Garst Seed plants a future for Iraq’s agriculture - Donation aids in hybrid corn research
 
With all of the destruction in Iraq, Garst Seed Company, through its donation of corn seed, hopes to plant seeds of growth by assisting U.S. armed forces in an important humanitarian effort through the Amber Waves mission.  

Amber Waves began in January 2005, with the 3,500 members of the 155th Brigade Combat Team. Its mission is to establish peace and restore the Iraqi economy by building schools and aiding Iraqi farmers. Amber Waves introduces new methods for raising animals and crops, the biggest source of income for Iraqi farmers.

“As a civilian high school agriculture teacher and a farmer, I understand what these farmers are feeling. They are great people and only want to raise crops and livestock to make a living and provide for their families,” says 155 BCT Agriculture Officer, Capt. Jesse J. Cornelius.

Kevin Coey, founder of Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.), read about the request for crop seeds from Capt. Cornelius in a magazine article. Coey thought that the F.I.R.S.T. program, which is an organization of farmers who evaluate seed products, could assist Iraqi farmers for growing seasons to come.

Coey began sourcing seed corn for the Amber Waves mission and contacted Garst, along with five other seed companies.

“We proudly took the opportunity to be of service to our country as well as being a part of a globally expanding agricultural industry,” says Steve Klein, head of marketing for Garst. “Developing Iraq’s agriculture is key to the development of the country. When the United States was founded, agriculture was one of the country’s largest industries. As agriculture grew and profited, so did the country.”

The project will consist of 16, four-acre test plots. The 16 full-season corn hybrids will be planted in each plot and evaluated. Each hybrid is adaptable to arid conditions and low elevation. Garst will donate four Garst® brand hybrids — 8380IT, 8288, 8285 and 8230IT — for the Amber Waves mission.

The 32 boxes of seed were sent in August from Illinois to Safat, Kuwait. From there, a U.S. military convoy will transport the seed to Fallujah, Iraq, to be distributed to the test sites.

The planting season begins in August and ends in March. The crops will be watered by flood irrigation and will be harvested by machines. Despite the harsh climate and unpredictable weather, Coey believes the corn hybrids will perform well in Iraq because of the thorough research, optimal quality and required field performance of U.S. seed before it is brought to market.

After the harvest, Coey hopes to post results from the test plots in late March or early April at www.agsci.com.

“Through its commitment to agriculture, high performance in the field and premier seed technology, Garst saw the opportunity to make a global impact through agriculture education,” adds Klein.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries.  Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).