John and Jack Maloney are excited about working with the Bayer Company because they get the first look at new technology that could be coming down the road. That's why they allow Bayer to have a test plot on the farm. That's why they even devote a small outbuilding, which resembles a small shop, complete with storage space, work space for small equipment and even room to host a cookout for guests and perspective clients right on the property.

The Maloney's worked with Monsanto at one time. When Monsanto pulled out, they switched to working with the exciting company that insists they will bring Liberty Link soybeans to the market next year. That product has had a long and arduous road to the market. While Liberty Link corn has been available for more than a decade, Agrevo, original owner of the Liberty Link technology, sold it to Bayer a few years ago.

Plots at the Maloney farm near Brownsburg allow Bayer researcher to test not only the Liberty Link concept, but also other experimental herbicides for corn and soybeans. Some of the products appear as if they might be on the market soon, some perhaps for soybeans as early as 2009.

But right now the big buzz is all about Liberty Link soybeans. And good news came this week. The Chinese have approved Liberty Link soybeans for use in China. What Bayer is waiting for is approval by the European Union. Apparently the scientists have assigned off on it there, but government wheels turn slower there than even here. Bayer still hopes for approval by September of this year.

Soybeans are being grown right now for sale in '09. The initial introduction will only be about a million acres, the Bayer folk say. Extremely early and late varieties, based upon the soybean maturity grouping system, won't be available until later seasons.

Currently, the soybeans are the property of Bayer, until the European Union OKs them for export, and Bayer makes the decision to launch next year. Should that not happen for whatever reason, Bayer will be out growing costs, not the companies having them grown, hoping to sell them for next spring.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of this new competitions system for Roundup Ready soybeans was the name change for the primary product. Once called Liberty, it will now be called Ignite. The name Ignite was already being used in the cotton market. So the marketing venue will be 'Ignite herbicide for glufosinate tolerant soybeans.'

Maloney says that the director of the research at this farm is very meticulous. And he adds that it is certainly helpful to be able to interact with these researchers one-on-one.