Monsanto Field Tour - Kansas

I have had a fantastic day joining in a Monsanto field day, in Kansas State, a few hours out of Kansas city. Dallas Peterson, and extension officer from Kansas Univerisity had arranged for me to join the tour. There was a lot of discussion about herbicide resistant weeds, and the new GM canola coming out with both glyphosate resistance and Dicamba resistance. They talk about new weed management tools and packages, but all it really is, is more herbicides and continuous roundup year after year. They do not have profitable crops available that are not roundup tolerent so the reliance on glyphosate continues. There is really little to no IWM.
We also discussed their new drought 'tolerent' corn that is soon to be released, and we are to learn more about this tommorow.
Below is photo of glyphosate resistant corn in a glyphosate tolerent soybean crop. It is relatively easily killed with anothr herbicide, but this paddock has been left quite late before the farmer has controlled.

The corn around here looks like this or dryer. It is really really hot and dry!! This corn would usually still be totally green until August.

Farmers are starting to cut the crops for silage as they know they will not yield. The strips left below are for crop insurance inspectors!! So, a lot of sympathy for these guys, but still not as bad as an aussie drought!!

 A RR soybean crop infested with the glyphosate tolerent weed waterhemp. They are encouraging farmers to us pre-emergent herbicides to try and control these resistant weeds. The Dicamba tolerent crops, show good promise for controlling these weeds.

Extension officers discussing the drought tolerent corn.

Tonight we had dinner at the Monsanto research farm, and several local farmers came in for an open discussion on general ag issues. It was a really great, interesting night.

Now, Monsanto have put me up in a lovely room in the comfort inn, a step up from the econolodge last night!! Tommorow we will look at more trials at the research farm, then I am heading further west to meet up with another weed extension officer in Hayes. It has been a great learning day, I only hope my brain can retain!! It was way too hot to take notes!!