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 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8456 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2016 BASF’S OPERATIONS IN Limburgerhof, Germany, just got even more substantial with the addition of a new research and development facility for biological crop protection and seed solutions. The new R&D center will boost BASF’s global net- work of R&D sites as well as trial centers in all regions that are dedicated to developing seed solutions and biologicals for crop protection, including Brazil, Argentina, France, United Kingdom, South Africa, China, Australia, United States and Canada. Seed World was given a firsthand look at the new center as part of BASF’s 2016 Global Press Conference. Eighty-one journalists from 25 countries were in attendance. The event highlighted how crucial seeds are for one of the world’s largest chemistry giants. Held just days before the merger of Monsanto and Bayer was announced on Sept. 14, the global press conference allowed BASF to showcase its business plans and some of the people responsible for shaping those plans. “Our investment in this expanded capacity is a step forward to unlocking the agricultural potential in seeds and crops in different and untapped ways,” said Philipp Rosendorfer, vice president R&D Functional Crop Care for BASF’s Crop Protection division. The research on biological solutions, which consists of naturally occurring organisms or extracts thereof, provides great opportunities to complement BASF’s chemical crop protection, he said. Moreover, the com- bination between chemistry and biology generates a new range of pioneering solutions for seed treatment. “With BASF’s unique skills in research and state-of- the art formulations, we are one of a few companies that can provide a seed treatment with a mixture of both biological and chemical compounds. This means farmers can have a well-protected and strengthened crop right from the beginning of its life.” Ulf Schlotterbeck has been working with BASF Seed Solutions for 10 years. Now the head for BASF Seed Solutions Technology, he noted that BASF is the only major crop protection company not offering seeds. That allows it to concentrate fully on seed solu- tions, and not seeds themselves. “We are dealing with the application of the prod- ucts to the seeds,” he said, noting that 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.” A Plan for the Future With an area approximately 4 square miles, 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 to use resources as efficiently as possible. The company has a long history at its Ludwigshafen site in southwestern Germany, now employing a work- force of more than 39,000. It also plays an indispensa- ble role in the company’s history books. As a company with humble beginnings in Ludwigshafen that has grown into a global chemistry Seed World gets an inside look at a new R&D center designed to meet growing demand for solutions beyond classical crop protection. Marc Zienkiewicz BASF Positions Itself for the Future 29,000 employees 2,000 buildings on the site 200 production facilities 230 kilometers of rails 2,850 kilometers of pipes ATAGLANCE