Agronomic Practices

What are agronomic practices?


Monsanto has made a commitment to sustainable agriculture - this starts with improving the land and using it more efficiently. Agronomic practices are steps farmers incorporate into their farm management systems to improve soil quality, enhance water use, manage crop residue and improve the environment through better fertilizer management.
These steps not only improve a farmer’s bottom line by decreasing input costs, but also improve the environment by decreasing water use and over-fertilization. Agronomic practices are a vital part of Monsanto’s three pillars of sustainable agriculture. When used in conjunction with the other two -- biotechnology and breeding -- farmers can see significant increases in yield and improved quality of the land through agronomic practices.


Examples of agronomic practices


Agronomic practices encompass many areas of conservation from practicing reduced-tillage methods, which lessen the need to till the soil before each crop, to managing planting populations, which ensures crops are not over- nor under-crowded – and therefore are in optimal growing conditions. These small changes in farmers’ routines can yield major dividends at harvest.

What is Monsanto doing?

Monsanto is devoted to doubling yields by 2030 and helping farmers produce more while using fewer resources. Monsanto’s devotion to sustainability is dependent upon agronomics.
That’s why we’re continually researching ways to improve the effectiveness of agronomic practices. Data from these studies is used to determine the best environment for specific crop varieties.

Integrated Farming Systems

The IFS Platform works to deliver maximum yield to farmers through proprietary breeding technology combined with equipment technology advances, allowing farmers to easily manage our products and recommendations across their operations.

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Acceleron Seed Treatment Products

Another integral part of agronomics supported by Monsanto is Acceleron seed treatment products. Seed treatments are products applied to the seed before planting. They can provide protection from insects, fungi or nematodes, which often damage young plants. These treatments are coated on the seed prior to purchase and encourage healthy emergence.

The Generation V Planter

One of Monsanto’s major agronomic projects involves the Generation V (Gen V) planter. Usually, researchers must manually change planter settings for each field; however this variable-rate planter allows them to manipulate settings with the touch of a button. Researchers can now quickly manipulate populations to determine if the crop performs best when planted close to other plants or with more space. Data collected from fields planted with the Gen V reveal the best planting populations needed to increase yields for specific geographies throughout the Midwest, where the research is currently focused. Local agronomists use the wealth of research from eco-zones -- or areas with tracked weather patterns, soils and average daily light predictions -- to help farmers pick the best hybrid and planting population for their farms.