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Take virtual tour through future of crop technology

Slideshow: Here’s how one company described the future of crop farming to Farm Progress Show visitors.

Tom J Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farmer

September 16, 2019

12 Slides
Journey of Seed walking tour
Photos by Tom J. Bechman

If you didn’t make it to the Farm Progress Show, don’t despair. It’s coming to you through tons of stories about new products and exciting developments. Right now, you can take a virtual tour through six tents, with plots of growing crops in between, by imagining yourself at the show and looking through the accompanying slideshow.

This exhibit was Bayer’s attempt to showcase what the future of crop technology will look like. Company scientists and specialists staffed each tent, explaining technologies that are either here now or coming soon. They even explained some of the tools used to develop products and traits now on the market.

As most of you know, Bayer officially took over Monsanto over a year ago, in 2018. Monsanto had a long history of building and displaying educational plots at the Farm Progress Show. When some early traits were still under crop-destruct orders, they even staffed the show site with guards 24 hours per day so they could show those traits in action during the show.

Bayer carried on the tradition of planting and displaying state-of-the-art traits in corn and soybeans, positioning them between tents on a path visitors could walk through on their own. Some of the products shown are already on the market. Others are waiting for registration from U.S. EPA or other agencies. In most cases, these registrations are expected soon.

However, Bayer personnel also offered a glimpse of what might be coming in the future. In some of their seed company tents — in the Dekalb display, for example — representatives showed how they could help a farmer use data to best select hybrids and varieties for his or her farm.

Yes, you were missed at the show. Here’s the next best thing. Take a close look.

About the Author

Tom J Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farmer

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