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Bayer introduces ForGround

Aug 19, 2022

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This platform is designed to help farmers with transitions to sustainable ag practices

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Bayer has introduced a new platform to help farmers interested in making the transition to sustainable ag practices.

ForGround provides farmers with tools, resources and product discounts to change the way they farm.

The resources include:

A resource library and transition support, agronomic advice, field trials and farmer networking.
Discounts from Orthman, ETS Soil Warrior and La Crosse Seed.
A free subscription to Climate FieldView plus and access to Climate Fieldview Data Manager Beta.

Farmers need a Climate FieldView account to access ForGround.

Bayer presents farmers with practices that can improve soil health or reduce inputs.

Growers then implement these practices, which Bayer verifies using satellite data.

If Bayer deems the implementation satisfactory, farmers can earn income through the company’s Bayer Carbon Program.

Farmers in Iowa Louisiana and Illinois, for example, can earn $6 per no-till or strip-till acre and $6 per cover crop acre per year.

While growers in Kansas can earn $5 per no-till or strip-till acre.

“We know that better harvests and a better future start with healthy soils and investing in farmers’ success – and believe that the ForGround platform will help them make the transition to more sustainable practices – and ensure agriculture is part of the climate solution,” Leo Bastos, head of global commercial ecosystems at Bayer CropScience, said in a statement.

In addition, enrolling in ForGround can provide opportunities for farmers to network with businesses looking for producers who grow crops a certain way.

ForGround is available to U.S. farmers with global expansion planned in the future.

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.