Golden Valley, Minnesota
October 23, 2007
A 5-year trend of soybean sales
indicates the success of bulk handling advances has resulted in
a 47 percent drop in the use of 50-pound bags by growers.
Leading the trend, retailers, seed advisors and reps from 15
states recently completed intensive training on the TruBulk®
Seed Delivery System from
Syngenta at the KSi Conveyors’ facility in Cissna Park, Ill.
Participants learned of new advances and services to increase
efficiency of bulk seed delivery.
Bulk soybean delivery was introduced by NK Seeds, a business
unit of Syngenta Seeds, Inc., nine years ago. Today there are
more than 500 TruBulk systems in use at retailers and seed
advisors selling NK® and Garst® seed.
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TruBulk Seed Delivery System, shown above,
was used for training retailers, seed advisors
and reps from 15 states about the new advances
and services of bulk seed delivery, including
how TruBulk tanks feed a continuous weighing
system before seed treatment. |
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Retailers, seed advisors and seed reps from
15 states gathered this fall in Cissna Park,
Ill., to learn about new advances in bulk seed
delivery – a growing preference for purchasing
soybean seed among growers. |
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“TruBulk provides a competitive
edge to our growers by making planting more efficient,” stated
Gary Wietgrefe, bulk equipment specialist with Syngenta Seeds.
“The conference was designed to help seed dealers understand
ways to minimize planter fill time and help growers maximize
plant health, yield, and seed handling safety.”
Twelve instructors presented advances in bulk seed trends. They
detailed the best methods to deliver complete solutions to
growers for maximum planting and agronomic efficiency using
leading products from Syngenta and local or on-site custom
application services.
Sessions presented at the conference included TruBulk audits and
certification for seed quality assurance, seed treatment,
weighing systems, planter trends and conveyer technologies.
Attendees were able to see professional demonstrations of the
system and were instructed on the standards required to maintain
seed quality.
The fundamental focus of the training was based around how the
TruBulk system reduces the time it takes to fill a planter.
Planters can be filled in five minutes by eliminating heavy
lifting of multiple bags and by pre-treating, pre-inoculating,
and a pre-talc application. That five minutes can significantly
increase the grower’s planting efficiency. Analysis by Bruce
Frank, a former John Deere Planter Technical Manager, reported a
bulk system allows growers to plant almost 200 more acres per
day.
“Every minute a grower or dealer spends on a forklift handling
soybean bags is wasted time; when you can pull up to a TruBulk
unit, treat, fill, and go,” Wietgrefe said. “It takes less
manpower and you don’t have bags and pallets to dispose nor
containers to inventory and return at the end of planting.”
Planting earlier in the season is another major benefit of the
TruBulk system. A planting date study done at The Ohio State
University shows a 3.9 bu/A yield loss per week when soybeans
are planted after April 25--supporting the need to plant early.
In addition to speeding the planting process, the TruBulk system
allows for planting-time decisions such as whether to custom
seed treat, inoculate, and pre-apply talc.
“To maximize soybean yields, plant soybeans early, protect the
seed from insects and diseases, insure sufficient inoculum, and
make sure each seed flows evenly through the planter,” Wietgrefe
added. “This makes custom seed treatment a must.”
CruiserMaxx™ Beans, which combines the proven power of Apron®
fungicide and Cruiser® insecticide, is designed to provide
protection from a broad spectrum of early season diseases and
pests and can be added to a seed purchase when a grower pulls up
to the TruBulk unit. Purchasing seed by the bag requires growers
to forecast each field’s need for seed treatment months in
advance with the extra hassle of opening treated bags or
containers with no return privileges.
Lastly, all TruBulk system locations and equipment services are
audited annually to maintain seed quality. All operators are
certified through annual training by following a set of
guidelines to protect the seed for maximum germination.
“Our certification and annual audit sets NK and Garst TruBulk
locations apart from other seed dealer facilities,” Wietgrefe
explained. “With TruBulk systems in 23 states, every grower can
expect quality seed through the TruBulk system from Syngenta no
matter where they are geographically located.”
Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to
sustainable agriculture through innovative research and
technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and
ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in
2006 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs around
21,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the
Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further
information is available at
www.syngenta.com.
NK®, TruBulk®, CruiserMaxx™, Apron®, Cruiser® and Backed by the
resources and research of Syngenta™ are trademarks of a Syngenta
Group Company. Garst® is a trademark of Garst Seed Company. |
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