nunhems, Bayer CropScience’s vegetable seed business, plans to invest $15 million in the expansion of its u.S. facilities in Parma, Idaho. “This lays the foundation for sustainable growth of our vegetable seed business in the U.S. and worldwide,” says Joachim Schneider, Head of BioScience at Bayer CropScience. The Idaho site is responsible for the processing, packaging and storage of vegetable hybrid seed crops like carrots and onions, and processes more than 80% of the global carrot and onion seeds produced by Nunhems.

dow agroSciences and monsanto company are eyeing markets for more pest-resistant gm corn after successfully marketing Bt corn, which has the sole trait of being Asiatic corn-borer resistant, since 2003. DAS has begun field testing for TC 1507, which aside from being corn borer-resistant also prevents infestation from lepidopterans such as cutworms and earworms. Meanwhile, Monsanto is testing a multiple-gene GM corn this year. Unlike Bt corn that has only one gene, a Monsanto official said the second-generation GM corn in development has three genes.

dow agroSciences llc is acquiring the assets of brodbeck Seed inc. of Indiana. Under the terms of the agreement, DAS will acquire all sales, marketing and agronomy assets, as well as the product development program and associated assets. Stan Leland, President of Brodbeck, will continue to lead the business. Doug Rice will serve as Financial and Marketing Manager and Mike Coomer will continue to lead Research and Development. DAS will market Brodbeck Seeds under the Brodbeck brand.

Syngenta has closed an agreement to acquire SpS argentina SA, which specializes in the development, production and marketing of soybeans, corn and sunflowers. The transaction will give Syngenta a significant presence in the soybean market in Argentina, adding to its existing strong position in corn and sunflowers. “This expands our customer base and accelerates the introduction of our proprietary GM traits in soybean and corn,” says Davor Pisk, Chief Operating Officer of Syngenta Seeds.

dupont plans to construct a parent seed corn production facility in Oregon to meet rising demand for its brand products and help farmers meet the global demand for grain. The expansion, expected to be complete this fall, will produce parent seed corn and pre-commercial hybrid seed corn. The project is an investment of more than $15 million and is part of an 80% year-over-year increase in capital expenditures by Pioneer in 2008.

marwit capital partners ii, l.p. has acquired Montana-based bruce Seed Farm inc. from Owner and President Arden Bruce. The transaction follows the recent recapitalization of Granite Seed Company by Marwit and is a major step in the company’s strategy to consolidate within the land reclamation, native seed and erosion control industry. Bruce will remain a significant shareholder, and his management team will continue to operate and lead Bruce Seed post transaction.

incotec is celebrating its 40 year anniversary in the seed and coating technology industry using cutting-edge research, technical innovation and quality control and now offers some 800 products. “Incotec continues to demonstrate its worth to world agriculture and is ready to apply all of its knowledge and experience to continuing progress in agriculture,” says President and General Manager David Pickenpaugh.

apeX genetics inc., based in Norfolk, Nebraska, has acquired Hi-lo Seed, llc, a seed sales network located in Pratt, Kansas. “The Hi-Lo sales network has experienced solid growth and working together was of mutual interest,” says Kory Smith, CEO of APEX Genetics. “Their expertise will be invaluable in expanding the APEX brand in that area. They have a hands-on approach and have worked hard to create their business.”

Improving yield and quality remain top priorities for cottonseed research for the combined forces of monsanto and delta and pine land co., but achieving those goals also includes adding new transgenic traits and identifying more stress tolerant varieties. “For anything we do, we still look at yield and fiber quality,” says Dave Albers, Cotton Germplasm Manager for Delta and Pine Land. Albers says the immediate goal is to continue improving germplasm for the second generation of transgenic traits, Roundup Ready Flex and Bollgard II.

bayer cropScience has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the chinese academy of agricultural Sciences on agricultural research for joint development and global marketing of agricultural products. CAAS and Bayer will initiate joint projects using the latest technologies in plant breeding, genetics, genomics and seed production.

professional Seed research inc. is offering on-line status reports of its trait conversion services. Customers can view trait conversion updates for each generation and obtain completion dates for their inbred lines. “On-line availability of conversion reports has become especially helpful to our international clients. Now everyone can receive updates during their work hours,” says Matt Dodd, Vice-President of Marketing. PSR’s trait conversion service is unique in that it saves customers four generations in converting inbred lines with regulated and non-regulated traits. PSR uses its proprietary Phenotype Select system to quickly convert inbred lines to include traits, which is more efficient and less costly than molecular markers.

coodetec has sold its fixed asset in Paracatu, Brazil to dow agroSciences llc and the companies have reached a potential technological collaboration agreement. The addition of this asset will increase DAS’s production capacity in Brazil and provide Coodetec with access to DAS’s technologies, allowing greater quality and technological level to its hybrids offered to the market. “This production asset will provide increased reception and drying capacity in order to meet sales growth,” says Ev Germon, President of DAS in Brazil.