For almost 20 years, The J.C. Robinson Seed Co. has delivered unique, and much sought after, proprietary agronomic information directly to producers through Agronomy Up Front meetings held across their marketing area. This year more than 2000 producers attended 50 meetings held in January and February, with an average attendance of 43 and a high of 80 attendees at one meeting.

"As the economic situation continues to tighten," Chuck Lee, marketing director said, "Producers are saying that this information is becoming more critical than ever before because they need to capture every bushel possible to maintain profitability."

"Our objective is to share industry-leading Golden Harvest agronomy information with our customers and other decision makers such as crop consultants, farm managers, local bankers and local fertilizer dealers," Wayne Fithian, agronomy systems manager, said. "The meetings center around a few core topics, with pertinent topics specific to each area presented as well."

Research Agronomists and Technical Service Agronomists present the information with District Sales Managers explaining how to apply the information to each producer’s individual farming operation. "We are educating for success," Ron Wulfkuhle, vice president of marketing and sales, said. "We want our customers to use this information to gain more profit from their acres and Golden Harvest products."

The core meeting topics included:

1. Specific management suggestions for Golden Harvest hybrids;
2. A review of methods used to control corn rootworm, including a technical update on transgengic corn rootworm corn;
3. Managing Roundup^® in both Roundup Ready^® Corn and Roundup Ready soybeans, including methods for realizing all the advantages of Roundup while working to prevent weed species shifts, herbicide tolerance, and herbicide resistance;
4. How to apply the Hybrid by Herbicide research study information in each producer’s farming operation.
5. Golden Harvest research on the crop safety of Syngenta’s new herbicide Callisto™;
6. And, how to prevent stand and yield loss due to seed and seedling attacking insects.

1. How to manage corn production on high pH soil;
2. Corn row spacing by population;
3. Corn planting date;
4. And, general soybean management.

The J. C. Robinson Seed Company is the largest of five-member companies comprising Golden Harvest Seeds, Inc., the nation’s 4^th largest seed brand. Family-owned and family-led since 1888, The J.C. Robinson Seed Company has grown into a network of more than 1,500 employees, farmer-dealers and distributors. The company markets to the Western Corn Belt states of Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, the West Coast, plus international sales in Europe and Mexico.