in Key Crops

Corteva's Bold Move: What Splitting Crop Protection and Seed Businesses Means for the Future

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:27:19 GMT

Global agriculture technology company Corteva announced plans on Wednesday to separate into two independent, publicly traded entities: “new” Corteva, which will continue to sell crop protection products – herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and biologicals – and SpinCo, which will focus on the seed genetics business.

SpinCo will include Pioneer, the company’s legacy seed brand established in 1926, as well as Brevant and regional seed brands, including Dairyland Seed.

Upon separation of the companies, Greg Page, current Corteva chairman, will lead new Corteva, while Chuck Magro, current Corteva CEO, will become CEO of SpinCo.

In announcing the decision by Corteva, Magro said the farmer-centric organization appreciates that its customers want and need choice across their input decisions.

“The best way, maybe I can even say, the only way for this company to preserve and expand that choice and keep putting innovative, effective, sustainable solutions into the hands of farmers around the world is to give both businesses the freedom to operate without having to look out for the other,” said Magro, during an online presentation primarily focused on company investors.

He added that the separation of the company into two entities will allow both businesses to maximize long-term value for farmers, customers, employees and shareholders.

Magro described SpinCo – with expected net sales of $9.9 billion in 2025 (56% of current Corteva sales) – as “a classic growth compounder” that will pursue opportunities in out-licensing, hybrid wheat, biofuels and gene editing.

“The continued success of our SpinCo business will be predicated upon sustained investment in advanced genetics and further capitalizing on our unique route to market,” Magro said.

As a pure-play crop genetics company, Magro predicts SpinCo could go beyond its corn and soybean core into other row crops, even expanding into other areas like fruits and vegetables.

“Spinco will also look to expand on new opportunities in wheat, cotton, rice and other products, where genetics can play a transformative role,” he said. “In other words, we could see SpinCo playing in a vastly expanded addressable market.”

Corteva Crop Protection Business Is Future-Focused

For new Corteva, Magro characterized the crop protection industry as competitive and tough, but that company leaders anticipate the market will return to growth in the near future.

“At new Corteva, success will be built upon an optimized supply chain, a new level of operational excellence and the ability to invest in the next generation of sustainable, differentiated innovation, including biologicals and other nature-based products,” he said.

Magro said as company leaders weighed the pros and cons of separating the two companies, they made the decision with the future in mind.

“This is not about today, and it’s not certainly about the last six years. This is about what we see coming,” he said. “We’re in a market that we need to look out 10-years plus. That’s just the research and development and the timeline it takes to bring technology into the marketplace. So this is a long-term decision that we are making.”

Corteva’s 2025 net sales for its crop protection business are estimated to be $7.8 billion (44% of the current company’s total).

During Magro’s remarks, he gave no indication of where the two companies will be based. Corteva’s global headquarters is currently based in Indianapolis, Ind., while Johnston, Iowa, is home to its seed business.

The transaction separating Corteva and SpinCo is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

Corteva was formed in 2018 as the agriculture-focused subsidiary of DowDuPont, following the merger of the two companies. Corteva was spun-off as its own entity in 2019.

Your next read: Fertilizer Decisions: Balance Costs, Yields and Sustainability

Artificial Intelligence Joins The Fight Against Weeds, Insects And Disease

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:53:42 GMT

The crop protection industry needs a reboot, according to Tony Klemm.

As CEO of Enko, a crop-protection startup, he says the company is taking a different approach to solving one of agriculture’s biggest problems – developing safe, effective and sustainable crop protection products that can be brought to the marketplace faster and more economically.

Traditional discovery pipelines for herbicides, fungicides, insecticides are not keeping pace with real challenges farmers face, such as resistance issues, he told Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk on Thursday.

A 2024 study funded by Crop Life International reports the costs associated with bringing a new active ingredient to major U.S. and European markets now top $300 million. In addition, the survey says the average lead time between the first synthesis of a new crop protection molecule and its subsequent commercial introduction is now over 12 years.

Part of the long development time required is related to regulatory hurdles. “There’s just increasing demand for meeting environmental safety needs, rightfully so,” Klemm says.

A Paradigm Shift
Enko, based in Mystic, Conn., is using artificial intelligence (AI) and a machine learning discovery platform to guide the company’s research and development efforts. Klemm describes the strategy as a paradigm shift from the current industry practices for how small molecule crop protection discovery has been done.

“We use DNA-encoded libraries, and these libraries allow our scientists to explore this massive, diverse chemical space in a very targeted, automated and expansive way,” he says.

The technology allows Enko scientists to look at billions of molecules and screen them for safety and efficacy and, in the process, develop them faster and more economically.

“We still have to take the regulatory journey that, right now, no one’s figured out a way to expedite,” he notes. “But getting to that regulatory queue faster and better on the front side is really what’s bringing us that cost savings, that efficacy and is going to allow for more products to be put into the regulatory queue in a faster manner.”

Progress To Date
So far, Klemm says Enko has delivered about 50 active programs that cover all facets of weeds, insects and disease. Many use novel or new modes of action that Klemm believes will help farmers fight resistance issues, such as herbicide resistance in Palmer amaranth and pigweed.

“We’re really working on how we can bring new modes of action to farmers, give them fresh tools to win that fight. And our chemistries work using fewer active ingredients, from perspective of the load on the acre, so we’re designing safer chemistry for the future,” he says.

Specifically, Klemm says Enko recently announced a new grass herbicide is in the pipeline for the European cereals market for control of black grass. The company also has conducted field trials for corn and soybean products in the U.S. that he anticipates are five to 10 years away from market launch, depending on how long they take to move through regulatory channels.

Your next read: Bayer Affirms Support of Glyphosate, Optimistic for a Future with Over the Top Dicamba Labels

Bayer Submits Novel Herbicide for Regulatory Approval in U.S., Canada, Brazil and EU

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 16:21:58 GMT

Bayer has taken the first steps in bringing a new herbicide to market, submitting registration applications in four major agricultural regions: the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and now, the European Union. The application process ensures that government agencies in each region review and approve the product for safe use in crop production.

Icafolin-methyl is a new herbicide that employs a mode of action not seen in commercial agriculture in over 30 years, Bayer says in a news release. The company says the novel mode of action to control emerged weeds meets the highest safety and sustainability criteria of CropKey, Bayer’s novel R&D approach for crop protection products. Icafolin belongs to a new chemical class providing unique properties that allow for lower dose rates, more targeted applications, and is expected to demonstrate an exceptional safety and sustainability profile.

A mode of action refers to how a herbicide kills weeds at the molecular level. Bayer says it has been designed to be highly effective at low dose rates, compatible with reduced-tillage practices and supportive of soil health and sustainability goals. This approach uses artificial intelligence to design new active ingredients more quickly and efficiently, and Bayer claims this will also accelerate future product development.

“With CropKey, we’re not just responding to current agricultural challenges more quickly, we’re being proactive and anticipating future needs,” says Rachel Rama, senior vice president and head of small molecules for Bayer’s crop science division. “Leveraging artificial intelligence greatly accelerates our journey from concept to market, so farmers gain access to the most effective and environmentally responsible crop protection products.”

Registration Application

Before a crop protection product such as icafolin can be sold and used, it must be evaluated and approved by regulators in each country or region. These agencies — such as EPA in the U.S. or Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency — examine data on how the product works, how safe it is for humans and the environment, and how it should be used.

Submitting an application is the first official step of this process. Bayer is now waiting for regulatory agencies to complete their review, with projections for initial release in Brazil in 2028. If approved, farmers will be able to use the product according to the label and restrictions set by regulators.

Why This Matters

As more weeds adapt to survive common herbicides such as glyphosate, farmers have fewer effective tools to manage them.

“Weeds threaten food security and farmer livelihoods, which is why investing in game-changing innovations like icafolin is so vitally important,” says Mike Graham, head of research and development for the crop science division of Bayer. “Access to an entirely new herbicide class that complements the existing toolbox not only helps farmers combat and prevent weed resistance, but it also helps farmers adopt and maintain no-till and reduced tillage practices that improve soil health, which is a cornerstone of regenerative agriculture.”

Icafolin-methyl is expected to help by offering a new mechanism for weed control that complements existing herbicides, including glyphosate. Bayer says this will make it easier for growers to rotate and mix herbicides, slowing down resistance development.
In test applications, icafolin-treated weeds stop competing with crops for water and sunlight but remain physically in place, acting as a mulch that helps retain soil moisture and prevent erosion.

When Could Icafolin Be Available?

With an estimated peak sales potential of around 750 million euros, Bayer expects icafolin will be launched from 2028 onward with initial availability in Brazil. The new operating model DSO has been instrumental for advancing icafolin regulatory submissions ahead of schedule, according to the release.

It would be available in the U.S., Canada and other markets in the following years, pending approval.

The product is being developed for a wide range of crops including soybeans, cereals, pulses, oilseed crops, pome and stone fruits, tree nuts, grapes and citrus.

As a novel mode of action, it has unique properties and benefits, Bayer says. Treated weeds become “frozen” in the fields, meaning they stop competing with crops for water, nutrients and sunlight, but the dead weeds remain in the field longer because they largely maintain their structure. This creates a mulch layer that helps prevent erosion and traps moisture in the soil. By providing effective weed control, it reduces the need for tillage, supporting regenerative practices in agriculture that can improve soil health.

For farmers, the news of Bayer’s regulatory submissions marks the beginning of a multi-year approval process but also signals the arrival of long-awaited new weed control options. With herbicide resistance growing, icafolin-methyl could become an important addition to integrated weed management strategies in the next decade.

California approves new weed herbicide

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:10:26 GMT

FireHawk Bioherbicide can now be sold in California following regulatory approval from the Department of Pesticide Regulation, Contact BioSolutions announced May 16.

California residents can now purchase FireHawk concentrate, with the company anticipating approval for the ready-to-use product in the upcoming weeks.

“California sets the standard for sustainable land care, and we’re proud that FireHawk has earned DPR approval,” Frank Glatz, managing director at Contact BioSolutions, said in a news release. “We’re excited to make FireHawk available to homeowners, landscapers and growers across the state who want consistently effective weed control without compromising environmental values.”

Contact BioSolutions said the product eliminates unwanted vegetation quickly, improves soil biology and supports regenerative land practices. The company added that the product could be especially valuable for California vineyards.

Key Updates: How Two Legal Developments Could Impact Glyphosate Cases

Mon, 12 May 2025 19:53:07 GMT

This past week had two developments around Bayer’s campaign to reframe how regulations around pesticides are interpreted and applied by the court system. Earlier this spring, Bayer leadership confirmed it’s engaging in the multifront approach to limit its legal liabilities as the only domestic manufacturer of glyphosate.

To-date Bayer has paid more than $10 billion to plaintiffs in litigation claiming Roundup as the cause of their cancer.

Bill Anderson became CEO in 2023, and one of his commitments was to get the glyphosate litigation “under control” by 2026.

Two “wins” for the company have come in the past several days.

Supreme Court Brief

On May 9, 10 agricultural groups filed a brief encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case regarding glyphosate (and other pesticide) labeling.

In the coming weeks, the Supreme Court will decide on whether it’ll hear the case, with the key question being whether manufacturers of pesticides are liable under state law for “failure to warn” of alleged cancer or other health risks when federal regulators have evaluated the product’s safety and determined its uses are safe.

Groups named supporting the submission of the brief: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, International Fresh Produce Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Sorghum Producers, North American Blueberry Council, and Western Growers.

Second State Signs Law Reinforcing EPA’s Authority

In late April, North Dakota was the first state to have legislation signed into law reasserting federally approved pesticide labels are the law and companies can not be subject to litigation when those laws are followed.

Georgia becomes the second state to sign into law a bill that reinforces the authority of EPA’s science-based rulings that crop protection products are safe when used as directed.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has signed SB 144, which is a bill that has gone through the state’s legislature to re-affirm the authority of EPA and its scientific rulings on the safety of crop protection products.

“This is a major victory for Georgia’s top industry: agriculture,” said Will Bentley, president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. “By reinforcing science-based regulations for crop protection products, this law provides Georgia’s farmers and agribusiness with the certainty they need to remain competitive and contribute to a strong food and fiber supply chain. We appreciate Governor Kemp and the Georgia Legislature for prioritizing policies that benefit Georgia farmers, agribusinesses and consumers alike.”

Starting last year, Bayer has worked at the state level with legislators to introduce legislation to put a focus around pesticide labels and liability. This year, the company expanded its efforts to 10 states.

“The signing of SB 144 by Governor Kemp demonstrates that Georgia stands with its farmers, who work tirelessly to produce safe and affordable food for communities throughout the state. We thank Governor Kemp and the legislators, farmers and ag groups that supported this important piece of legislation,” said Brian Naber, president, Crop Science North America & Australia/New Zealand Region. “At Bayer, we are committed to developing agricultural innovations that help farmers thrive. This is important not only for Georgia’s farmers and American agriculture, but also the everyday American worried about the cost of groceries, which could increase if these vital tools went away. We hope states around the country considering similar legislation will also support farmers and the tools critical to their success.”

Bayer officials have said the courts will continue to interpret the laws, but they are optimistic the state laws will bring greater legal certainty around claims about the warning label.

Lawsuits May Complicate the Future of Glyphosate

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:11:26 GMT

Glyphosate is keeping several California courtrooms busy. It’s premature to start digging through your farm’s records to see how things were done in the pre-Roundup Ready days, but litigation could impact the future of glyphosate in farming operations.

Although there is a strong body of scientific evidence indicating glyphosate used in accordance with labeling requirements does not result in negative impacts for human health or the environment, the threat of litigation losses has already resulted in business decisions to pull back access to the herbicide.

Bayer Pulls Residential Sales

Plaintiffs’ attorneys have brought numerous class action lawsuits alleging glyphosate caused cancer, specifically, non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The plaintiffs allege Monsanto (later acquired by Bayer in 2018) failed to notify users the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm stated glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

Most of the plaintiffs in these cases have been residential users and groundskeepers who used the product for landscaping purposes. The first jury trials resulted in decisions for the plaintiffs accompanied by astronomical damages. Despite the body of evidence and EPA’s continued approval of glyphosate as a safe pesticide, Bayer decided to settle the litigation to manage its costs.

In June 2020, Bayer and the plaintiffs counsel announced a $10 billion settlement to resolve the claims of 125,000 plaintiffs. Of those plaintiffs, 95,000 accepted the terms of the settlement whereas 30,000 have chosen to continue to litigate the case. Although this settlement resolved much of the existing litigation, Bayer still faces exposure from future claims that have not been filed. This means as long as glyphosate is on the market, there will be a potential for new claims to continue to rise.

Bayer attempted to resolve this matter by offering $2 billion to resolve a future class action to compensate future claimants, a common practice in class action litigation. However, the federal judge overseeing the case rejected this settlement on the basis that it would limit the recovery of punitive damages for plaintiffs that were not yet parties in the case. Without the option to limit future losses, Bayer made the decision to remove glyphosate from its Roundup products marketed for residential use.

Science Versus Economics

Although residential applications of glyphosate account for a small fraction of the glyphosate used in the U.S., most of the plaintiffs in the class action cases were residential users and groundskeepers. Taking these products off the residential market helps to control financial losses.

Bayer has committed to continuing to sell glyphosate for agricultural purposes. However, it’s important to understand that even with science on their side, businesses are subject to the constraints of math.

Learn more on why Bayer is removing glyphosate from the U.S. residential lawn and garden marketplace .

EPA halts Dacthal registrations

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:52:59 GMT

The EPA says it suspended all registrations of the herbicide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate — DCPA or Dacthal — under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

Dachtal is a herbicide used in agricultural and non-agricultural settings but is primarily used on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions.

The EPA said it halted use due to the potential for pregnant women exposed to DCPA to have changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, which could result in low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills.

“Farmworkers face burdensome conditions in the fields and often face exposure to harmful pesticides while working to feed our nation,” U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., said in a news release. “I applaud the emergency action by the EPA which prioritizes farmworker health and safety, especially for pregnant women, by suspending this harmful chemical from our agricultural systems. We must continue to build on this progress and ensure all farmworkers are given the protection, worker’s rights, and overtime pay they deserve.”

The EPA said DCPA is undergoing a registration review, which registered pesticides undergo every 15 years to ensure they do not cause reasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. The agency consulted with the USDA prior to the decision to halt use to understand how growers use DCPA and alternatives to the pesticide.

AMVAC Chemical Corp. is the sole producer of DCPA, according to the release.

Related link: More about the EPA’s decision

Killing the Input Beast

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:03:33 GMT

The gospel of high yields at all costs has a new apostate. In 2012, Johnny Hunter pumped massive amounts of water onto his crops, but could only watch as extended drought drained yield from his fields. Cost of production demanded 230-250 bu. corn, 70-80 bu. soybeans and 3-bale cotton. When those levels weren’t achieved, particularly with the worst corn harvest of his career, financial trouble followed. He steadied his nerve, pulled the handbrake on his operation, and began a manic search for a soil solution.

Hunter was victim to agriculture’s version of the death of a thousand cuts through endless rounds of $5 treatments. A switch to a no till cover crop system tailored to his Essex, Mo., ground changed his entire management dynamic and provided a booster shot to weed control, irrigation efficiency and overall soil health.

YouTube Yearning

When the last tractor was shut down and harvest dust settled on a dismal 2012, Hunter was frustrated and playing against time. Despite pumping the most water of his career across a high tillage and big input system, another poor year in 2013 would place his operation in dire financial straits.

“One year and all the money I’d made was negated,” he says. “You can farm like that and make a living, but you can’t stub your toe or suffer a hiccup because you’ve spent so much money. It’s a fragile, uneasy spot and a lot of farmers are in it.”

Heavy tillage was the default practice on Hunter’s southeast Missouri operation, peppered with blanket fertilizer across all acres. Almost invariably, at least one treatment of some sort was sprayed weekly – an inordinate amount of money to increase yield.

“I was killing myself with $5 and $7 treatments to bring bushel increases,” Hunter says. “Yes, in some instances that’s exactly what happened, but we just kept bleeding profit.”

He typically doctored 2,450 acres of farmland with the intensive management of a man possessed: increased fertilization rates, tissue sampling, and micronutrient applications were only a portion of an ever growing regimen. The knee-jerk solution to go from red to black? Buy more metal in the form of a 20’ disk ripper and tear ground to shreds to increase water infiltration.

In December, while hunting online for the right machinery, Hunter clicked a tillage radish advertisement. In turn, the radish link led to a series of YouTube cover crop videos. He was hooked and hardly left his house for a week, consuming soil health videos and chasing more cover crop links. The penny dropped and Hunter knew he was on the trail of a turnaround.

In the mix of cover crop videos and literature, a particular name kept surfacing: National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation agronomist Ray Archuleta. Hunter emailed Archuleta on a Saturday night; Archuleta called Hunter on Sunday morning. Hunter’s journey to soil health had begun.

“Johnny was trying to find a better way to survive,” Archuleta recalls. “ Cover crops are merely a tool, not the goal. The goal is simple: Copy nature and increase soil function to cut back on input dependency. Understanding what’s going on in the soil system and how to use cover crops is the key.”

“Ray patiently explained how a cover crop system would benefit my overall efficiency,” Hunter says. “Sure, I was scared and felt like I was walking out on a high-dive board, but I was more scared of keeping on with the same practices and going out of business. Another bad year and I was knocked out.”

Hunter’s cover crop scheme is a fluid mix, and he rarely repeats the exact recipe of cereal rye, annual rye, black oats, hairy vetch, crimson clover, red clover, and Austrian winter peas. He doesn’t kill covers early in the year and believes a loose 75% of benefits are derived in spring. Erosion benefits come in winter, but Hunter wants a living root as soil warms. Before corn and soybeans, he terminates covers 48 hours ahead of the planter.

“The last thing I need to do is kill covers in February,” Hunter notes. “I like a healthy balance of good biomass to put carbon in my soil, and having a good place to plant my cash crop.”

Most of Hunter’s farmland is precision graded and divided into 40- to 80-acre fields, with soils ranging from sandy to Sharkey clay gumbo. Cover crops serve as a sponge and can factor heavily in the delicate dance between early planting and rutted up ground. A big April rain on buckshot is stressful and can destroy a planting schedule, but cover crops wick away a significant amount of excess moisture and preserve precious time during early spring.

Termination occurs 48 to 72 hours before planting. When soil temperatures reach close to 60 F at midday, Hunter chemically terminates with Gramoxone (or a combination of Roundup and Sharpen) and may carry the mix with liquid fertilizer. The next day he leaves the field idle as chemicals translocate, and sends in planters with mounted rollers the following day.

“Getting a cover crop terminated and laid flat on the soil surface, and then planted into as quickly as possible provides the best results,” Hunter says. “I want the cover lying flat on the soil surface so it provides benefits fast: weed suppression, moisture retention, and soil health.”

Cash Back

Palmer amaranth loves sunlight, but can’t handle thick layers of cereal rye. Through 2012, resistant Palmer pressure caused Hunter’s herbicide bill to balloon, yet after a single year of cover crops in 2013, the reduction in pigweed was remarkable. When Hunter gets a cover laid down and no tills through the mat, he says the result is the best residual herbicide money can buy. The covers impede germination by crowding out weed seeds and blocking sunlight, but cereal rye and tillage radishes also produce natural allelopathic chemicals to hinder broadleaf weed seed.

Through a no till, cover crop system, Hunter is taking bites out of the herbicide monster . Blanket pre-emerge spraying is no longer a necessity. Contingent on the cover type, a stout layer of biomass won’t even allow pre-emerge chemicals to reach the soil. However, on gar holes, skips, and odd spots, Hunter still applies pre-emerge to avoid weed problem areas. Overall, by eliminating a chain of spray trips, he’s gained substantial herbicide cost savings.

“My goal is to continue dropping weed pressure to get away from weed chopping and high herbicide bills. These are the kind of savings that make us profitable,” Hunter says.

Fertilizer and soil nutrients remain in the soil far better with Hunter’s cover system, with generally clear water leaving the bottom of fields, instead of a mocha slurry. Irrigation was an initial worry for Hunter, but slicing through the mat with a furrow tool carved a clean water path. Most of his acreage is furrow irrigated with polypipe, and the covers slow down water flow to increase irrigation efficiency, according to Hunter. Essentially, it means increased soaking time for crops and more moisture contained by residue.

“No more turning on wells and never turning them off,” Hunter says. “Irrigation is another area to save money.”

Weening Inputs

During the brutal 2012 drought, producer Peter Rost, New Madrid, Mo., watched corn burn even under irrigation. As he saw soil health benefits blossom on Hunter’s ground, Rost took note and began implementing cover crops in 2014. Hunter and Rost are among a handful of growers using a cover crop system in adjoining Stoddard and New Madrid counties. In 2016, Rost had 50% of his 3,500 acres in cover crops, but plans to boost coverage to 95% in 2017.

“This is not a sprint and I can’t suddenly cut out fertilizer applications and spraying,” Rost says. “However, I’m getting weened off intensive irrigation, heavy nutrients and non-stop spray passes.”

Rost is already seeing returns through a reduction of input costs from a heavy cover mat to choke weeds and thick biomass to increase irrigation infiltration and ensure water doesn’t slide down a hard middle.

“I’m planting a lot of hairy vetch and clover, and I’m looking forward to curbing back my nutrient applications by year four or five,” he says.

Catching Sun

The principles of soil health don’t rest on cover crops, Archuleta advocates. His aim isn’t to guide a producer toward cover crops; it’s to understand soil health context and biomimicry. Cover crops are merely a tool to put the soil system in motion and withstand drought, hold more water and cycle nutrients more efficiently. Harvesting corn and soybeans from a field and leaving it bare is a loss for the soil and ultimately a profit loss for the producer through energy and nutrient leaks, Archuleta emphasizes.

He believes the most effective way to make money on a farm is to capture solar energy.

“Is your farm running on ancient sunlight or new sunlight? Ancient sunlight is diesel, gasoline, pesticides, and chemical inputs. New sunlight farmers use cover crops to capture sunlight which pumps carbon into the soil ecosystem which significantly reduces those inputs,” Archuleta says.

And how do the numbers stack up? On average, producers following the soil health system have reaped astounding savings, according to Archuleta .

“I’ve already watched farmers reduce nitrogen needs by 50%, fuel consumption by 75%, and herbicide use by 75%,” he says. “I’ve seen some operations entirely eliminate fungicides and insecticides.”

Never Till

In farming reality, weather and ruts dictate certain management necessities, but with 75% of his acreage in no till, Hunter’s goal is to continue minimizing tillage.

“I don’t care if you’re in Michigan, Mississippi or Missouri; tillage is detrimental to soil health. In a perfect world, my ground would be in never till. That’s the ideology I chase, but I also understand the nature of the beast.”

And what does Hunter advise other producers considering cover crop implementation? Education, research, and small steps.

“Educate yourself away from fear by looking at a ton of available resources,” he says. “Field days, soil health alliances, and NRCS professionals are waiting. It may sound silly at first, but YouTube is a treasure trove.”

As a third-generation producer, Hunter, 35, jumped to 5,400 acres in 2016: cotton , field corn, popcorn, soybeans, rice and pumpkins. Admittedly, he was once scared to make changes, but profitability and the future of his operation forced his hand: “Lots of people say they want to change, but the reality is otherwise. Everybody wants different results, but few are willing to change their business.”

New Changes amid Fast-Growing Biological Market

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:58:35 GMT

The biologicals market is not the last frontier in agricultural development, but it certainly has proven to to be the next frontier, with the world market now worth an estimated $1 billion and growing an estimated 10% to 15% annually. Novozymes , the maker of several biofertility and biocontrol crop protection products, is the latest company to make a major investment in biological with its acquisition of Texas-based Natural Industries Inc.

Natural Industries Inc. has focused on the research and development of a particular type of soil microorganism called “Streptomyces,” which are thought to have properties that can help control a variety of fungi, bacteria, nematodes, insects and weeds. Thomas Videbæk, head of BioBusiness at Novozymes, says he hopes the acquisition will strengthen the company’s presence in the biologicals market.

“Novozymes has long-term ambitions to be a key player in this market,” he says. “Natural Industries Inc. brings a wealth of knowledge in the biocontrol area. The company has a proven portfolio of products, new pipeline opportunities and good market coverage for high-value crops in key regions of the U.S. The acquisition is a good example on how we can grow and utilize our platform and leading position in this area as well as accelerate innovation.”

Terms and conditions of the acquisition were not disclosed, and it does not affect Novozymes’ financial guidance for 2012.

In other biocontrol news, Biopreparáty, spol. s r.o. and Gowan Company, LLC recently signed a commercial agreement for exclusive distribution of Polyversum, a biofungicide that company officials hope will appeal to both organic and conventional growers seeking unique IPM and sustainability solutions for their operations.

“Polyversum represents a new opportunity to further develop our Gowan BioRational portfolio that we started a decade ago,” says Salvatore Strano, product manager for Gowan. Gowan is now “developing several plant extract products coming from our joint venture with EcoFlora Agro. We are committed to bringing reliable and efficacious solutions to conventional and organic growers worldwide,” Strano says.

Companies Clash Over Technology

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:58:40 GMT

Dow AgroSciences LLC, a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company, has prevailed in its motion for summary judgment in a key patent infringement lawsuit involving its Enlist weed control system.

In a ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, two affiliates of Dow Agro-Sciences received a $5.3 million award against Bayer Bioscience. The lawsuit pertained to the Bayer Bacillus thuringiensis biotechnology patents. The patents were found in multiple legal proceedings to be unenforceable due to what the court described as Bayer’s “inequitable conduct.”

The lawsuit was originally filed in 1995 by Plant Genetic Systems, a subsidiary of Bayer Bioscience.

Dow AgroSciences says the multimillion-dollar award will be used to cover attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by its affiliates.

Bayer says it strongly disagrees with the decision by the U.S. District Court and has filed an appeal.

Carryover Concerns

Herbicide carryover is something you’ll want to give thought to as you plan for the 2013 crop season, according to Iowa State University weed science Extension specialists Mike Owen and Bob Hartzler. They say drought conditions reduce the ability of corn and soybean herbicides to control weeds. In addition, due to low moisture levels, many weed control products were unable to adequately degrade in the soil. The net effect: there’s potential for crop damage from herbicide carryover in your fields next spring.

Fortunately, only a few of the herbicide active ingredients have characteristics that might lead to carryover problems in 2013, report Owen and Hartzler.

The products listed as “high risk” have the potential to damage rotational crops under normal conditions. “Most farmers have learned what rates can be used on their soils safely, but this year’s drought will result in a high risk even with reduced rates,” say the Extension specialists. “Both chlorimuron and atrazine are more persistent in high-pH soils. Pre-emergence applications of chlorimuron will have a higher risk of problems because these rates are much higher than when chlorimuron is applied postemergence. The best option might be to alter rotation plans to avoid planting a susceptible crop.”

Products listed as “moderate to slight risk” have been known to occasionally cause problems or have half-lives that suggest they might cause problems under abnormal onditions. Risks with these products will vary depending on specific field conditions.

“Keep in mind that if rainfall returns to normal, this rain will have much less effect on herbicide degradation than had it occurred near the time of herbicide application,” the specialists add. “Also, while tillage should dilute herbicide residues in the soil, past experience has shown that this practice does not consistently reduce crop injury from herbicide residues. Using practices that minimize additional stresses to the seedling (planting date, seedbed conditions, etc.) can reduce problems associated with low concentrations of herbicides.”

Factors Determining Risk of Carryover Injury

herbicide half-life
rate of herbicide applied
application date
soil characteristics (texture, organic matter, pH)
rainfall (total amount and distribution throughout year)
sensitivity of rotational crop
growing conditions following planting next spring

Herbicides with Carryover Potential

High Risk

atrazine
chlorimuron (Authority XL, Canopy, Envive, Valor XLT, others)
imazaquin (Scepter)
simazine (Princep, others)

Moderate to Slight Risk

fomesafen (Reflex, Flexstar, Prefix)
clopyralid (Hornet)
cloransulam (FirstRate, Hornet, Gauntlet)
imazethapyr (Pursuit)

Dinitroanilines

pendimethalin (Prowl, others)
trifluralin (Treflan, others)

HPPD Inhibitors

isoxaflutole (Balance Flexx)
mesotrione (Callisto, Lumax, Lexar)
tembotrione (Laudis, Capreno)
topramezone (Impact)

As Bayer Warns of More Glyphosate Shortages, Here's How Severe the Situation Could Be this Spring

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:03:46 GMT

Glyphosate was already in short supply heading into the 2022 planting season, but another black swan event is putting an even tighter squeeze on supplies.

On Friday, Bayer sent a note to retailers saying due to production issues with a third-party ingredient supplier, the company won’t be able to fulfill some of its previously booked orders. Bayer declared a force majeure, which means due to the issue being out of Bayer’s control, the company will be able to escape contractual obligations.

(Farm Journal)

In a statement to Farm Journal, Bayer says: “Recently a supplier of a raw ingredient needed to produce glyphosate suffered a mechanical failure, which may have some short-term impacts on our production of the active ingredient to manufacture glyphosate. Our supplier is on track to restore production, we’ve sourced additional materials and made other mitigation efforts to help best manage this situation. We expect any impact to be marginal in terms of our annual glyphosate production.”

Glyphosate Squeeze

Bayer didn’t quantify just how much of an impact it will have on overall production, but says it’s continuing to work diligently with customers to address their needs.

(Farm Journal)

A newly released Farm Journal survey found even before the latest announcement, 57% of farmers say they had difficulty sourcing inputs for the 2022 season. Of those who had trouble booking inputs, 86% say herbicides were the issue.

Of those experiencing issues securing herbicides, 90% reported glyphosate is in the shortest supply for 2022.

Herbicide GUSS Sprayer Now Available at Select John Deere Dealer Locations

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:56:27 GMT

More than three dozen U.S. John Deere dealerships will now sell the GUSS autonomous sprayer. The company says the Herbicide GUSS is the first and only autonomous orchard herbicide applicator.

In April 2022, John Deere announced a joint venture with GUSS.

“The announcement of Herbicide GUSS underscores why we are so excited to have GUSS as part of our High Value Crop solutions lineup,” said Greg Christensen, John Deere Marketing Manager for 5 Series Tractors and High Value Crops. “The GUSS team has years and depth of experience in the high-value crop spraying business. They were their own first customers, so they are able to solve true customer needs very quickly. Orchard and vineyard customers in the high-value crop space face many labor, safety and sustainability challenges. GUSS, Mini GUSS and now Herbicide GUSS can help producers overcome these challenges.”

The Herbicide GUSS is designed to provide an autonomous spray setup which reduces the volume of herbicide applied. On the machine, nine sensors detect, target and spot spray weeds on the orchard floor. The GUSS system is engineered to use LIDAR technology to stay in the row.

The GUSS system allows one operator to monitor up to eight GUSS sprayers from a laptop.

“Growers have been asking for an autonomous herbicide machine. We took that concept to the next level by implementing weed detection technology to give the grower a machine that provides immense value. Lower chemical usage helps the grower reduce costs and is a benefit to the environment,” said Gary Thompson, COO at GUSS Automation.

The machine is 23.5’ long and 6.5’ tall. Its boom is adjustable from 8.3’ to 19’ wide and it features a breakaway mechanism.

90% of Ag Economists Say RFK Jr. Wouldn't Be Positive for U.S. Agriculture

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 12:54:50 GMT

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearings for the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) are scheduled for this week.

President Trump’s pick to lead the HHS Department is scheduled to appear twice this week:

Senate Committee on Finance: Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. ET.
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP): Thursday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. ET.

Kennedy’s nomination has generated significant attention and controversy, primarily due to his past statements and positions on various health-related issues:

Vaccine concerns: Kennedy’s views on vaccines have been scrutinized by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. He has been accused of promoting doubts about vaccine efficacy, particularly during a 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.
Abortion stance: Some Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns about Kennedy’s pro-abortion views.
Agricultural impact: There are worries about Kennedy’s potential impact on the agriculture sector, including calling glyphosate “a poison.”

Ag Economists Weigh In

Farm Journal’s Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor survey asked in January if Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, positive for U.S. agriculture? 90% of the economists surveyed said no.

One economist said, “His disrespect for science is troubling.” Another economist weighed in by saying, “His positions on crop protection will be an interesting storyline to watch early in 2025.”

Another economist has concerns about the division it will create within agriculture, saying, “I fear there will be policy to limit/restrict crop protection tools currently available to producers and his advocacy will continue to foster division between organic/regenerative producers and more commercial producers.

However, not all economists think RFK Jr. would be bad for agriculture. In fact, one economist thinks it could actually restore confidence in agriculture.

“Improving health outcomes, even if over a longer time period, should improve the consumer opinion of agriculture and be a net gain overall,” said one economist in the anonymous survey.

U.S. Farmers Express Concern Over Potential Role in Trump Administration

Farmers across the United States are voicing alarm about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s potential influence on agriculture and food policy in a Trump administration. Key concerns include:

Policy Positions” Advocacy for banning widely used chemicals like glyphosate, shifting to organic and regenerative farming, and opposing genetically modified crops could disrupt large-scale farming practices.
Regulatory Changes: Potential regulatory overhauls, such as “weaponizing” agencies, may create uncertainty for genetic technologies and USDA guidelines.
Economic Impact: Farmers fear decreased productivity, increased costs, and potential rises in food prices due to a move away from conventional farming methods.
Contrast with Trump’s First Term: Kennedy’s vision contradicts Trump’s earlier deregulatory efforts, causing confusion among farmers who supported his pro-agribusiness policies.

“Make America Healthy Again”

Kennedy’s push to “Make America Healthy Again” could come with some benefits for certain segments of U.S. agriculture. That includes pushing for American food providers to start using more animal fats versus seed oils.

“People who enjoy a burger with fries on a night out aren’t to blame, and Americans should have every right to eat out at a restaurant without being unknowingly poisoned by heavily subsidized seed oils. It’s time to Make Frying Oil Tallow Again,” he said in an Instagram post in October.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RFK Jr. (@robertfkennedyjr)

Looking Ahead: Possible Challenges in Confirmation

Kennedy’s confirmation process could face a number of challenges, including:

Kennedy can only afford to lose three Republican votes if the Democratic caucus remains united in opposition.
Some Republicans, including incoming HELP Committee chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.), have expressed concerns about Kennedy’s views.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green has traveled to Washington to lobby against Kennedy’s confirmation.

Upcoming Meeting with Senators

Kennedy has been meeting with senators from both parties to make his case. He met with dozens of Republican senators and plans to meet with key committee members last week. Meetings with Democratic senators, including Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) were also scheduled.

Economists Say Brooke Rollins Would Be Positive for Agriculture

Just last week, Brooke Rollins, President Trump’s nominee for Agriculture Secretary , powered through her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Ag Committee . The Senate still needs to vote on her confirmation, but no timeline has been given on when that vote will happen yet.

During her testimony last week, she addressed several issues during her confirmation hearing on Jan. 23 in an attempt to position herself as a supporter of diverse agricultural interests and commit to protecting producers.

In her opening statement, Rollins outlined several key priorities for USDA if confirmed, as is expected:

Rapid deployment of disaster and economic assistance authorized by Congress.
Addressing current animal disease outbreaks.
Modernizing and realigning USDA.
Ensuring long-term prosperity for rural communities.

80% of economists in the January Ag Economists’ Monthly say if confirmed, Rollins is a positive pick for U.S. agriculture.

“Rollins knows ag and has Trump’s ear,” said one economist.

“Her close connection the President and reasons outlined in the letter sent by 427 ag organizations and businesses on January 15th,” said another economist.

20% of economists say Rollins wouldn’t be positive for U.S. agriculture.

One economist said, “USDA focused heavily on under-served producers during the Vilsack era and my sense is that producers wanted the Secretary to come from a production ag view; whereas Rollins come at it more from an overall domestic policy view. Also, feel the administration isn’t helping her out with the Deputy Secretary nomination. Producers don’t see themselves in the upcoming USDA leadership.”

Senate confirms historic Treasury Secretary; Transportation Vote on Deck.

The Senate confirmed Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary in a 68-29 vote, with support from 16 Democrats and independents. Bessent becomes the highest-ranking openly LGBTQ official in U.S. history and is set to play a key role in upcoming tax and trade debates.

Meanwhile, Sean Duffy is poised for confirmation as Transportation Secretary in a vote at noon ET today, following a unanimous procedural vote (97-0) Monday.

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As Bayer Warns of More Glyphosate Shortages, Here's How Severe the Situation Could Be this Spring

Read more: Exclusive: How Did FBN Do The Impossible And Source Glyphosate for 2022? It Was Costly, But Paying Off Now

Glyphosate Squeeze

Herbicide GUSS Sprayer Now Available at Select John Deere Dealer Locations

90% of Ag Economists Say RFK Jr. Wouldn't Be Positive for U.S. Agriculture