With the European Union granting its conditional approval in late March, and U.S. antitrust authorities reportedly set to give their thumbs-up signal, Canada’s competition regulator has yet to issue its decision on Bayer’s proposed acquisition of Monsanto. The US$66 billion deal, which was originally announced in September 2016, has significant implications in the Canadian market,… Read more »
Tag: Bayer
Bayer planning to sell digital farming business to BASF
Bayer has confirmed it will be selling its digital farming business to gain approval of its acquisition of Monsanto instead of licensing the digital assets out to a competing company. In gaining regulatory approval of the deal in Europe, Bayer had agreed to license its digital farming package to BASF. However, in a statement shared… Read more »
Bayer gains EU approval to acquire Monsanto
Bayer has checked off one of the final boxes on the list of approvals needed for its acquisition of Monsanto, as the European Commission granted conditional approval of the $66 billion deal on Wednesday. “We have approved Bayer’s plans to take over Monsanto because the parties’ remedies, worth well over €6 billion, meet our competition… Read more »
TechTour: A quantum leap in weed control
Bayer and Bosch are working together on a three-year research collaboration to develop a precise spraying technology that will minimize herbicide use, while also mitigating against resistance development. The technology, called Smart Spraying, will see camera sensors identifying weeds, and precise herbicide application targeting them on a single pass, within a fraction of a second. According… Read more »
What does BASF’s acquisition of Liberty and InVigor business mean for Canada?
It’s the spinoff that many people in the North American ag market have been waiting for. In Bayer’s conquest of Monsanto, the concentration of trait and variety market share in crops like cotton and canola was deemed to be unfair for a competitive balance. Given Bayer’s strong presence in the Canadian canola seed market, the… Read more »
Bayer signs C$8.7 billion deal to sell LibertyLink and seed businesses to BASF
Bayer has signed an agreement to divest some of its crop business to BASF for €5.9 billion (approximately C$8.7 billion) to gain regulatory approval for Bayer’s planned acquisition of Monsanto. The transaction with BASF includes Bayer’s global glufosinate-ammonium business and the related LibertyLink herbicide tolerance technology. BASF is also marking its entry into the seed… Read more »
Bayer partners with FMC to launch $3 for 300 campaign to control cleavers in canola
Bayer and FMC Corporation have partnered up to offer a new deal for growers interested in improving cleaver control in their InVigor hybrid canola. With a minimum purchase of 300 acres of any InVigor hybrid, producers can receive a $3 per acre rebate on their first 300 acres of Command herbicide, for a maximum discount… Read more »
Not too high, not too low — Bayer’s canola seeding rate findings
Canola has been referred to as the “Cinderella of the Prairies,” but the story of Goldilocks might also be relevant. Specifically when it comes to the discussion in the canola community lately about ideal plant populations — not too high, not too low, but just right. The Canola Council of Canada has developed a target… Read more »
Bayer retiring InVigor 5440 and L130 canola varieties
At some point you have to say goodbye to your favourite variety. We all have our favourites for different crops. Some varieties last one year and others have more staying power based on a wider geographical fit or superior agronomic profile. In canola, Bayer’s Invigor 5440 has been one of the varieties that has been seeded… Read more »
Bayer combining clubroot resistance and reduced pod shatter in new canola variety
With clubroot disease spreading and the number of straight-cut canola acres climbing, clubroot resistance and reduced pod shatter traits have become valuable tools for growers. Bayer announced today it will be combining both in one canola hybrid. Invigor L255PC will be available starting this fall through regular retail channels. With ‘very strong’ standability, an R… Read more »
LibertyLink is up for sale — who will buy it?
In order to get the $66 billion purchase of Monsanto finalized, Bayer has agreed to sell its LibertyLink trait and herbicide portfolio, according to Reuters. The Competition Commission of South Africa announced the stipulation earlier this week, to which Bayer has reportedly agreed. The divestiture of some traits doesn’t come as a surprise to most, with… Read more »
Early adopters getting control of the most hated, difficult-to-control weeds
All farmers hate weeds. Especially weeds that are hard to kill. Weeds are yield-robbing nuisances that compete for valuable space in and out of the seed row. Some weeds are fairly easy to deal with and only create limited stress. But then there are those that seem to create havoc every year because they are so… Read more »
The Canola Acre Cage Match: Liberty Link vs Roundup Ready vs Clearfield
In Western Canada, we have few acre battles that get much attention, but one that intrigues our editorial staff every year is the battle of the canola herbicide tolerance trait race. It really is a three-way cage match that has swings in advantage every year. All three systems have unique characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. So here… Read more »
Remembering Canada Fondly: A Conversations with Hartmut van Lengerich
Shaun Haney is in Germany this week as a guest of Bayer, celebrating 20 years of the company’s InVigor brand. The world is big place, sure, but when it comes to agriculture, it’s actually quite small. As people move up the ladder within companies, they frequently get to spend time in other countries to build experience. … Read more »
The Making of the Canola Pod Shatter Reduction Trait
Developing a new crop trait requires capital, time, and most of all a vision. All great new traits start with an idea or vision of trying to make a difference in the marketplace for farmers or end users. Dr. Bart Lambert and his colleagues had a vision, a canola seed trait that allows for producers… Read more »