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The Conservation Conversation

December 13th, 2011 by Anna Agnew

The world’s population will triple between 1970 and 2050, yet the amount of farmland will remain about the same during that time. BASF took to the streets to ask consumers about the growing demand for food and how they feel current farmland will suffice. Then we visited growers all over the United States so consumers can hear directly from the source how agriculture has evolved to protect farmland and natural resources while meeting the increasing demand for food and fiber production.

Click below to view this new video and begin your conservation conversation.

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NutriDense Silage Prepares for World Dairy Expo

September 28th, 2011 by Courtney Beck

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, September 28, 2011 – Dairy industry enthusiasts are preparing for the 2011 World Dairy Expo, which runs Oct. 4 through Oct. 8 in Madison, Wis. Representatives from BASF Plant Science will be on hand throughout the week at the NutriDense Silage booth, located at Arena 450.

“The NutriDense team is thrilled to once again be a part of the World Dairy Expo. We have many activities planned for this year, including a football ticket giveaway, seminar sponsorship, Badger Dairy Club cheese stand coupons and more,” said Heather Goode, NutriDense communications manager. “We encourage show attendees to stop by our booth and learn more about NutriDense Silage and BASF Plant Science.”

The team has a number of on-site activities planned for the week, including:

  • A giveaway of four 50-yardline tickets to the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings game at Lambeau Field on Nov. 14, 2011.
  • Sponsorship of the “Managing Your Margins: Practical Ways to Reduce Feed Costs and Increase Milk Price” seminar with Dr. Normand St-Pierre, animal sciences professor at The Ohio State University.
  • Vouchers for a free grilled cheese sandwich and milkshake lunch, redeemable at the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s Badger Dairy Club cheese stand.
  • Show updates on the NutriDense blog (www.nutridense.com/blog), Facebook (www.facebook.com/NutriDense) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/NutriDense).

The World Dairy Expo is a five-day international event showcasing the finest in dairy genetics and the newest dairy industry technologies. For more information and a complete schedule of show events, visit www.world-dairy-expo.com.

NutriDense Silage is nutritionally enhanced corn silage developed specifically for efficient milk production. University studies show NutriDense Silage provides a four to eight percent improvement in feed efficiency, or converting feed to milk, giving dairy producers an income over feed cost advantage. The result is lower feed costs and greater profitability for dairy producers. NutriDense Silage yields equal to or greater than dual purpose and greater than brown midrib, so producers can achieve high-quality corn silage without sacrificing yields.

To learn more about NutriDense, visit www.nutridense.com, follow us on Twitter @NutriDense or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NutriDense.

About BASF Plant Science

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. BASF Plant Science – a BASF group company – is one of the world’s leading companies providing innovative plant biotechnology solutions for agriculture. Today, more than 750 employees are helping farmers meet the growing demand for improved agricultural productivity and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. BASF Plant Science has developed an unparalleled gene discovery platform focusing on yield and quality traits in crops such as corn, soybean and rice. Jointly with leading partners in the seed industry BASF Plant Science is commercializing its products. Current projects include higher yielding row crops, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed or higher content of Omega-3’s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please visit www.basf.com/plantscience.

About BASF

BASF – The Chemical Company.

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,400 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.7 billion in 2010. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, and agricultural products to oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €63.9 billion in 2010 and had approximately 109,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com or in the Social Media Newsroom at newsroom.basf.com.

NutriDense is a registered trademark of BASF Plant Science L.P. All rights reserved.

Mark Schultz Discusses Corn Silage Hybrid Selection in Progressive Forage Grower

March 7th, 2011 by Courtney Beck

For many dairy farmers, selecting the right corn silage hybrid can be a daunting task. Producers must maximize the amount of milk each acre produces, a task that requires thoughtful planning, careful execution and some cooperation from nature.

In a recent issue of Progressive Forage Grower, BASF Plant Science sales agronomist Mark Schultz shared some pro tips for selecting the right corn silage hybrid. Click here to read the full article and learn how to choose a hybrid to help your land do what it’s there for: making milk!

NutriDense Silage at the Western Dairy Management Conference

February 22nd, 2011 by Courtney Beck

Members from the NutriDense Silage team will be at the Western Dairy Management Conference early March as attendees and sponsors. Additionally, BASF Plant Science will be a platinum sponsor of the event.

The conference, which runs March 9-11, will be held at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Reno, Nev. We’re looking forward to a wide range of topics, including:

  • Financial perspectives – “What’s happening in the U.S.?” – Jim Pisani, Wells Fargo Bank
  • Making the most of feed intake in the dairy cow – Mike Allen, Michigan State University
  • How to maximize intake in pre-fresh cows – Tom Overton, Cornell University

Hope to see you there!

A Snapshot of NutriDense at the 2011 National Farm Machinery Show

February 18th, 2011 by Courtney Beck

A few months agao, NutriDense Grain announced its renewed contracting agreement with Perdue AgriBusiness. This past week, we had the privilege of working together at the National Farm and Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. Take a look at some of the pictures we snapped during the show!


NutriDense Grain and Perdue AgriBusiness Announce Renewed Contracting Agreement

November 23rd, 2010 by Courtney Beck

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., November 23, 2010 – BASF Plant Science and Perdue AgriBusiness announced today that they have renewed their contracting agreement for NutriDense® Grain. Perdue AgriBusiness, a leading merchandiser, processor and exporter of grain, is committed to working with local farmers to enhance their profitability through NutriDense Grain contracting.

“Over the past year, we have seen competitive yield results and positive feeding trials with NutriDense Grain,” said John Ade, Perdue AgriBusiness vice president of grain sales and merchandising. “By accepting NutriDense Grain at our facilities, we are able to offer growers a premium contracting opportunity while providing optimal nutrition and enhancing animal feed performance.”

As a result of the agreement with BASF Plant Science, corn growers delivering to the Perdue feed mills in Washington, Ind.; Livermore, Ky.; Bridgeville, Del.; and Roberts, Md. areas will have a strong local market for NutriDense Grain. NutriDense Grain contracts are available in these regions for fall delivery and buyer’s call through Perdue AgriBusiness. Limited contract acres are available so corn growers should contact their nearest Perdue AgriBusiness location or a NutriDense seed partner, or visit www.nutridense.com/grain today to learn more about contracting opportunities. NutriDense Grain hybrids offer competitive yield and agronomics and are available from licensed seed partners with many popular input traits.

“Perdue AgriBusiness is a trusted name in agriculture with a rich history of supporting local communities,” said Scott Friedlund, NutriDense Grain product manager. “We appreciate the opportunity to add value to the local agricultural community through NutriDense Grain and look forward to a long, mutually beneficial relationship with Perdue.”

NutriDense Grain is a nutritionally enhanced corn available in competitive yielding hybrids that provides a lower cost per pound of gain for poultry producers. This provides the animal producer with efficient production and allows the grain grower to share in a portion of that value through a grain premium.

To learn more about NutriDense, visit www.nutridense.com, follow on Twitter @NutriDense or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NutriDense.

About Perdue AgriBusiness

Perdue AgriBusiness is a wholly owned subsidiary of Perdue Incorporated. Ranked among the largest grain companies in the United States, Perdue AgriBusiness is a leading merchandiser, processor and exporter of agriculture products. Through its more than 40 elevator locations with more than 60 million bushels of storage, four transload facilities, three protein blend mills, three soybean crushing operations, an edible oil refinery and two rendering facilities, Perdue AgriBusiness serves agricultural markets across the United States and around the world. Visit www.perdueagribusiness.com for more information.

About BASF Plant Science

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. BASF Plant Science – a BASF group company – is one of the world’s leading companies providing innovative plant biotechnology solutions for agriculture. Today, more than 750 employees are helping farmers meet the growing demand for improved agricultural productivity and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. BASF Plant Science has developed an unparalleled gene discovery platform focusing on yield and quality traits in crops such as corn, soybean and rice. Jointly with leading partners in the seed industry BASF Plant Science is commercializing its products. Current projects include higher yielding row crops, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed or higher content of Omega-3’s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please visit www.basf.com/plantscience.

About BASF

BASF – The Chemical Company
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

NutriDense is a registered trademark of BASF Plant Science L.P.

Jerry Weigel featured in Feed Management

September 2nd, 2010 by Courtney Beck

Our own Jerry Weigel, manager of nutrition and technical service, was recently interviewed by Feed Management. In the article, Jerry talks about the future of GMOs and ethanol. To read the full article, turn to pages 12 and 13 in the magazine’s July/August issue, which you can view online on the Feed Management website.

Note – In the article’s third question about specialized strains, the correct version of Jerry’s answer should be: It takes approximately 15 years from obtaining germplasm to commercialization. It is also estimated that it costs over $20 million for the development of a genetically modified strain, again from gene discovery to marketing.

UNC-TV interview with Dr. Jonathan Bryant

August 17th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

Our own Dr. Jonathan Bryant was recently interviewed on UNC-TV to discuss BASF Plant Science LP’s receipt of the North Carolina Leadership Award in Industrial Biotechnology. The award honors outstanding corporate achievement in technical endeavors, business leadership, translation of new technologies into commercial markets, support for education and community service.

In the segment, Dr. Bryant is joined by Dr. Kenneth Tindall from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. In the video, which originally aired on UNC-TV on July 15, Dr. Bryant also talks about BASF Plant Science’s history and future in the biotechnology field.

Watch the full interview here.

New Research Validates Feed Efficiency of NutriDense Silage

August 4th, 2010 by Courtney Beck

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, August 4, 2010 – A recent study from Cornell University concluded that lactating dairy cows fed NutriDense Silage showed a 6 to 8 percent improvement in feed efficiency, or converting feed to milk. The other hybrids compared in the study were brown midrib and dual purpose.

“One of the most interesting conclusions from the study was the difference in feed efficiency. NutriDense Silage was about 6 to 8 percent better in feed efficacy, or converting feed to milk, than either of the other two hybrids that were used, so we did get a highly significant improvement in feed efficiency in NutriDense Silage in this particular trial,” said Dr. Larry Chase, professor and dairy nutrition specialist at Cornell University. “That means to get the same pounds of milk producers would feed about 6 to 8 percent less pounds of feed. In theory that would say they’re going to get the same milk income with a lower feed cost input or a wider difference between milk income and feed costs. It should improve profitability.”

The study, entitled “Milk production and feed efficiency in dairy cows fed corn silage hybrids varying in fiber digestibility,” was presented by Dr. Larry Chase at the American Dairy Science Association’s 2010 Joint Annual Meeting, held July 11-15 in Denver, Colo.

“Dr. Chase’s research has important implications for the dairy industry,” said Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager. “At BASF Plant Science, our goal is to improve the profitability of dairy producers. We are excited to see university research continue to prove that NutriDense Silage improves feed efficiency and thus income over feed costs.”

For more information on the study, visit the NutriDense blog (www.nutridense.com/blog) to listen to a podcast with Dr. Chase.

NutriDense Silage is nutritionally enhanced corn silage developed specifically for efficient milk production. University studies show NutriDense Silage provides a four to eight percent improvement in feed efficiency, or converting feed to milk, giving dairy producers an income over feed cost advantage. The result is lower feed costs and greater profitability for dairy producers. NutriDense Silage yields equal to or greater than dual purpose and greater than brown midrib, so producers can achieve high-quality corn silage without sacrificing yields.

To learn more about NutriDense, visit www.nutridense.com, follow on Twitter @NutriDense or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NutriDense.

About BASF Plant Science

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. BASF Plant Science – a BASF group company – is one of the world’s leading companies providing innovative plant biotechnology solutions for agriculture. Today, more than 750 employees are helping farmers meet the growing demand for improved agricultural productivity and healthier nutrition for humans and animals. BASF Plant Science has developed an unparalleled gene discovery platform focusing on yield and quality traits in crops such as corn, soybean and rice. Jointly with leading partners in the seed industry BASF Plant Science is commercializing its products. Current projects include higher yielding row crops, nutritionally-enhanced corn for animal feed or higher content of Omega-3’s in oil crops for preventing cardiovascular diseases. To find out more about BASF Plant Science, please visit www.basf.com/plantscience.

About BASF

BASF – The Chemical Company.

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

NutriDense is a registered trademark of BASF Plant Science L.P.

BASF Plant Science and Monsanto expand biotechnology collaboration

July 8th, 2010 by Karlie Justus

The world’s largest plant biotechnology collaboration just got larger. Yesterday, BASF and Monsanto announced they are expanding their joint efforts to develop higher-yielding and stress-tolerant crops to include a fifth crop, wheat. In addition, the companies are increasing their investments in the collaboration, reflecting the strong leads and commercial prospects in the collaboration’s early work.

The partnership was established in 2007 to focus on corn, soy, cotton and canola crops. In the original collaboration, the two companies dedicated a joint budget of potentially $1.5 billion; the new agreement will result in a potential additional investment of more than $1 billion by the companies over the life of the collaboration.

“BASF Plant Science is dedicated to discover genes for maximizing yield in crops that will be brought to farmers through partnerships. The collaboration with Monsanto was not only the first agreement that we entered, it also represents our most significant partnership, covering several large row crops,” said Peter Eckes, president of BASF Plant Science. “The expansion of our partnership reflects the fit between the two companies. The yield increases that we have achieved together in the field so far give us confidence that we can do more in our collaboration crops, which now include wheat.”

With regard to the addition of wheat to the collaboration, the partners will initially focus on developing biotech products for the North American and Australian markets. The first enhanced yielding wheat product is expected to reach the market after 2020. This product will be followed by successive generations of higher-yielding wheat varieties.

Wheat is the world’s second largest commodity crop after corn and demand is expected to grow as millions of people in developing countries such as China and India become more affluent and increasingly add bread to their traditional rice-based diets.

Read more about NutriDense’s relationship with BASF Plant Science in these previous blog posts: