Monsanto preparing to launch new soybeans

Mar 05, 2015

They will also increase training and education initiatives

Any time there’s a new anything, regardless the industry, people will be excited for it and want to experience it at the first possible opportunity.

For instance, whenever Apple releases a new phone or tablet there are lineups as far as the eye can see at some stores or when hundreds of Batman fans lined up outside the theatres to see any of the new films.

For the farming, agricultural soybean enthusiasts, Monsanto is planning to launch their “Roundup Ready 2 Xtend” soybeans sometime in 2016.

"This will potentially be the largest biotech launch in Monsanto's history," said Miriam Paris, Xtend system launch manager in a press release. "Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans will provide farmers another tool for weed management, and we are excited to bring farmers an expansive number of varieties with superior germplasm and enhanced agronomic packages. Our breeders have been working diligently through the last decade to develop a robust series of products to fit farmers' needs."

The soybeans will be available in around more than 60 varieties that spread across eight maturity groups. They will be available in Asgrow, Channel and Monsanto regional breeds.

In addition to the new seed varieties, Monsanto is expanding their education and training initiatives.

They will offer the “Roundup Ready Learning Xperience” and the Ground Breakers program, where farmers will have first crack at using the new products. Monsanto will also offer education sessions where growers, dealers, retailers and others can discuss weed management.

Join the discussion below and let us know if you currently use Monsanto products or if you’re excited for the release of the new soybeans.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.