DECEMBER 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 147 West Central Distribution announced the launch of its new Ridgeline Seed Care portfolio, a ready-to-use seed treatment lineup containing some of the newest chemistries in the seed treatment market. The new Ridgeline portfolio includes Halifax Fungicide, Halifax Fungicide and Insecticide, Lancaster Fungicide, and Lancaster Fungicide and Insecticide. DuPont Pioneer and CHS Inc. (CHS) announced that CHS Processing and Food Ingredients will offer production contracts for Pioneer brand Plenish high oleic soybeans for 2018 production in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. This is the second year CHS is contract- ing soybeans to be processed at its Fairmont, Minn., plant, increasing grower access to this value-added market opportunity. Farmers who contract with CHS to grow Pioneer brand soybeans with the Plenish high oleic soybean trait in the 2018 growing season will be eligible for a grain premium. Additional program details including delivery infor- mation are available from CHS Minnesota soybean merchandisers and area Pioneer sales professionals. DLF announced that Syngenta’s sugar beet seed business is now part of the DLF Group’s seed activities. DLF took over the sugar beet activities on October 1, 2017 and has welcomed more than 300 dedicated employees to MariboHilleshög, which is the new name for the Group’s stand-alone and focused business unit selling sugar beet seed in more than 30 countries. MariboHilleshög combines the two strong sugar beet brands, Maribo and Hilleshög, which will be widely marketed. PEOPLE NEWS Controversial nominee Sam Clovis is no longer under consideration for a USDA undersecretary position. He withdrew his name from consideration in a letter to President Donald Trump on Nov. 1. Clovis’ nomination to be USDA’s Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics was controversial from the beginning based on comments he made as a conservative blogger and talk radio host. In recent days, the scrutiny grew as revelations linked him to the inves- tigation into Russian interference in U.S. elections. Clovis was also reportedly interviewed by Robert Mueller, the special coun- sel leading the investigation. Bhoja Raj Basnet, who heads a hybrid wheat-breeding pro- gram at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), received the 2017 Ted Crosbie MBBISP Impact Award presented by Monsanto on the sidelines of World Food Prize celebrations in Des Moines, Iowa. Basnet was recog- nized as the former recipient of Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program (MBBISP) whose work since graduation has developed beyond his academic experience. The program provided support for his doctoral studies at Texas A&M University. Since 2014, Basnet has led CIMMYT’s research to develop tools and technology to produce commercially viable hybrid wheat varieties, which could lead to a 15 to 20 percent improvement in yield potential. AgriThority, an agricultural science consultancy focused on accelerating new technologies to commercialization in markets around the world, welcomes Associate Michael DeSa to expand strategic and product development services. Seed Hawk Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Nigel Jones as the Chief Executive Officer of Seed Hawk Inc. at Langbank, Saskatchewan, Canada. Nigel has been with Seed Hawk for 3 years as the Vice President of Operations, and additionally as Vice President of R&D since December 2016. Seed Hawk Inc. also announced that the company was offi- cially renamed Väderstad Industries Inc. on October 31, 2017. The name change reflects the fuller integration of the Seed Hawk brand within the Väderstad Group, bringing precision and quality together. HM.CLAUSE is pleased to announce the appointment of Rémi Bastien as its new Chief Executive Officer. In his role, Bastien serves as chair of the Global Strategy Team, the governing body of executives responsible for crafting and executing the company’s longterm roadmap. PRODUCT NEWS Syngenta announced it has attained a non-exclusive IP license from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard for CRISPR- Cas9 genome-editing technology for agricultural applica- tions. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology complements Syngenta’s already robust plant breeding innovation toolbox. Syngenta is applying this technology in multiple crops, includ- ing corn, wheat, tomato, rice and sunflower.