Fabpro Oriented Polymers, LLC has completed the acquisition of net wrap manufacturer Karatzis-USA and renamed it Fabpro NetWrap.

“The acquisition of Karatzis-USA’s net wrap facility is a perfect fit for the Fabpro family of products,” said Fabpro President and CEO Rob Karam. “The knowledge and experience that the Karatzis employees bring coupled with the technological resources that Fabpro has at its disposal creates a powerful combination.”

Fabpro NetWrap will continue to be produced at its state-of-the-art facility in Kingman, Kansas.

U.S. and Canadian farmers can now plan for 2013 spring planting with Pioneer brand corn products featuring Optimum AcreMax XTreme insect protection technology. DuPont Pioneer recently received all necessary regulatory approvals for import into major world markets of grain grown from Optimum AcreMax XTreme products. All necessary state approvals have also been received, allowing growers to plant products with this technology.

In a joint announcement at the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council meeting in Chicago, New Holland became the Official Agricultural Equipment of NASCAR. New Holland, the latest NASCAR Official Partner, has served the needs of farmers and ranchers across North America for more than 110 years and its equipment plays a critical role in the production of ethanol.

S&W Seed Company has signed agreements with Monsanto and Forage Genetics International, LLC. (FGI). FGI has agreed to incorporate the Roundup Ready trait into specific S&W-developed varieties previously selected for high yield and salt tolerance.

Mark Grewal, chief executive officer of S&W Seed Company commented, "We are pleased and honored that Monsanto and Forage Genetics chose S&W as a business partner in the alfalfa seed market. FGI and Monsanto are the undisputed world leaders in pioneering biotech research for alfalfa."

Dow AgroSciences LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, has acquired the assets of Cal/West Seeds, based in Woodland, California. Cal/West is a supplier of alfalfa, clover and other crops to seed companies and growers in the U.S., Canada, and 25 other countries. The addition of Cal/West Seeds expands Dow AgroSciences’ alfalfa business and strengthens its global forages business.

Fall frost is an annual concern for livestock producers because of the potential for prussic acid poisoning, but the potential for toxicity in livestock is of wider concern this year because of drought, an Ohio State University Extension forage specialist says.

Six new alfalfa varieties have been added to the CROPLAN seed lineup for ordering during fall 2012 and planting spring 2013. The new varieties greatly expand the number of Genuity Roundup Ready alfalfa offerings available from CROPLAN.

The 2012 World Dairy Expo has come and gone, and we thought we'd take some time to share the week with you through numbers, photos and editors' experiences: