b'The Art of Persistence: Lessons from Farming and Their Impact on the Seed IndustryItll take resilience, technological integration, partnership and sustainability from the seed industry and beyond to help tackle whats ahead in agriculture.Elena Mansur, Seed World LatAm Associate EditorAT THE WORLD AGRI-TECHSummit South America in"We believe that via partnership, we can increase the solu-So Paulo, Brazil, Ademar de Geroni, BASF vice presidenttions for growers, he said. of strategic marketing LATAM, presented an insightful ses- This holds true for the seed sector too. Collaboration between sion titled "The Art of Persistence: Lessons from Farming, theseed companies, technology providers, and farmers is crucial Biggest Job on Earth. His address draws attention to the resil- for developing advanced seed varieties that meet the evolving ience and innovation required in modern agriculture, offeringneeds of modern agriculture. These partnerships can lead to valuable lessons for the seed industry as well. breakthroughs in seed technology, such as improved resistance Farming is hard. In fact, its one of the hardest jobs in theto pests and diseases, enhanced nutritional profiles, and better world. From farmings long hours of physical labor in often less- adaptability to climate change.than-ideal conditions; to the stress of weather uncertainties, aSustainability is another key prioritiy of agriculture today changeable market and pests; to its high costs and often thinand, accordingly, a central theme of de Geroni\'s presentation. margins, farming challenges farmers physically, mentally andIn particular, he emphasized the role of biologicals and sustain-emotionally. Yet despite these hurdles, farmers persist, continu- able agriculture practices. The seed industry can integrate these ally seeking innovative solutions to enhance productivity andsustainable practices by continuing to focus on critical resist-sustainability. This relentless pursuit of improvement is a corner- ance genes that allow crops to be produced with fewer chemical stone of agricultural success. inputs, thereby reducing the environmental impact of farming.What makes farmers persist and not give up farming? dede Geroni also touched on the economic aspects of farm-Geroni asked. It is the art of persistence.There are always chal- ing, noting the significant losses faced by farmers due to volatile lenges and many things we cannot control, but every time weweather. As just one example, he pointed out the flood in Rio need to overcome these situations and try to find innovations.Grande do Sul. Every time we push forward, and that is really what makes agri- "The impact in that state, we estimated a very high loss of culture better. three-digit billion dollars," he said. While even the best seed cant Highlighting the volatility in farming, de Geroni cited theprotect farmers from crisis events like major flooding, it can help impact of climatic phenomena like La Nia and El Nio. "In 2017,farmers recover as quickly as possible after, underscoring the we had La Nia and a big impact in Argentina and the south ofimportance of developing high-yielding, resilient seeds.Brazil because of the dry season that affected production," hede Geronis presentation at the World Agri-Tech Summit noted. Such climatic events dramatically influence agriculturalprovided a comprehensive view of the persistent challenges output and reinforce the role of modern technologies that canand innovative solutions in modern agriculture. The lessons from help mitigate the weather cycles impacts.farmingresilience, technological integration, partnership and "We now have modern agriculture with drones, artificial intel- sustainabilitydirectly apply to the seed industry. By embrac-ligence, algorithms, and satellite images to help us in decision- ing these principles, the seed industry can enhance its contribu-making," he said.tion to sustainable agricultural growth, ensuring a stable food These technologies enable farmers to optimize their prac- supply for a growing global population.tices, ensuring efficient resource use and improved crop yields.As de Geroni said, "Our idea is to contribute with innovative Robust and resilient seed varieties that can withstand envi- and sustainable solutions, connecting innovation, people, cus-ronmental stresses are another huge piece of the puzzle. Thesetomers and society." seeds need to be developed to be compatible with precisionThis vision of interconnected progress is essential for both agriculture tools, enhancing their effectiveness and adoption. farmers and the seed industry as they work together to meet the One of the most important drivers of the innovation that willdemands of the future.SWhelp agriculture withstand challenges ahead is partnerships, de Geroni said. OCTOBER 2024SEEDWORLD.COM /23'