BASF’s dicamba production facility in Beaumont, Tex. (BASF.com)

U.S. EPA aims to allow dicamba use, with safeguards

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to allow farmers to spray the controversial herbicide dicamba next year, but with additional rules for its use, an official with the agency said on Tuesday. Reuben Baris, acting chief of the herbicide branch of the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, said the agency […] Read more

(Agriculture.basf.com)

BASF to boost inoculant production at Saskatoon

The Canadian crop protection arm of Germany’s BASF plans to step up its game in the crop inoculant business with a $10 million expansion at its Saskatoon plant. The facility, set up in 1988, handles production and research and development for BASF’s seed- and soil-applied rhizobium/bacillus inoculants, exported and sold worldwide under the Nodulator brand […] Read more

BASF’s promotions for pre-harvest use of Heat LQ have until now focused strictly on crops such as soybeans, peas, canola, dry beans and sunflowers. (Agro.basf.ca)

Heat LQ cleared for pre-harvest use in wheat, barley

Wheat, durum and barley growers have a new pre-harvest herbicide option now that BASF has received Codex maximum residue limits (MRLs) for its product Heat LQ. While “there were probably some wheat acres already harvested,” according to Dan Packer, BASF’s cereals crop manager, this agreement will provide an additional pre-harvest option for farmers who still […] Read more

BASF’s dicamba production facility in Beaumont, Tex. (BASF.com)

Tennessee restricts dicamba use as problems spread

Chicago | Reuters — Tennessee on Thursday imposed restrictions on the use of dicamba, a flagship pesticide for Monsanto, to become the fourth state to take action as problems spread over damage the herbicide causes to crops not genetically modified to withstand it. Dicamba is sprayed by farmers on crops genetically modified to resist it […] Read more

BASF’s dicamba production facility in Beaumont, Tex. (BASF.com)

U.S. state-level dicamba bans temporary

A ban on dicamba applications in Missouri could end by the weekend, a state agriculture official said Monday. “The intent was never for this to be a long pause,” Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn told the U.S. farm show Agritalk on Monday, after Missouri became the second state to announce such a ban so far […] Read more


BASF’s dicamba production facility in Beaumont, Tex. (BASF.com)

Two states ban dicamba after drift complaints

Reuters — Missouri joined Arkansas on Friday in banning the use and sale of dicamba after a rise in complaints that the herbicide is drifting into neighbouring fields and damaging crops, the states’ agriculture departments said Friday. Dicamba use and complaints about its use have spiked in the past two years in the U.S. More […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Bayer files for Monsanto takeover approval with EU regulators

Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer has filed a request for approval of its planned US$66 billion takeover of U.S. seeds company Monsanto with European Union regulators, as suitors line up for assets that Bayer will sell to get the approval by year-end. Bayer, which is bracing for the EU Commission to go into an in-depth […] Read more

(Photo courtesy BASF SE)

BASF ready to snatch seed bargains as rivals sell assets

Ludwigshafen, Germany | Reuters — BASF will consider buying seed assets that rivals are putting on the block to win antitrust approval for tie-ups, saying bargain prices could persuade BASF to overcome its traditional reluctance to expand into the seeds industry. Sources familiar with BASF’s thinking have said that competition regulators looking at potential buyers […] Read more


(BASF.com)

BASF still out for ag chem deals

Frankfurt | Reuters –– German chemicals giant BASF said it would continue to push for acquisitions to shore up its crop protection business, after the antitrust-related sale of assets from the merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont left it empty-handed. “We are generally interested in strengthening our business further, acquisitions are part of that, that […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Bayer sweetens offer for hesitant Monsanto

Reuters — German drug and crop chemical group Bayer on Thursday announced details of a sweetened US$64 billion bid for Monsanto as it tries to put the U.S. seed company under pressure to engage further. The move shows the two companies have made little progress in their negotiations since Monsanto rejected Bayer’s previous offer in […] Read more