By Michele F. Mihaljevich Indiana Correspondent
ATLANTA, Ind. – Beck’s will host its annual Becknology Days, Aug. 24-26, at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta, Ind. This year’s theme for the free event is “Take the Next Step.” Becknology Days started as a field show in 1964, said Hannah Fussner, Beck’s media and industry relations coordinator. At the time, single cross hybrid corn was a hot topic in the industry, she noted. Sonny Beck, now CEO of Beck’s, had just graduated from Purdue University “with a mission of delivering this new, exciting data to the farmer,” Fussner said. “The goal is that farmers leave Becknology Days with new ideas on how you can take the next step to improve their farming operation in 2024 and for years to come,” Fussner explained. “Becknology Days has something for every farmer, even if it’s someone’s first time attending. We recommend attending the president’s message, take a PFR (Practical Farm Research) riding tour, visit with our product team, and listen to an agronomic deep dive to get a full scale on the information Beck’s has to offer.” Eight different PFR riding tours will be offered during Becknology Days. “(It’s) a great opportunity to listen to industry-leading experts on how you can take the next step in your operation to improve your bottom line,” she stated. “The agronomy tent talks and PFR tours are available all day to help you discover how Beck’s is working hard to change the game when it comes to root structure, row width, and fertility and the actionable insights that will come from this research.” Beck’s officials will discuss such topics as feeding soybeans to maximize yield potential, and the relationship between high-yielding corn and the soil responsible for feeding it, according to the company. Visitors will also hear about a project Beck’s has been working on that involves changing how corn products are described, Fussner said. “Every industry has a common set of prevailing assumptions,” she pointed out. “In the seed industry, it’s how we describe corn products. For at least 40 years, and that’s probably the minimum, the seed industry has described corn products the exact same way. We plan on changing that conversation from describing to characterizing corn products, giving farmers more knowledge about placement and management. “Jim Schwartz, director of research, PFR, and agronomy, is going to take you behind the scenes of this project – why it’s needed, how we got here, what we’ve learned so far, and what’s ahead in the future.” For farmers who would like to bring their families, activities such as gravity wagon basketball, family portraits, silly safari, face painting and cornhole will be available. To register for Becknology Days, visit www.beckshybrids.com. Though the event is free, the company asks that people register if they plan to attend. The event is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Last year, more than 13,000 attended. |