People expect a lot from farmers in the 21st century. Growers are supposed to produce more food, get it to the consumer faster, and provide it at a lower cost than ever before. This should, of course, be accomplished on less land, using less water, and applying far fewer chemicals.
Speaking of chemicals, talk about facing an uphill climb: Chemical companies, whose business depends on growers, work each day against growing public animosity and increased regulatory restrictions to help growers achieve their aforementioned goals. It’s a tough row to hoe, says AMVAC CEO Eric Wintemute, and it’s tougher on your own.
“We do not want these regulatory decisions made in a vacuum,” says Wintemute. “And for us to make our company’s decisions in a vacuum—that does not work, either. We have great distributors and salespeople who understand that, but it’s not the same as working with growers and talking it through.”
Potato production inputs account for about 20 percent of the AMVAC business, so the company is deeply interested in the goings-on in the potato industry. In the early 1990s, the soil fumigant Vapam made a splash with its effective control of several key potato diseases, most notably Verticillium wilt. In the Pacific Northwest, application of Vapam increased potato yields by an estimated average of 35 percent. While good for the health of potato crops, Vapam’s success had an unintended effect.
“The downside was, potato production now far exceeded demand,” recalls Wintemute. “With so many traditional growers switching to using Vapam, there was increased yield year over year. The surplus, unfortunately, resulted in lower commodity prices as yields per acre soared. Eventually, though, supply and demand balanced out and grower profitability improved again.
“AMVAC’s commitment to the potato industry, however, goes far beyond offering safe and effective products. We’re also heavily committed to stewardship and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with our users,” adds Wintemute. “As a result, we assembled a think tank of growers representative of the U.S. market with whom we can interact and hear thoughts and ideas. It has proven to be benefit to both AMVAC and our potato growers.”
Today, the AMVAC Potato Grower Advisory Board is a body made up of 10 growers representing 12 U.S. states and Canada, with farming operations ranging in size from 1,500 to 75,000 acres. On joining the advisory board, each grower was asked a series of questions, perhaps the most important being: As a potato grower, what keeps you up at night? The discussions generated at meeting of the advisory board have helped AMVAC develop products and programs that not only are productive for growers, but more easily meet regulatory standards.
“There’s always pressure from regulatory agencies for improved stewardship and for keeping reliable products in the marketplace,” says Wintemute. “Our commitment is to do all we can to keep the best tools available. Growers represent a very credible voice with regulators for maintaining and improving products and practices.”
Among the innovative solutions that have been developed thanks to advisory board discussions is the testing of SIMPAS, a closed-handling system that allows for variable-rate application of multiple inputs at time of planting. The system was initially focused on the corn market; however, conversations with the advisory board led to field trials now being developed for potatoes.
“We view the people who interpret precision data for a field as sort of the doctors who prescribe what a field or grower needs,” says Wintemute. “SIMPAS is the delivery system to make that happen. We’re like the pharmacist who fills that order.
“We would never have thought of using a system like this for potatoes but for the grower advisory board.”
Wintemute expects grower interface will continue to shape the future of AMVAC projects. “I see in the future working more closely with growers and distributors, so that we understand we are not inventing something without any demand,” he says. “Member growers are talking about practices with each other. Those discussions lead to solutions. It would take us much longer to reach the market efficiently and correctly if we were not involved with growers.”