Tampa, Florida and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
March 1, 2011
Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action, a winter wheat research and education initiative, launched in early 2009 by Bayer CropScience and Ducks Unlimited, today announced that Winfield Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc. will join the effort in the United States. Winfield Solutions will feature winter wheat demonstration plots at two of its unique Answer Plot® locations in North Dakota. In June and July of 2010, program leaders announced that South Dakota State University,North Dakota State University and University of Minnesota had joined the Winter Cereals program as research partners.
The goal of Winter Cereals: Sustainability in Action is to promote the expansion of winter cereal acres in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America to support sustainable agricultural productivity and enhance waterfowl and wildlife habitat.
The Prairie Pothole Region covers 300,000 square miles, including western Iowa and Minnesota, the eastern and central Dakotas, and stretching into Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada. The region supports more than 50 percent of North America’s migratory waterfowl.
The winter cereals initiative is intended to promote the expansion of winter cereal acres – an excellent nesting habitat for ducks – in one of the most critical nesting regions on the continent, while also enhancing agricultural productivity. Program participants note winter wheat production has been gaining acceptance across U.S. and Canadian prairie acres, with new varieties, improved marketing options in Canada and the agronomic advantages provided by the crop making it an attractive choice for growers to include in their crop rotation.
“As we introduce winter wheat demonstration plots in our Answer Plot® program, our goal is to illustrate the potential of winter wheat economically and environmentally,” said Winfield Solutions Vice President of Marketing Mitch Eviston. “At the same time, as with all our Answer Plot® product data, we will share insight on how producers can maximize both productivity and sustainability on their acreage.”
Winfield Solutions operates more than 150 Answer Plot® locations in 30 states across the country. In 2010, more than 20,000 producers, representing over 12 million crop production acres took part in Answer Plot® information sessions. Eviston estimates that more than 800 producers will take part in Answer Plot® sessions featuring winter wheat that will be part of the Winter Cereals effort.
Geoff Kneen, Vice President for BioScience for Bayer CropScience, said Winfield Solutions will be an important partner in the Winter Cereals program.
“Through its Answer Plot® program, Winfield Solutions provides a very effective vehicle for delivering the winter wheat story to producers,” Kneen said. “In addition, the program will benefit from Winfield Solutions’ well-established relationships with producers, as well as with the credibility they have built through the Answer Plot® technology testing program.”
Blake Vander Vorst, manager of agronomy programs with Ducks Unlimited in Bismarck, N.D., said Winfield Solutions participation will bring new exposure to the program.
“Ultimately, those winter wheat demonstration acres will help us grow understanding, support and participation in the Winter Cereals program,” Vander Vorst said. “Seeing actual results, and being able to make first-hand comparisons, will help convince additional growers to add winter wheat into their crop rotations. What we want to show is that winter wheat makes sense from a production agriculture point of view – as well as from a waterfowl habitat perspective. Adding Winfield Solutions as a partner will help us do that.”
To learn more about WCSIA, visit www.wintercereals.us and Bayercropscience.us
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