b'PARTNER CONTENTA Step Towards Tackling Farmings Biggest PressuresBy: Todd HansenAnetic improvement and trait advancement have seen huge gains recent report from a global management firm came across my desk a few days back. The report detailed the results ofin recent years, and more are in the pipeline as breeders deliver a large-scale survey conducted in 2022 which asked row-higher and higher potential varieties. Yet, resistant weeds keep and specialty-crop farmers to identify key opportunities and mostcreeping in. The good news is that industry continues to innovate concerning pressures they face. While farmers expresed generalto deliver on new varieties potential. Keeping up with Mother if cautiousoptimism in the survey, they also identified a longNature is challenging but we continue to work on this every single list of pressures and challenges. Some of the major themes fromday, and were making important strides forward.the survey included:In my role at Bayer, I like to think Im a small piece of a solution Commodity prices. While 65% of the surveys respondents seeto farmings biggest challenges. Farms need every possible leg-up improved crop prices and improved yields as the top two near- in crop yield and quality in order to bring in the dollars necessary term profit opportunities, the volatility and variability in theto keep up with rising costs and increasing financial pressures. So-market, together with high input costs (especially of fertilizer)lutions need to be both financially reasonable and highly effective. and a host of unknowns make farm finances nearly impossible toHighly effective, easy and cost effective describe our Accel-pre-plan.eron seed applied solutions in a nutshell. Our seed treatments, Rising operating costs. Of all the things keeping them up atseamlessly integrated into every bag of Bayer corn seed sold, night, farmers biggest concern is the cost of operating a farmarent included as some afterthought or marketing opportunity. today. 80% of farmers surveyed ranked rising costs as the numberTheyre exactly the opposite: theyre extremely carefully formu-one risk to profitability. My first question, and a question I hearlated and designed entirely to get a crop started strong, delivering from farmers every time I talk to them, is: how does a farmer cash- highly targeted, cost-effective pest protection and a boost to early flow major and necessary purchases? Second and more broadly:seedling vigor. At Bayer, we cant fix skyrocketing land values or a how can a farmer attempt to grow the business when costs arefickle market, but we are committedevery single dayto help-high?Thirdly, how can agriculture draw young talent given theing our farmers maximize productivity so they can keep feeding current cost challenges facing new entrants?the world today, tomorrow and into the future. Its a promise that One of the key concerns I hear from farmers, though (interest- this farm-boy, along with and our whole Bayer team, is proud to ingly) it was not identified in the report, is resistant weeds. Ge- make. FEBRUARY 2024SEEDWORLD.COM /21'