Precision Ag News 7/13

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the launch of the $500 million Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) Program, a new initiative administered through USDA Rural Development to expand domestic fertilizer manufacturing, strengthen America’s fertilizer supply chain, and improve long-term affordability for American farmers. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will host a roundtable on the herbicide paraquat this summer, convening scientists, subject-matter experts, farmworker and community advocates, and other stakeholders to discuss the documented safety challenges associated with the chemical, examine the latest science, and explore potential solutions and alternatives. Huma introduces PROUD 4, a four-in-one nematicide, miticide, fungicide and insecticide, for broad-spectrum control of above- and below-ground pests. PROUD 4 is a strengthened formulation of Huma’s PROUD 3, a popular foliar pest treatment. Now growers can utilize the next-generation crop protector to also control nematodes and soil-borne diseases. Airborne crop disease starts as a microscopic threat. It builds in the air long before it shows up in the canopy, sometimes weeks before symptoms of infection are spotted in the crop, leaving growers and agronomists with an incomplete picture of potential disease risk. Scanit Technologies has launched the Iowa SporeWarn Network to shed light on key disease pathogens in local fields, allowing any user to track the underlying, unseen pests behind yield robbers like corn tar spot and soybean white mold. The Monsanto Company and its subsidiary Ruveon LLC, filed a petition with the International Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce calling for anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of glyphosate. Bayer is the parent company of Monsanto. Stratovation Group has launched Stratovation Agriculture Growth Exchange (the SAGE Exchange), a structured platform designed to help early- and growth-stage innovators in the agricultural and ag-adjacent food sectors to gain investor-ready positioning, establish market pathways, and connect with a trusted network of senior industry leaders. SAGE Exchange was developed in response to a clear and persistent challenge across the ag sector: promising companies with innovative ideas, including strong technology, products, or models, often lack access to the right strategic guidance, investor relationships, and go-to-market infrastructure needed to scale. SAGE Exchange addresses that gap directly. Syngenta Group China announced plans to partner with McDonald’s China and McCain China in building a more resilient and sustainable potato supply chain in China, so consumers can enjoy fries of the highest quality. The three parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transform local potato farming, supply and processing through scaling sustainable practices and smart technologies, at the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo. Farmers are invited to deepen their agronomic knowledge at Precision Planting’s free, full-day summer sessions — the