ULTIMATE FIELD TRIP

MINNEAPOLIS / RED WINGMINNESOTA 2017

Dealer representation: Christo Prinsloo (Oosvaal – Agent), Niel Kruger (InteliGro – Marketing Manager), Dirk van Eeden – Technical Manager – InteliGro), Ebbie Raubenheimer – Regional Manager – Nulandis Cape), Frik le Roux (Oosvaal – Agent), Boetie Fourie (Nulandis – Agent), Oostewald Eksteen (InteliGro – Agent), Louw Stadler (Nulandis – Agent), Henry Odendaal (InteliGro – Agent), Jerrie Fox (Nulandis – Agent), Jonty Ross (Technical Manager – FAC), Kobin Kock (Nulandis – Agent), Louis Stegmann (InteliGro – Agent), Marcel Heine (Nutrition Agronomist – FAC), Paul van Wyk (MD – Wilgechem), Petrus Blom (Nulandis – Agent), Louw van der Merwe (Nulandis – Agent), Pieter Labuschagne (LAC – Agent), Roy Cackett (MD – FAC), Stephan Verreynne (Technical Manager – Nulandis Cape), Stiaan Breytenbach (InteliGro – Agent), Robert Wilsdorf (Technical – Viking), Liaan Janse van Vuuren (Technical – Viking), Rolf Dieckmann (MD – Viking), Liana Erasmus (Technical – LAC), Christiaan Cornelis Venter

Farmers: Abram Badenhorst, Adolph Naude, Anton Pelser, David Potgieter, Frederik Truter (Christi), Gideon Anderson, Marius Lourens, Michael de Klerk, Pieter van Zyl, Christiaan Venter

Villa personnel: Dirk Bester (Marketing Advisor – Cape), Johan Potgieter (Regional Manager – Marketing Central regions), Petrus Steyn (Marketing Advisor – Cape), Deon Coetzee (Regional Manager – Marketing Cape), Teunis Vahrmeijer (Business Manager – Nutrisolutions), Andre Schreuder (CEO), Corne Potgieter (CFO), Daniel Hennessy (MD), Dave Schumacher (GM Villa & Winfield United VP), Marius Boshoff (Marketing Manager)

Introduction

The Ultimate Field Trip at a glance

Depart from (OR Tambo International Airport) to Minneapolis, USA.

Check in at Radisson Blu Mall of America Hotel, Minneapolis, US.

Welcome dinner at Radisson Blue Mall of America Hotel.

We are looking forward to hosting you at the upcoming Villa Ultimate Field Trip.

Here’s a brief overview of our daily tours and activities.

We will be sharing some of the capabilities of Land O’ Lakes and Winfield United including products, Ag technology and service offerings. We will also tour an Ag retailer to give you a perspective of how they service the needs of their farmer customers.

You will experience the Executive Grower National Answer Plot event where some of the largest farmers in the USA meet with Winfield United experts to gain insights to help them drive higher yields.

Lastly, we will attend a Major League Baseball game. The Minnesota Twins vs Texas Rangers!

A visit to Ag Partner Retailer and Grain Terminal in Goodhue, Minnesota.

National Answer Plot welcome dinner and networking with some of the largest farmers in the USA.

Major League Baseball Game. Minnesota twins vs Texas Rangers.

National Answer Plot event and networking with largest farmers in the USA in Redwing, Minnesota.

Visit Winfield United R&D facility in River Falls.

Visit/ shop at Cabela's outfitter store in Woodbury, MN.

Land O' Lakes headquarter visit. Leadership presentations.

Overnight stay at Radisson Blue MOA Hotel.

Saturday

29 JULY 2017

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

River FallsMinneapolis

Goodhue

Redwing

Arden Hills

Tuesday

1 AUGUST 2017

Friday

4 AUGUST 2017

Wednesday

2 AUGUST 2017

Depart from MSP International Airport to OR Tambo (Johannesburg)

Saturday

5 AUGUST 2017

Thursday

3 AUGUST 2017Sunday

30 JULY 2017

Monday

31 JULY 2017

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The Ultimate Field Trip by Villa Crop Protection and Winfield United is an annual event on the South African agriculture calendar.

A delegation of farmers and Villa dealer partners were invited to the USA where research and technology by Winfield United were showcased. 

This unique opportunity aims to share agronomic developments through in-depth research at Winfield United’s ANWER PLOT sites.

This booklet is a summary of the products, expertise and insights gained during the 2017 Ultimate Field Trip held in Minnesota, USA.

The Villa team would like to thank the delegates and we wish our farmers a successful 2017/18 season.

Best regards

Marius BoshoffVilla Marketing Manager

As the 3rd largest US member-owned cooperative, Land O’Lakes has a unique end-to-end view of the full farm to customer value chain.

Additionally, the International Development team, a non-profit company affiliated with Land O’Lakes, has shared farming expertise in 80 countries across the globe since 1981. With more than 350 personnel worldwide and 280 programmes, more than 3 million people are impacted.

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Land O’Lakes Headquarters visit; Leadership presentations.

Getting to Know Land O’LakesPresentation by Chris Policinsky, President and CEO.

Land O’Lakes is a fortune 215 company, employing more than 10 000 people present in 50 US states and 60 countries in the world. Land O’Lakes operates in four diversified agribusinesses, namely Winfield United (Crop Inputs and Insights), Purina (Animal Nutrition), Land O’Lakes (Dairy Food) and Land O’Lakes Sustain.

31 JULY 2017Monday

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Key messages on ag-trends Presentation by Mike van der Locht, Executive Vice President and COO, Winfield United.

The current market and Agricultural economics are experiencing chaos all over the world. Three main trends are prevalent:

• Declining commodity prices• Forces for consolidation are powerful (mergers and acquisitions)• Size and scale of business counts

Within this challenging environment, it’s about profitable bushels, not just price. The yield potential of crops is still growing (growth models tell a consistent story) and farmers need to understand when and where to invest their inputs. It is furthermore evident that the technology users (farmers) will remain successful and non-users will in all likelihood consolidate.

Supporting these trends, Mike referred to Dr Fred Below’s seven wonders of corn production. Growers who are seeing record setting yields strategically combine excellent plant nutrition and protection with a high density of the best racehorse hybrids to make sure the crop is never stressed.

In the following table, Dr Below ranks his “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World,” by bushel per acre value, and explains how they interact with each other to impact yield.

Through Winfield United’s Answer Plot programme, it has become very clear that:

“It’s about decreasing inputs per bushel, not per acre, to produce both the most profitable and most sustainable bushels.” In support of the above, statement data from the Answer Plots over the past six years show the impact of Nitrogen, Corn on Corn, Populations, Soil type and Fungicide responses.

AG TechnologyA presentation by Joe Wipperfurth.

A view of the future and how technology developments in Precision and Decision Agriculture was presented. Agronomists are faced with bringing together a magnitude of biological, chemical and physical elements in order to profitably and sustainably produce food.

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The developments in AG technology, particularly combining the Answer Plot data generated each year with state of the art computer technology, forms the basis of Winfield United’s R7 tool.

Utilising these tools, agronomists and farmers are able to make informed decisions and adjustments to plans where required.

Visit to Winfield United AG partner, Central Farm Services.

The group departed for Redwing, MN to attend the National Answer Plot event. En route to Redwing, a visit to a dealer partner of Winfield United was arranged in Central Minnesota.

Key learnings from this visit included:• Bulk handling of commodities such as glyphosate and adjuvants is a real need with bigger farmers in South

Africa. Villa should investigate further.• Seed treatment facilities and potential of mobile units could add much value for the soybean farmers in SA.

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1 AUGUST 2017Tuesday

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Redwing Minnesota – National Answer Plot Event .

The group attended the National Answer Plot event in Redwing, MN.

Growing data with the Answer Plot program

2 AUGUST 2017Wednesday

WinField United’s nearly 200 Answer Plot locations in the USA are unique in the industry. They are essentially living laboratories spread across the country.

At these plots, seeds are planted and tested, and crop protection and plant nutrition technologies are placed under the microscope, collecting more than six million points of data each year.

Eighteen Answer Plot teams across the USA continually gather data and insights to help enhance agronomic expertise and provide credible facts for farmers using similar conditions.

Providing even more value, Answer Plot events held at different points throughout the growing season serve as a “show and tell” experience for retailers and farmers.

Whether it’s digging and analysing roots, looking for insects or diseases, or standing back and noticing an overall different appearance between two treatments, the demos provide an outdoor classroom opportunity to gain growers’ and retailers’ trust with WinField United’s products and insights. The South African group of dealers and agents visited one of these Answer Plots based at Red Wing, Minnesota.

Several stations dealing with different agronomic demonstrations formed the basis of these Answer Plot events. The following stations were visited by the South African delegation.

(Special thanks and acknowledgement to Winfield United Agronomists for summarising these key learnings from their talks)

Seed treatments and inoculants - Soybeans

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Soybean seed care is changing management practices and new technologies to support growers’ ROI potential.

• Earlier planting dates• Lower soybean planting populations• New technologies to match your operation’s management needs

Focus1. Help soybeans get off to an early start. Mitigate disease risks for early planted soybeans with the use of

fungicide + insecticide seed treatments.2. Seed treatment programmes support reduced soybean planting populations with lower seeding rates.

Lowering your soybean seedling rates by 17,500 plants/acre may increase your profit potential of up to $20 per acre.

3. The future of seed treatments will include new products as bolt-on to your current fungicide/insecticide seed treatment programme for specific pests and diseases.

Activity:What’s under the soil that you cannot see above – how to identify pests and when

• Microscopes & plants with nematodes on roots for growers to evaluate• Inoculated disease petri dishes

Storyboards on key products for seed treatment and inoculants (Bayer’s ILeVO seed treatment featured extensively)

• Early Planting/Lower Population – potential risks• Nematode life cycle• Product option combinations with top F/I STs

Key learnings:The soybean seed care program is an early-season risk mitigation power player. Changes to seed care to match management practices supports an operation’s ROI potential through:

• Earlier Planting Opportunity• Reduced soybean seed planting populations• A portfolio of new technologies for diseases and pests

In-Season Management with Today’s Technologies

During the growing season, growers are faced with many decisions that are sometimes difficult to make. Many times, those decisions are made with not a lot of available information.

Many questions arise... what is the weather going to do? Should I apply more nutrients to get increased yield? Which fields need my attention now? Many of these in-season questions can be answered with the use of Ag Technology on the farm. Rapid advancements in Ag Technology have made it easier to get more information about what is happening and what could be done for the crop.

There are also benchmarking tools, like the R7 Field Monitoring Tool that help farmers compare field by field: which are underperforming and which are performing. This helps to define which fields might need attention, and which fields might benefit with additional inputs.

It can lead to identifying the fields where a farmer should spend time scouting and even where they may want to do some Nutrisolutions Tissue Sampling. Once they’ve identified a field that needs attention, in-season field imagery can be used to find a deeper issue.

Many growers currently know about and use some type of field imagery. Whether it is from a satellite or an UAV, in-season images can be used for in-field directed scouting to find weeds, nutrient deficiencies, disease presence and insect pressure. Variable rate nutrient applications are then sometimes made to certain parts of the field to address issues or gain more yield potential in the best areas of the field.

When more information about a specific field or zone is required, NutriSolutions tissue sample reports act as a ‘mid-term report card’, to ID potential plant nutrient deficiencies at key growth stages while there’s still a chance to correct.

By taking the results of a tissue sample and combining it with local expertise and solid agronomy, an in-season prescription for foliar applications to correct hidden nutrient deficiencies can be compiled. No matter what stage the crop is in, recommendations are based on the nutrient demand for that nutrient at the growth stage the crop is in at the time of sampling along with what that specific nutrient’s role is from here on out.

A crop modelling tool is another rapidly advancing practice that is available. WinField United’s R7 FieldForecasting Tool is a crop model that takes measurable inputs from weather conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, solar radiation and combines it with aspects like nitrogen and potassium levels to predict biomass accumulations and yield. By predicting water, nitrogen and potassium stress, it provides valuable information that can help management of the field to get more bushels in return.

When calibrated by NutriSolutions tissue sample results, potentially combined with scenarios and “Heat Map” instances that identifies when and how much nitrogen and potassium to apply in the field. It calculates bushels gained and actual ROI that the application would create. It uses the model to say that based on growth stage and weather, this is the most economical time and amount of nutrients that you should apply to the field to see the best return. Yield is a system and in-season management is a process. The process starts with using the R7 Field Monitoring Tool to guide you to the fields that need the most attention. In-season imagery helps pinpoint the areas of need, and what’s causing the field to trend downwards. Taking a NutriSolutions tissue sample gives one a report card on nutrient management, and discovering hidden hungers before they become a visual problem. Using the R7 Field Forecasting Tool helps take data to make an insight on N decisions, and determining the right rate and day to apply N to have the biggest impact on ROI.

Plant Growth Regulators and Biologicals

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Imagine a day when there are customised solutions to help crops withstand stresses or use agronomic inputs like water and nutrients more efficiently. This would certainly improve return-on-investment (ROI) while improving the environmental footprint of a farming operation.

Now is the beginning of the next big revolution in agriculture. These solutions already exist today as plant growth regulators (PGRs), microbial organisms (biologicals) and complex natural products (biostimulants).

The demonstration guided growers through the why, when, and where of using these products in their farming operations to maximise product responses and ROI. The selection of PGRs, biologicals, and biostimulants can be overwhelming. WinField United currently provides several PGR, biological, and biostimulants in its product portfolio including Ascend (PGR), Optify- Stretch (PGR), Toggle (foliar biostimulant), Kriss (foliar biostimulant), Voyagro (foliar biostimulant), products based on TakeOff technology, and various microbial inoculants. These products have been rigorously tested by the WinField United agronomy and product development teams throughout our nationwide network of Answer Plot locations and testing sites.

This foundation of research allows Winfield United to have confidence in their products and position these products correctly depending on other agronomic inputs and environmental parameters. Not all companies provide the same level of testing or data to support their products. As a result, inconsistent product performance leads many growers to be skeptical of PGRs, biologicals, and biostimulants and their role in modern agriculture.

Key learnings1. Stress and yield limitations are ever present factors on farms.

• PGRs, biologicals, and biostimulants are tools that can help us manage these limitations.2. Each PGR, biological, or biostimulant product is unique and has a different crop, environment, or growth

stage where it might work best. • Understand how these types of products are different from one another, how they affect crop growth and development, and how to evaluate product claims.

3. Response to PGRs, biologicals, and biostimulants is complex. They are not for every acre every year. • Recommendations for how to best position these products for success and evaluate return-on investment.

System Management of Corn

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The corn systems station focused on Corn Yield Optimisation. The focus of the stop was to showcase critical management factors that contribute to the four components of corn yield maximisation.

These practices, when utilised correctly, may impact equally on every grower’s operation, from lower yield environments to the highest. The success of the practices will be tied back to the appropriate timings and the combination affect gained equally from the total management approach.

Factor 1 - Optimised corn stands. Utilising key products for early germination success and early uniformity soon after planting. The key to setting the stage for optimised yield correlates back to the early start of every field after planting. Controlling mechanical operations such as planting depth, singulation, and seed to soil contact are critical factors. The benefits of balanced starters, zinc, and plant growth regulators on seed to help create uniformity was also discussed. This factor also positively affects kernels rows by mitigating early plant stress and allows the plant to showcase true kernel row potential.

Factor 2 - Utilising Answer Plot data and local performance data through tools like R7 will becritical to optimising a fields potential. Utilising response to scores, such as Response To Population (RTP) will maximise a field’s targeted yield goal by the amount of seed that is placed on the acre. Also, identifying a plant’s ability to flex roots or maintain root mass at different densities will be key to optimising corn yields.

Factor 3 - Maintaining adequate fertility will set the table for optimising corn yields. Utilising tissue analysis and tools such as NutriSolutions 360 provides key insights on nutrient levels throughout the year. We will focus on nitrogen management in order to truly optimise yield targets. We know based on new data that nitrogen is needed later in a plants physical life.

Utilising the tissue analysis and the partition curve information from the University of Illinois, we will showcase that a split shot N and later applications in general will push corn yields in a positive direction. We also showcased the R7 Field Forecasting Tool as a way to gauge potential yield and follow a model to help us promote optimised yield. The tracking of available water, nitrogen, potassium, and overall growth will allow us to manage yield potentially in previous unforeseen ways. This factor will allow us to positively affect ear length and ear consistency by addressing nutrient issues during mid vegetative and early reproductive phases.

Factor 4 - Plant health applications as a way to absorb more sunlight, accumulate more solar radiation, and ward off disease and ultimately positively affect LAI in order to drive incremental yield.

Utilising data showcases how sunlight absorption in 2016 on the backend of grain fill allowed for the creation of higher yield in a low disease year by positively affecting kernel size and kernel weight.

Wheat Management

Management is the key to success no matter which crop. Yet, the questions remain: are you doing enough management, or maybe even too much? Do you believe that individual varieties respond differently to management? What if you could be leaving up to 34.2 bu/acre in the field if you were not managing your wheat crop to its fullest potential?

Wheat management strategies through the use of technology was discussed, as well as in-crop decision making tools, plus key research findings in the answer plot system to help take a wheat harvest to the next level.

1. Stand establishment is priority • Calculate the desired plant population: Factor for seeds per pound, mortality rate, and germination rate. • Use a good seed treatment to protect the investment. • Be aware of starter fertility and the effects on a stand.

2. Enabling in-season technology to increase grain yield and forage. • Utilise WinField United’s R7 Field Monitoring Tool for in-season decision making. • Variable rate technology can increase ROI. • Access the R7 Tool for variety characterisation.

3. Protecting plants for higher yields. • Know how wheat growing degree days are determined and how it can be used to emphasise the right

times to scout and apply fungicides. • Use the correct fungicide based on disease target. • Know how the disease that needs to be managed works, so it becomes clear how to effectively control

the problem.

There was a discussion on wheat management and how to improve a harvest. A key factor is to start off

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right with good stand establishment, use data and technology to make better decisions, and minimise risk by managing the crop correctly by applying the right crop protection product. A number of new ways to increase towards a goal of an extra 34.2 bu/acre potential was also discussed.

Managing New Herbicide Trait Technology and Resistant Weeds

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At this station, the focus was on the rise of resistant weeds, and management practices to control or reduce the potential of herbicide resistant weeds in soybeans, including the use and management of the latest herbicide tolerant trait platforms.

Herbicide resistant weeds develop through selection pressure resulting from the continued use of the same or similar weed control chemistries, and then spread through their large volumes of seed production.

“Three Steps” to successfully reduce the potential for weed resistance include;

1. Proactively change weed control methods by starting clean with burndown or tillage, understanding and knowing herbicide site-of-action groupings, mixing active ingredients and application timings, and incorporating cultural practices where appropriate.

2. �Maximise�efficacy�of�herbicides�with�proper�rate�and�timing by spraying when weeds are small, and using the highest appropriate rate for your given weed species.

3. Maximise�efficacy�of�herbicides�with�proper�spray�coverage�and�adjuvants through correct sprayer setup for contact vs systemic herbicides, using the right nozzles and water volume, together with appropriate high quality adjuvants to improve deposition, coverage, and absorption.

Detailed strategies were provided on how to best control one or two specific herbicide resistant weeds in soybeans, based on audience response. These included possible discussions of Giant Ragweed, Kochia,Marestail, and Waterhemp/Palmer amaranth.

Throughout the presentation an emphasis was placed on the positioning and management of the new RR2 Xtend soybean trait platform, including the need to follow the supplemental label and associated web sites, approved nozzles and WinField United adjuvants, review of application requirements, and potential application timings based on resistant weeds present in a field.

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Visit to Winfield United’s Innovation centre at Riverfalls, Wisconsin.

Not all WinField United research takes place in a field. The WinField United Innovation Center in River Falls, Wisconsin is a state-of-the-art facility that focuses on product discovery and enhancement, gathering agronomic data and creating new capabilities. The main attraction is the patented Spray Analysis System, one of only a few such systems in existence, which simulates real-world performance of crop protection applications. This includes the use of active ingredients with various spray nozzles and in multiple tank mixes.

Visit to Football Stadium, Minneapolis, St Paul.

This year the delegates were further treated to a guided tour of the football stadium in Minneapolis St Paul.  This magnificent structure was build for over a $1 Billion and is the home stadium of the Vikings American Football team.

Finally,  the trip to the USA were ended with a baseball game at the Land O’Lakes suite, Target Field at Twin Cities, Minnesota. This major league game was played between the Twins and the Texas Rangers with a win to the Twins (home team).