Horizon Ag Names New General Manager
Highly regarded Mississippi rice agronomist, Dr. Tim Walker, will become the new general manager of Horizon Ag. Walker brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in rice research and agronomy to the company. He most recently served as Extension rice specialist for Mississippi State University (MSU), working from the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Miss. He also served as research professor for agronomy and breeding, where he worked on developing elite rice germplasm and cultivars for the university. Walker, who grew up on a farm in Mississippi, holds a doctoral degree in agronomy from MSU. He has authored many research papers on rice agronomic practices and is one of the premier rice specialists working in U.S. rice. Walker was a graduate of the class of 2005 Rice Leadership Development Program and a participant in the 2011 International Rice Leadership Development Program. He was named the 2012 Rice Researcher of the Year at the Conservation Tillage Cotton and Rice Conference.
“I, along with my wife Peyton, am excited about the opportunity Horizon Ag has given our family,” Walker says. “I look forward to utilizing my knowledge, skills and rice industry relationships in helping Horizon Ag continue to grow and prosper.” Dr. Walker replaces Randy Ouzts, who has left to pursue another opportunity after spending 12 years guiding Horizon Ag as general manager.
MANA Has New Corporate Brand Name
MANA announced that it will operate under the new corporate brand name, ADAMA, as of second quarter 2014. The new corporate brand name comes on the heels of the global rebranding of Makhteshim Agan Industries – MANA’s parent company – in April 2014. The name, ADAMA, comes from the Hebrew word for “earth” and reflects the company’s farmer-centric focus and its commitment to advancing agriculture in its markets around the world.
EPA Approves Fungicide For Rice
BASF has announced that Sercadis fungicide has received full U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration. Sercadis fungicide provides rice growers with a solution for resistant sheath blight in rice. Since 2012, Sercadis fungicide has been available to Louisiana rice growers through a Section 18 emergency exemption. “With a new mode of action available to growers, Sercadis fungicide protects crops against this economically damaging disease,” says Brianne Reeves, D.P.M., Technical Market Specialist, BASF. Sercadis fungicide contains the active ingredient Xemium fungicide. It provides consistent performance and longer-lasting disease control. For more information about Sercadis fungicide, please visit sercadis-fungicide.basf.us.
Bird Repellent For Rice Seed Now Available
AV-1011 bird repellent for rice seed, a product of Arkion Life Sciences, has received Section 18 label approval in Louisiana (Effective Feb. 20, 2014 – June 1, 2014) for its use as a rice seed treatment . The EPA approval means that rice growers in Louisiana can protect their seed from blackbirds and grackles. Applied to rice seed prior to seeding, AV-1011 liquid treatment formulation is scientifically designed to deter birds from eating rice seed before emergence. Birds that ingest AV-1011-treated seeds experience immediate but harmless digestive distress. After sampling the treated seed, birds avoid it and look for other food sources. Anthraquinone (AQ), the active ingredient in AV-1011 is a naturally occurring substance, nontoxic and nonsystemic.