Bayer CropScience Reveals Insights into Crop Protection Industry Gathered During CAPCA Conference 2014

October 23, 2014

ANAHEIM, Calif. (October 24, 2014) – Bayer CropScience is dedicated to supporting pest control advisers (PCAs) by providing them with the resources they need to help growers plan and prepare for the upcoming season, protect their crops from pest pressures, and succeed in the field and the marketplace. The 40th Annual CAPCA Conference, held Oct. 19 – 21, brought together California’s EPA-licensed PCAs and enabled Bayer CropScience to gather insights into the future of the crop protection industry.

During the conference, Bayer CropScience launched its second PCA Perspectives Survey to uncover key issues and growth opportunities for the industry heading into 2015. Key findings include:

  • More than 72 percent of PCA participants believe continuing drought in California will have the biggest impact for the 2015 season, while about 11 percent believe crop loss due to pests or disease will have the biggest impact.
  • Looking beyond 2015, roughly 40 percent of PCA respondents also believe that increasing government regulation will be the agriculture industry’s most impactful trend in the coming years. Twenty-five percent believe technology that enables crops to be grown in harsher climates and conditions will have the most impact.
  • More than 75 percent of PCA respondents indicated that they attend professional or educational meetings to stay informed on the latest crop protection technologies and solutions, while approximately 50 percent review trial data and research and/or discuss the latest trends with colleagues.

Bayer CropScience is committed to working with PCAs to provide them with the tools they need to address the changing landscape and implement effective, integrated pest management programs across numerous crops. Bayer’s experts also work with advisers and growers to make sure they understand product labels and the use rates required to meet regulatory requirements. Additionally, the Bayer CropScience online Learning Center offers articles and videos that provide advisers and growers with insight into how to protect against some of the toughest pest pressures they face.

“Bayer CropScience is constantly searching for new ways to combat tough weeds, diseases and pests so growers are able to produce more plentiful, heathier harvests,” said Rob Schrick, strategic business lead for horticulture. “These industry insights will help us continue to develop new active ingredients, including biologicals, that are highly effective, safe in use and provide increased resistance management.”

The conference also gave Bayer the opportunity to showcase its commitment to helping PCAs effectively manage grower needs and expectations based on four key decision-making events. At the show, Bayer CropScience shared tools and solutions to help PCAs throughout the season, from planning through harvest.

  • Plan: As a market leader in crop protection for fruits and vegetables, Bayer CropScience is dedicated to bringing the latest seed and crop protection solutions to the horticulture industry. With its Horticulture Education Webinar Series, Bayer aims to bring growers and consultants valuable information on topics that affect their crops and businesses.
  • Prepare: A strong product portfolio allows growers to prepare for and proactively manage pest pressures throughout the season. With tools such as Movento® insecticide, Bayer helps PCAs manage challenges such as the growing risk of Citrus Greening, caused by the HLB virus and transmitted by the Asian Citrus Psyllid.
  • Protect: Bayer CropScience offers solutions such as Alion® herbicide, which allows growers to cultivate their crops more efficiently with long-lasting control of weeds. Additionally, Luna® fungicide allows growers to protect and defend their crops, even after harvest. Both solutions translate to a healthy overall business.
  • Succeed: The Bayer CropScience horticulture portfolio provides high-quality products that help increase crop quality, yield and storability and enable growers to successfully manage crops all the way to harvest and for years to come. At the show, Bayer showcased the success story of two growers using the Bayer portfolio, bringing the story to life with a tasting in the booth featuring wine from their vineyards.

Growers and advisers along with all members of the food value chain face the challenge of producing more food, fuel and fiber for a growing world population, and Bayer CropScience is passionate about providing effective solutions to help meet this need. With its growing portfolio of products for the horticulture market, Bayer CropScience strives to help fields, orchards and vineyards thrive, so our communities – and the world – thrive, too.

Bayer CropScience Twitter Page:
http://twitter.com/bayer4cropsus
http://twitter.com/bayerbeecare

Bayer CropScience Blog:
http://connect.bayercropscience.us

Bayer CropScience is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer CropScience representative, or visit Bayer CropScience online at www.bayercropscience.us.


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About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 8,819 million (2013) and is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 22,400 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.

Contact:
Bayer CropScience Media Hotline, 1-862-404-5118, or

Cory Wightman
Bayer CropScience
Tel: (919) 549-2835
Email: cory.wightman@bayer.com

Kayla Reed
Porter Novelli
Tel: (404) 995-4509
Email: kayla.reed@porternovelli.com

Find more information at www.bayercropscience.com

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.