2018 Commodity Classic Highlights: Plenty to See, Hear, and Experience

For the first time in almost a decade, attendees to the annual Commodity Classic trade show found themselves on America’s left coast, in Anaheim, CA. Over the course of this year’s three-day event — co-sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), American Soybean Association (ASA), National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers, and Association of Equipment Manufacturers — almost 8,000 growers, ag retailers, and industry suppliers gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center to see and learn about everything the agricultural marketplace has to offer for the 2018 growing season.

As is the case with any Commodity Classic show, many in attendance were on hand to get an update on agricultural concerns taking place in the nation’s capital. This year was no exception. Acting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was a speaker at the Commodity Classic general session and on the trade show floor in a question and answer session with attendees.

For many in the crowd who sported “Farmers for NAFTA” (referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico) buttons, they were looking for assurances that President Donald Trump and his administration will not hurt agricultural trade with these nations. In this area Perdue made it be known to all attendees that, despite efforts to undo trade legislation in some corners of Washington, he has the industry’s back.

“Hear me clearly, all of you,” Perdue said. “I have not and will not support any policies that undermine demand and are harmful to our agricultural producers.” He added that he also believes the time has come for America to grow the demand for ethanol — which utilizes corn as its feedstock — “organically.”

Industry Objectives

Among crop protection companies, there were numerous announcements at Commodity Classic that spoke to the industry’s commitment to protecting the environment around them. Chief among these was the Farmers for Monarchs initiative, a broad-based collaboration of trade associations, such as ASA and NCGA, and major suppliers, such as Monsanto, BASF, Bayer, and Corteva (formerly DowDuPont). According to Chris Novak, CEO for NCGA, Monarch butterfly populations have declined significantly over the past several years, and agriculture is prepared to step in to help reverse the trend. “Farmers are always seeking win-win solutions, and this initiative fits the bill,” Novak said. “Finding innovative ways to provide habitat for beneficial species, including birds, bees, and other pollinators, fits with our goals of balancing economic and environmental sustainability.”

Another such industry-wide effort has to deal with the dicamba cropping systems that were first introduced during the 2017 growing season. Despite precautions, almost 3,000 growers across the United States reported off-target drift crop damage last year. Industry suppliers are determined to see that 2018 doesn’t see a repeat of the trend. To this end, BASF is introducing new digital resources for applicator training that include an updated online training module and mobile-friendly resource center. These can be accessed at engeniastewardship.com. “We will continue to provide ongoing, in-person training sessions, and with these digital tools, growers and applicators will have access to the valuable stewardship resources wherever and whenever they need it,” Chad Asmus, Technical Marketing Manager for BASF, said.

Besides dicamba, the other cropping system approach to see a market introduction in 2017 was Enlist from Corteva. According to Dr. David Hillger, Enlist Field Specialist, Enlist Weed Control System for Corteva, more than a half-million acres of Enlist cotton were planted in 2017, with Enlist corn expected to be available for the 2018 season and Enlist soybeans probably available during the 2019 time frame. “We are very proud of the fact that we didn’t have any off-target problems with Enlist cotton in 2017,” Hillger said. “As a company we conducted a lot of upfront training to prevent this from happening.”

On the seed front, Syngenta announced that the company will continue to make growing its seed business a priority during the upcoming growing season and beyond. In fact, according to David Hollinrake, President of Seeds, Syngenta is “doubling down” on its NK seeds business by introducing 31 new corn hybrids and 21 new soybean hybrids and by increasing the number of breeders it uses by 50%. “We’ve seen farmers that desire a choice in their seed options, and we want to be that company,” Hollinrake said. “We already hold the No. 3 position among seed suppliers, with an eye toward strengthening this in the short term and eventually becoming the No. 2 seed supplier in the long term.”

In crop protection, companies continue to introduce new products that feature multiple modes of action to combat herbicide-resistant weeds. One of these is Anthem Maxx from FMC Corp. According to Brent Neuberger, Senior Technical Sales Manager, Anthem Maxx combines pyroxsulfone and fluthiacet-methyl to help control common herbicide-resistant weeds, such as waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, and lambsquarters.

Another new herbicide launched at Commodity Classic came from Helena Chemical Co. Antares Prime is a liquid formulation of sulfentrazone and chloransulam-methyl for pre-emergence use in soybeans. “Antares Prime can be used to combat pigweed, morningglory, and yellow nutsedge,” Adam Taylor, Strategic Account Manager, said.

Helping Plants Grow

In addition to Antares Prime, Helena also debuted a pair of products for the crop nutrition side of agriculture. The first of these was Ele-Max Sulfur LC, a liquid foliar sulfur blend that uses the absorption properties of ENC Formulation Technology. The other was N-Fixx-XLR, a nitrogen-stabilizing fertilizer additive that utilizes FlowTech Formulation Technology. “Both of these products can help aid in plant growth and nutrient use,” Brand Manager Mike Powell said.

From Valent U.S.A., Commodity Classic attendees discovered more about the company’s MycoAppy EndoPrime, a plant and soil enhancement product that contains myhcorrhizae. “Myhcorrhizae is a beneficial fungi that exists naturally in the soil and can improve root and shoot biomass and mineral uptake,” Marketing Manager Eric Miller said.

Another new plant-growth aid was talked about at the Stoller booth, which debuted Bio-Forge Advanced. “Bio-Forge Advanced is a new formulation combining the abiotic stress benefits of Bio-Forge with micronutrients chelated cobalt and molybdenum,” Don Botkin, Division Sales Manager-Midwest and Northeast Divisions, said.

Then there was Take Off LS from Verdesian Life Sciences. According to Stan Deal, Technical Sales Representative, Take Off LS is a proprietary formulation designed to mimic naturally occurring molecules within the plant to optimize nutrient uptake. “Simply put, Take Off LS allows the plant to more efficiently assimilate carbon and nitrogen,”
Deal said.

Finally, an entire new company, Cytozyme, entered the U.S. agricultural market. According to CEO Eric Baughman, Cytozyme, which was founded in 1975, currently conducts approximately 80% of its business outside the North American market in 44 different countries. “Commodity Classic was the perfect opportunity for us to present Cytozyme to the U.S. and introduce growers, retailers, and distributors to our natural-based solutions to support crop growth throughout the season,” Baughman said. Cytozyme currently features three products — Soil+ Soil Health Treatment, Seed+ Naturally Derived Nutritional Supplement, and Crop+ Foliar Nutritional Supplement.

In the Equipment Space

In addition to the crop protection/seed innovations, Commodity Classic attendees also saw various pieces of agricultural equipment both small and large. Definitely on the small side, size-wise at least, was the SpotOn Inversion Tester from Innoquest. Admitting that the time for this product was “probably two years ago,” President Bill Hughes said SpotOn can help applicators easily measure temperature inversions — one of the key issues last year with dicamba off-target complaints. “Many professionals recognize the difficulty in identifying the optimal time to spray since so many factors contribute to temperature inversions,” Hughes said. “The SpotOn Inversion Tester, which is collapsible and measures only a meter long, is convenient for applicators to use in the field. It works by being waved above the ground at 1 meter and 3 meters. If the air temperature is higher at 3 meters than at 1, there is an inversion present.”

There was also plenty of Big IRON on display. This included several returning favorites from the 2017 Commodity Classic, such as the NL5000 G5 spreader from New Leader/Highway Equipment Co. and the Mako self-propelled sprayer from GVM.

Two units new to the show but that made their market debuts during the summer of 2017 were the RoGator C-Series sprayer from AGCO Corp. and the Trident 5550 from Case IH. The RoGator C Series features the new all-wheel SmartDrive system and cruise control to give the operator a consistent speed for application. It features FlowLogic recirculation plumbing, which the company says keeps product moving through the boom, plumbing, and filters to reduce chemical build-up and help eliminate plugged spray tips.

Meanwhile, the Trident 5550 combination applicator features a dual wheel set-up. According to Mark Burns, Case IH Marketing Manager for Application Equipment, the unit is the first applicator that features factory-available duals in row crop tire sizes and can be converted from dry to liquid application modes in as little as 42 minutes.

Last but not least in sprayer market news, John Deere introduced a new retrofit kit for its ExactApply spray applications for older company models. This included sprayers built between 2014 and 2018. “Due to the ever-increasing demand for greater precision, control, and documentation of spray applications, ExactApply has become a very popular option on new 4-Series Sprayers,” Doug Felter, Product Marketing Manager for Application Equipment, said. “Now operators of model year 2014 and newer machines will have the same ability to precisely manage droplet size and coverage.”

TFI Honors 4R Advocates

During the 2018 Commodity Classic, The Fertilizer In­stitute (TFI) took time to honor the 2018 4R Advocate recipients at a private ceremony held at the Highway 39 Car Museum in Anaheim. The event named five farmer and fertilizer retailer pairs that have implemented innovative and sustainable 4R fertilizer management practices in their operations.

“We talk a lot about 4R Nutrient Stewardship at TFI, but these practices only work if they are used on the farm,” TFI President Chris Jahn said. “The 4R Advocate program is our way of recognizing good work when we see it, and these farmers and retailers are the fertilizer industry’s boots on the ground and represent the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”