Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 7 Now the head for BASF Seed Solutions Technology, he notes that BASF is the only major crop protection company not offering seeds. That allows it to concentrate fully on seed solutions, and not seeds themselves. “We are dealing with the application of the products to the seeds,” he says, and notes this gives the company a unique edge in being able to concentrate on seed solutions for growers. “Seed treatment is one of the most important crop protection measures you can have, because you apply the active ingredient right where it’s needed — on the surface of the seed. It’s ecologically and economically a very attractive crop protection measure.” Shaping Itself for the Future With an area of approximately 10 square kilometres, BASF’s Ludwigshafen Verbund site is the world’s largest integrated chemical complex. As the headquarters of BASF, it is also the cradle of the Verbund concept, where production facilities, energy flows and logistics are networked together intelligently in order to utilise resources as efficiently as possible. The company has a long history at its Ludwigshafen site in southwestern Germany, now employing a workforce of over 39,000 at this one site alone. It also plays an indispensable role in the company history books. That rich history formed the backdrop for the 2016 Global Press Conference. As a company with humble beginnings in Ludwigshafen that has grown into a global chemistry giant, it was fitting that Crop Protection division president Markus Heldt noted that the company is, “Willing and ready to invest to grow its business globally.” He’s worked in the industry for 35 years and has witnessed a plethora of changes in that time, including consolidation that’s served to change the landscape of the global ag business. That landscape has changed even more now that Bayer announced its buyout of Monsanto for $66 billion. The combined agriculture business will have its global Seeds & Traits and North A merican commercial headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, its global Crop Protection and overall Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, Germany, and an important presence in Durham, North Carolina, as well as many other locations throughout the U.S. and around the world. According to Heldt, BASF is more than confident in its ability to cope with the changing industry landscape and be agile and ready to adapt to shifting times. It’s been doing so since its inception. The story is long and detailed, but goes like this. Entrepreneur Friedrich Engelhorn, who owned a coal gas company in the German city of Mannheim, very quickly recognizes the opportunities for coal tar, a byproduct of his company’s business. But he has bigger ideas — a company that spans the entire production process, from raw materials and auxiliaries through precursors and intermediates to dyes. In April of 1865, Engelhorn turns his idea into reality. He founds a stock corporation in Mannheim under the name Badische Anilin- & Sodafabrik. After the planned acquisition of a site in Mannheim falls through, the manufacturing facilities are built on the opposite side of the Rhine River in Ludwigshafen, then part of the kingdom of Bavaria. BASF is born. BA SF has always been proud of its abi l ity to succeed no matter the circumstances, and Heldt says this ability will help carry it into the future. “We believe size on its own — or just bundling technologies of seed and chemistry, for example — is not a recipe for success,” Heldt said. “Farmers want freedom to choose, and that’s why we’re convinced they enjoy having access to different suppliers, and not just three or four on a global scale. We see our position as robust and strong. We have a strong local footprint in all markets and an outstanding pipeline.” BASF’s current crop protection pipeline of innovations has new product ca nd idates from a l l i nd ications i n advanced phases. The company estimates that peak sales from crop protection products launched between 2015 and 2025 will total 3 billion euros. One example is the company’s latest fungicide, Revysol. Currently under registration by European authorities, this compound has shown outstanding biological performance against a range of pathogens, as well as a favourable regulatory profile, according to the company. BASF strives to complement its traditional crop protection offerings to provide farmers with new technologies, like its new digital farming platform, Maglis. According to Matthias Nachtmann, team lead digital farming for BASF, Maglis is BASF’s most significant accomplishment in the area of digital farming. Launched at the beginning of 2016, Maglis helps farmers to gather, interpret, and monitor a range of crop-related data that will result in better decision-making on how to grow and market crops. MarkusHeldt,presidentofBASFCropProtection,holdsupakilogram ofthecompany’sproductNodulatorproduct,ahighlyefficientactive strainofrhizobium,selectedtoperformonsoybeanseed.