Missouri agronomist; Don Mario, new player in the seed world North America

Shay

Foulk: And it all comes down to this. 2 on, 2 out, bottom of the 9th. The Farmers lead by 1.

Dana

Harder: Full count.

Shay

Foulk: Here comes the play at the plate, and it's the Ag View Pitch! As far as symptomology, one note that, you know, you mentioned some of the dicamba effects that you were seeing there, and with some of the rescue treatments on these weeds, we've noticed in northwest Illinois here that we've seen a lot of later symptomology because a lot of people were spraying and then we weren't getting rain, and so there was not a lot of vegetative growth going on. And as it grew through that, you know, through the application there, we're starting to see symptomology now as a result of that. So a lot of cut beans and things like that. Is that similar in your area as well?

Dana

Harder: Um, so anything that's not non-extend in Illinois, we're seeing a lot of cupping. I've been on a lot of tank contamination calls. Some instances they, they really rinsed everything out. But one instance they probably let the sprayer sit 4 days before getting ready to spray beans. And I was able to see around the perimeter where it was all cupped. So there's a lot of that going on, a lot of tank contamination, and usually it just takes about 4 drops per 1,000-gallon tank to really see something there. But on the, on the water imp that I'm seeing, a lot of it's just burnt tops, kind of blowing out that top and seeing some of that regrowth on the sides coming up. And that, that's— I've been seeing that in quite a few fields. So fortunately, we got a lot of, a lot of different technologies. You got the Enlist E3, you got XtendFlex coming on.

So we got some— you got the GT27s where hopefully we'll be introducing the an HPPD mode of action pre-emergence for next season. So we're coming up with technologies that'll help, help with that, but again, good stewardship and rotation of modes of action and different technologies will have to be utilized to kind of manage this herbicide resistance we're seeing in some of these weeds.

Shay

Foulk: Right. And, uh, are you seeing any other major disease or insect pressure kind of throughout your region there?

Dana

Harder: Japanese beetles probably aren't as hard or as high pressure in Illinois is what we've seen. But probably from a Missouri perspective, you know, there's always a few instances where they blew up, but I drive all the way across 36. They're just dinging off my windshield and down around Holden, You know, Bay City. So that's just right east of Kansas City there. Seeing some really high pressures there of Japanese beetles. And on this early stuff, they're kind of cleaning up all those brown silks, you know, so the ears are fully pollinated. Kind of more concerned about some of this later May and June corn and whether they'll be out there kind of clipping silks. I am seeing gray kind of pick up big time, kind of radiating if you think I-70 and working its way north.

It's definitely making more of a presence, and a lot of those fields that I've seen already tasseled, you're seeing it work up the canopy. And some with the economics, you know, of where commodity prices are at, see a lot of guys more reluctant to go out and spray fungicide. Now some of those areas where I think we have higher yield potential, you're seeing them being more proactive and putting that on because I think they'll get the payback there. But it's definitely creeping in. And then down just south of 72, south of Jacksonville, Illinois, saw a field where some gray— or where some northern corn leaf blight is really, really coming in and probably some pretty good pressure there. And that's something where we recommended fungicide application. So you're starting to see those diseases really creeping up.

Early on saw common rust, just kind of going with the cool, wet conditions, and that's kind of stopped, but you still find some out there and never really got to a high, high pressure there. So really not really, you know, too concerning, but you're seeing gray and northern really, really creeping up, and it'll be interesting to see what's going to do.

Shay

Foulk: Right, especially if we catch some rains here because we've been so dry consistently for the last month to month and a half. I don't know if it's been similar like that in your region, but just to see if that disease pressure does pick up. And I thought you had an interesting note there. We've talked with other producers and others in the industry about some people being reluctant for the fungicide applications. And that's a, you know, truly this year is a field-by-field decision and a crop management decision because if, you know, you have a crop that you want to continue to throw money at or save and try and capture that top-end yield, or if it's something that you don't think that you're going to get much out of it, you know, maybe this is a year that you go ahead and skip that.

Dana

Harder: Yeah. So, and one thing, one thing I encourage guys, so, you know, with how we push back our planting season, you know, we're gonna have a late harvest and we're gonna be asking that plant to stay out there and standing up in that field later in the season. And also, you know, when you see that disease coming in, you know it's going to rob some of those nutrients from that stock, and that's going to weaken those defenses there. There's also— we focus on the bushels, but we also need to think about, you know, the intangible benefit of standing corn. And if you talk to growers that have experienced downed corn and where they've had to go out there with a reel Sometimes if they're on the fence, that's enough to, enough to push them over and really think about putting that fungicide out there because we're gonna be asking to stand out that corn plant stand for a long time this fall.

And standing corn makes harvest go a lot better.

Shay

Foulk: Yeah, and that's a really good point. You, I think you're one of the first people that I've heard mention that here this year. And people get concerned with, oh, well, but just because it's standing, you know, we don't want to have wet corn that late. Well, you're gonna have wet corn late this year. Anyhow. So kind of, uh, deciding which management factors are, are more important at that point, I think.

Dana

Harder: Right, right.

Shay

Foulk: Um, so yeah, just a little bit— you mentioned that you work with Burris, and not everybody's going to be familiar with Burris, just heavier in the Missouri area. I was wondering if you can talk a little bit about the company, explain, you know, what your role is there, why you decided to join the team, and where you see the future of the company going.

Dana

Harder: So yeah, Burrus Seed is a family-owned company. They started back in 1935 covering, you know, Iowa, mainly Missouri and Illinois, parts of Wisconsin and Indiana. So just bringing, you know, it's an independent family-owned company, so you have that relationship and that dynamic, really care about the customer. And, you know, we're bringing a lot of technology. We work with different different suppliers, even on seed treatment and genetics, and we're able to customize and bring a diverse offering to growers. The story kind of goes back— my grandpa actually was a Burs dealer, and so I've been surrounded with it my whole life and had the opportunity to come to work for them roughly a year ago as a field agronomist. So I understand the tradition and the opportunity there. I kind of saw myself going into the field agronomy role because I really like to help growers.

It's a really fun job, you know, even though I cover a big territory, I enjoy seeing a lot of different things, a lot of different agronomy, and it gives you a wide perspective and understanding and see what works in one location might benefit a grower in a different location. And it's really fun to get to know growers and get a lot of joy of helping them out of agronomic situations or where you can provide help. And that just gives you a really good feeling from that perspective.

Shay

Foulk: Right. Now, a big step with Burris, as I understand it, here this year began carrying Don Mario products. And for, for those that don't understand it, Don Mario is a very large company primarily operating in South America, but also in 6 other major market areas outside the United States, and this is kind of the first breach into the United States for sales. So can you tell the listeners a little bit more about Don Mario?

Dana

Harder: Yeah, so kind of like Burrus, Don Mario is a family-owned company. They're based out of Argentina, and they really have a big presence in South America. So they have over 54% market share down there. And if you think of how many beans they grow, they grow more beans down in South America than what we do in the United States. And with that market share, that's comparable to an Asgrow and a Corteva combined. So they have a really dominant R&D breeding approach down there. They have their own gene editing lab where they're using CRISPR to, uh, faster. And they've been in the United States for over 8 years doing R&D. Just set up shop in Gibson City, and they're focused on bringing, bringing that germplasm, a unique germplasm, to our footprint. And we're really fortunate to partner up with Don Mario, and we're bringing a full lineup through the Enlist platform and through the Xtend.

And just looking at our plot data last year, we're just really seeing a big gain over some of our existing technologies and varieties that we're having there. So we're bringing a really full lineup, bringing a lot more yield. Their breeding approach is, you know, first focusing on genetics, then worrying about traits later. And the highest yield that they've seen in one of their plots was 140 bushels per acre. And that was with the Roundup Ready 1 technology a few years ago. So we know we're bringing something unique and different to the grower. And with Burris, we're bringing a lot of different trait platforms. So we have Enlist, we have GT27s, We have Xtends, we have conventionals, and we still have LibertyLink. So we're just able to provide the grower with a technology that they want to utilize.

And as I go through my footprint, I mean, as you go into Missouri, into Illinois, the adoption of soybean technology is widely different. You know, you got a Missouri where, you know, LibertyLink is king and predominant in the marketplace. I think that probably shifts dramatically to Enlist., for those growers. There is some Xtend here in Missouri, but when you cross into Illinois, that's heavily Xtend. So you just got two different system approaches between the states there, but at the same time we're able to offer technologies for that grower and we're bringing a lot more yield with that genetics. We're having a big field day there in Gibson City coming up, and I encourage you guys to check out more about Don Mario, very serious player. In the soybean breeding space.

Shay

Foulk: Yeah, I truly think that'll be pretty eye-opening to a lot of listeners there to realize, you know, 54% market share, whatever it is, large amount down there. And, you know, the impacts that not only of the resources that they have, but as they enter into the marketplace here in the United States and grow through that way. So very exciting, obviously, for Burris. Any other thoughts that you want to share with listeners kind of wrapping up here on dynamics in Missouri, anything with Burrus or any lasting as we move into kind of the finishing of the growing season here?

Dana

Harder: Um, you know, so with Burrus, we're bringing on, um, a lot of different corn technologies. So we're bringing on some SmartStacks and Double Pro, and we're only one of two companies are able to offer that to a grower. We're giving you guys a lot of flexibility. Uh, when I look at our soybean lineup, we brought over 22 different varieties in for this upcoming year that we can offer growers, and that's just a lot of choice. We're able to best fit to that grower, and that's really exciting. It was with the development, with our relationship with Don Mario, there's a lot of exciting things going on with Burris, and I think it'll be really exciting. And I encourage guys to stay tuned for some of the results from our varieties in our first trials and university trials and look for for the Don Mario varieties coming out there.

Shay

Foulk: Great advice. Now if anybody here listening wants to either get a hold of you or follow along with you, how can they do that?

Dana

Harder: So if you go to Burr Seed and check out the Grammus, you'll see my contact info there. And I'm relatively new to Twitter, started that up last fall, so my handle is @hardordana and you can follow me and see what I'm up to across the Midwest.

Shay

Foulk: Great. Thanks again for joining us here, Dana. We might be checking back in with you here in maybe a month or two, see how things are progressing, but appreciate the update from Missouri and filling us in on, you know, some of the exciting things going on there in the seed industry that, you know, just provide some good perspective to our listeners out there. So thanks for joining us, Dana.

Dana

Harder: Yep.

Shay

Foulk: Thanks, Shay. And for everyone out there listening, we'll catch you next time on the Ag View Pitch. Thanks for joining us on today's episode of the Ag View Pitch. As always, you can reach out to us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or duanel@netins.net. We'll catch you next time on the Ag View Pitch.