Syngenta explains its new strategy
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 09/08/2011 8:29 AM
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STANTON, Minn. —Syngenta hosted approximately 130 people at its research facility in Stanton on Aug. 18 to explain its new business strategy.
The company announced in February a plan to integrate their seed, seed care and crop protection divisions around specific crops.
By using all the tools in their toolbox with each crop, Syngenta plans to foster more innovation and outperform for their customers. The driving purpose is to deliver its technology in the best way possible to farmers, said Corey Huck, head of key account management in the United States.
The integrated strategy is a significant, global movement for the company, said Tracy Mader, who oversees soybeans in North America. Cross-training is taking place between crop protection experts and seed experts. Syngenta representatives will look across all of the company's disciplines to find the best way to address farmers' needs, he said.
Syngenta held the Demonstration Day for stakeholders, such as people who sell Syngenta products, local and international media, people involved with regulatory compliance, staff of agriculture departments from states in the region and university representatives. The previous day, a similar event was held for investors. The following day, Syngenta employees were brought in.
After hearing about challenges facing agriculture today, the audience broke into small groups and headed to seven tent-like domes on the facility's field to hear about Syngenta's work. The domes focused on oilseeds, vegetables, soybeans, sugar cane, corn, rice and cereals.
At the corn dome, one topic Ponsi Trivisvavet, Syngeta's global head of corn, discussed was the company's pipeline for insect-controlling traits, then participants stepped outside to see a plot with Agrisure Viptera, the trait that protects corn from14 pests, including corn earworm and black cutworm.
Syngenta is also testing a new trait, Enogen, that allows corn to produce 5.2 percent more ethanol while requiring less natural gas, water, power and sulfuric acid to be used at ethanol plants. That is expected to save 8 cents to 11 cents per gallon and reduce ethanol production's carbon footprint. The trait is on limited launch and Syngenta is targeting plants in Iowa to test it in 2012.
Participants also heard how Syngenta's global presence creates opportunities. Corn traitsdeveloped in the U.S. can be used to increase yield in Brazil while researchers in South America can identify germplasms, such as those carrying drought-tolerant abilities, that can be used in U.S. research.
In the soybean dome, Syngenta's global head of soybeans Peter Berweger, said Syngenta will be coming out with a new trait, HPPD-tolerant soybeans, which will have the same active ingredient as the Callisto herbicide currently used in corn. While it will include glyphosate-tolerance, the HPPD-tolerant soybeans will have a new mode of action. Syngenta expects to bring it to market around 2016.
In a soybean plot outside, attendees heard about a trial in Missouri that used a suite of Syngenta products: A variety grown with seed protection, pre- and post-emergent herbicides, insect control and protection from foliar disease. After accounting for input costs, the trial saw enough yield increases to generate a return on investment.
Elsewhere on the tour, participants sampled seedless red peppers in the vegetable dome, learned about Syngenta's plan to revolutionize sugar cane production in Brazil and heard about some of the company's partnerships with other organizations.
Dan Means is the agronomy sales manager for Agriland, FS, a southeast Iowa-based company that sells, among other things, Syngenta products.
"One plus one equals three today, it doesn't equal two," Means said.
He sees Syngenta becoming a partner in Agriland's program to help farmers achieve their best possible yield.
Syngenta expects annual sales of key crops to surpass $17 billion after 2015, compared with $8.4 billion today.