Category Archives: Uncategorized

Facility improvements enable Advanta/Alta Seeds to ensure high-quality seed, apply seed treatments in-house and flexibility to prioritize grower needs.

AMARILLO, Tex. (March 8, 2022) – Advanta and Alta Seeds, the premium seed brand of ADVANTA US and a leading provider of premium genetics and technology specific to sorghum, announce state-of-the-art improvements at their North American Processing and Distribution Center in Hereford, Texas. 

In the past two years, Advanta/Alta Seeds launched igrowth^® herbicide-tolerant grain and forage sorghum and EMPYR™ Premier Forages, revolutionizing the sorghum industry with new technology. This new facility will allow the company to apply Vertix™ seed treatments on igrowth and EMPYR Premier Forage hybrids in-house and to process and bag seed in flexible batches to meet specific grower demands. Seed processed through the facility will be shipped to customers in the U.S. and internationally. 

“Our lines are set up from a capacity standpoint where we can process and bag seed for several situations and customer types. If a customer wants a large run of bags, we can easily do that. But we now have the flexibility for customers who need smaller runs of seed. For example, if they decide to switch to grain sorghum from corn in a replant situation, we can process an additional couple hundred bags of seed at a time,” says Rusty Bevel, ADVANTA director of sales. 

“From a distribution standpoint, with the different levels of capacity and processing capabilities, we can meet the demand of both big and small operations. It’s important to us to meet customer needs by providing the seed quantities they want,” Bevel adds.

The multi-million-dollar investment includes 100,000 square feet of additional warehouse space, multiple seed lines and other equipment enhancements. As seed arrives at the facility, it goes through a rigorous testing process to ensure it meets the company’s exacting quality standards before it is put on the processing schedule. 

“This investment enables us to provide the industry-leading seed technologies that Alta Seeds and ADVANTA are known for — igrowth, EMPYR, Aphix™ elite sugarcane aphid tolerance and more,” Bevel says. “Our products have significantly raised the bar in the industry for quality and performance. These state-of-the-art enhancements enable us to consistently provide our best-in-class offerings. We’re incredibly proud to bring this level of investment to sorghum producers and support our community with additional job creation.”

About Alta Seeds

Alta Seeds is a premium seed brand of Advanta US, an operating unit of global seed company Advanta Seeds and a division of UPL. Alta Seeds provides farmers with high-quality hybrids of grain sorghum and forage sorghum bred from the proprietary genetics of Advanta Seeds. The company with a diverse and active R&D pipeline, Alta Seeds is the most-focused team in providing premium genetics and technology specific to the sorghum industry, such as Aphix sugarcane aphid tolerance and EMPYR premier forages.  

About Advanta Seeds

A global seed business with operations on six continents and sales in 40 countries, Advanta Seeds combines proprietary crop genetics and plant breeding capabilities with biotechnology to produce high-quality seed products and solutions for its customers around the world. Advanta is a member of the UPL group of companies. 

Sorghum growers find success in new weed control solutions with additional igrowth^® grain and forage hybrids and IMIFLEX™ Herbicide offerings.

AMARILLO, Tex. (Feb. 10, 2022) – Alta Seeds, the premium seed brand of Advanta US and a leading provider of premium sorghum genetics and technology, has released their hybrid lineup for the 2022 production year. With recent successful launches of igrowth^®, EMPYR™ Premier Forages and ADV F8484IG, the first herbicide-tolerant forage sorghum, Alta Seeds is expanding crop solutions for growers in 2022. 

After a historic breakthrough in herbicide tolerance technology, growers in 2021 had the opportunity to plant igrowth, the first herbicide-tolerant technology in sorghum, and apply the partner IMIFLEX Herbicide from UPL to control grass and broadleaf weeds. IMIFLEX Herbicide is currently registered in key sorghum-producing states, and its weed control performance has been shown to be consistent across geographical sorghum-producing regions. With corn’s higher input cost investment and sorghum’s use of less use water and nutrients, growers jumped at the opportunity to use igrowth and IMIFLEX on upwards of 500,000 acres. 

Agriculture is constantly changing, so UPL and Alta Seeds are constantly innovating.

Alta Seeds is working to develop and introduce new grain hybrids with trial-topping yields, outstanding yield for maturity and excellent uniformity so growers can be sure their crop will perform at the highest standard. Options like Aphix™ elite sugarcane aphid tolerance, Vertix™ seed treatments and igrowth herbicide tolerance mean growers can select top seed hybrids that will give them growth flexibility and convenience while preventing crop losses.

In feedback from dealers and industry partners, growers say controlling yield-robbing weeds remains a top priority for 2022. In its second commercial year, Alta Seeds is offering additional igrowth hybrid offerings for the 2022 growing season. These hybrids fit multiple sorghum growing regions:  

• ADV G1120IG – Suited for tough no-till dryland fields, this red hybrid offers medium-early maturity, semi-compact head and high drought tolerance. 
• ADV G1142IG – This hybrid is a consistent high performer that yields well in maturity, ideally suited for western environments.
• ADV G2168IG – This hybrid offers top yield potential on good ground across a broad geography. The first igrowth hybrid to offer Aphix elite sugarcane aphid tolerance.
• ADV G2177IG – A strong agronomic hybrid, it is an excellent option for dryland, no-till and irrigated acres throughout the grain belt. 
• ADV G2193IG – This hybrid offers strong disease ratings and yield performance on rainfed acres. 

Alta Seeds Extends igrowth Herbicide Tolerance to EMPYR Premier Forages

New for 2022 is ADV F8484IG, the first EMPYR Premier Forages hybrid with the igrowth technology. Herbicide-tolerant forage sorghum offers growers more value in production by controlling weeds, conserving nutrients and water usage, and improving forage quality with cleaner fields. It contains the high-yielding genetics of EMPYR along with the non-GMO igrowth technology that allows you to apply IMIFLEX Herbicide, the companion herbicide from UPL, pre- or post-emergence so growers can get the best return on their crop input investment.

A conventional non-BMR hybrid, ADV F8484IG offers brachytic dwarf, excellent disease resistance and high ratings for yield and standability for growers throughout the Sorghum Belt. The ideal alternative to corn silage, ADV F8484IG provides reduced inputs with high yields plus nutritional content that is competitive with its corn counterpart. In field trials, the hybrid yields forage equal to or greater in feed value than corn silage.

Grain and forage sorghum hybrids in the igrowth/IMIFLEX Sorghum Production System are widely available for growers in the 2022 season. The complete Alta Seeds 2022 seed guide is available at www.altaseeds.com.

The Leader in Sorghum Solutions

Alta Seeds was the first to discover and commercialize the naturally occurring tolerance to imidazolinone herbicides in sorghum hybrids during germplasm screening for elite sorghum traits. The igrowth technology offers a non-GMO trait that has global acceptance for grain export and natural, non-GMO forage for feed systems without the need for market channeling. 

As the leader of sorghum germplasm, Advanta and Alta Seeds are keenly focused on developing solutions for grain and forage sorghum growers. In 2022, you’ll hear more about their investment in seed quality and packaging that will elevate their ability to respond to market conditions and provide unique services to their distributors. 

About UPL

UPL Ltd. (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070) is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products & solutions, with annual revenue exceeding $5 billion. As one of the top 5 agriculture solutions companies worldwide, our robust portfolio consists of biologicals and traditional crop protection solutions with more than 13,600 registrations. With a presence in more than 130 countries and more than 10,000 colleagues globally, we reach more than 90% of the world’s food basket. For more information about our integrated portfolio of solutions across the food value chain including seeds, post-harvest, as well as physical and digital services, please visit upl-ltd.com. 

About Alta Seeds 

Alta Seeds is a premium seed brand of Advanta US, an operating unit of global seed company Advanta Seeds and a division of UPL. Alta Seeds provides farmers with high-quality hybrids of grain sorghum and forage sorghum bred from the proprietary genetics of Advanta Seeds. The company with a diverse and active R&D pipeline, Alta Seeds is the most-focused team in providing premium genetics and technology specific to the sorghum industry, such as Aphix sugarcane aphid tolerance and EMPYR premier forages.  

Media Contact:

Kimberly Gilbert

UPL North America Communications

(919) 678-4948

kimberly.gilbert@upl-ltd.com

Dean Loftis

Advanta Seeds – North America

(806) 420-1400

dean.loftis@advantaseeds.com

With the first herbicide-tolerant offering in grain sorghum, Alta Seeds is now bringing industry-first innovation to forage sorghum.

AMARILLO, Tex. (July 21, 2021) – Alta Seeds, the premium seed brand of Advanta US and a leading provider of premium genetics and technology specific to sorghum, announces the first-ever herbicide-tolerant technology available in forage sorghum. Alta Seeds will feature igrowth^® technology for pre- or post-emergence weed control applications with IMIFLEX^™ Herbicide in its newest forage sorghum hybrid, ADV F8484IG, a hybrid that is a member of EMPYR Premier Forages, a complete line of forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids.

In 2020, Alta Seeds was the first to introduce herbicide-tolerant technology for grain sorghum, representing the most significant advancement in the crop since hybridization. For the first time, sorghum growers are able to apply pre- or post-emergent herbicide to control grassy and broadleaf weeds with igrowth hybrids.

The igrowth sorghum system, fully commercialized and adopted on upwards of a half million grain sorghum acres in 2021, will now be widely available for growers’ fields in the 2022 growing season in both grain sorghum and forage sorghum hybrids.

“With the current drought impacts throughout the Great Plains, igrowth in EMPYR Premier Forages provides livestock producers with groundbreaking technology to produce high-tonnage forage sorghum, with the added benefit of targeted weed control,” says Mark Kirk, Eastern/Western Regional Account Manager, Alta Seeds. “This medium- to late-season forage sorghum hybrid offers growers more value in production of silage forage. ADV F84848IG is an ideal alternative to corn silage, as it offers reduced inputs with high yields plus nutritional content that is competitive with corn silage.”

With the igrowth technology, ADV F8484IG is the first non-GMO herbicide-tolerant technology for forage sorghum. IMIFLEX Herbicide, manufactured by UPL Ltd., is the exclusive imidazolinone herbicide partner for the igrowth system. Approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in December 2020, IMIFLEX is a Group 2 herbicide that provides broad-spectrum, residual control of yield-robbing grass and broadleaf weeds, including lambsquarter, sandbur, morningglory, Texas panicum, crabgrass and foxtail. The igrowth technology allows for clean stand establishment and minimizes competition for water and nutrients, enabling maximum early season growth and weed suppression. 

Feed Benefits with Excellent Standability

Not all forage sorghum are equal in performance. EMPYR Premier Forages are top-of-the-line, carefully selected hybrids that consistently outperform and outproduce in field and feed. A conventional non-BMR hybrid, ADV F8484IG offers brachytic dwarf, excellent disease resistance and high ratings for yield and standability for growers throughout the Sorghum Belt. In field trials, the hybrid yields forage sorghum equal to or greater in feed value than corn silage.

“This hybrid is an ideal selection for producers looking for next-generation technology and superior yield potential,” Kirk adds. “In a drought year like 2021, and the complications that will continue into the next growing season, forage sorghum can be a grower’s first choice for generating feed crop with a quicker turn around with an economic benefit. ADV F8484IG will only improve producer margins by controlling weeds, conserving nutrients and water usage, and improving forage quality with cleaner fields.”

EMPYR offers hybrids that fit a variety of environments, from silage production on the West Coast to haylage in the Upper Midwest, to grazing and dry hay production on the East Coast. Learn more about ADV F8484IG at our website.

Advanced Protection with Vertix Seed Treatment

ADV F8484IG seed is protected with Vertix Premier, which combines ipconazole and metalaxyl fungicides to control soil-borne diseases with imidacloprid insecticide to combat early season aphids, chinch bugs, imported fire ants and wireworms. This level of protection also includes flurazole, a safener to pre-emergent Group 15 herbicides.

Experience EMPYR at Virtual Field Day

This innovative product will be revealed to growers during Sorghum Frontiers, a virtual field day experience on November 10, 2021. In-person tours of the EMPYR forages can be seen by contacting your local Alta Seeds retailer. 

Contact Alta Seeds for more information about EMPYR Premier Forages. 

About Alta Seeds

Alta Seeds is a premium seed brand of Advanta US, an operating unit of global seed company Advanta Seeds and a division of UPL. Alta Seeds provides farmers with high-quality hybrids of grain sorghum and forage sorghum bred from the proprietary genetics of Advanta Seeds. The company with a diverse and active R&D pipeline, Alta Seeds is the most-focused team in providing premium genetics and technology specific to the sorghum industry, such as Aphix sugarcane aphid tolerance and EMPYR premier forages.  

About Advanta Seeds

A global seed business with operations on six continents and sales in 40 countries, Advanta Seeds combines proprietary crop genetics and plant breeding capabilities with biotechnology to produce high-quality seed products and solutions for its customers around the world. Advanta is a member of the UPL group of companies.

EMPYR™ Premier Forages Combine the Top Sorghum Forage Traits Into One Convenient Package

AMARILLO, Tex. (Oct. 6, 2020) – Alta Seeds, the premium seed brand of Advanta US and a leading provider of premium genetics and technology specific to sorghum, introduces EMPYR^™ Premier Forages, a complete line of forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids. EMPYR forages are best in field and feed and combine the industry’s top forage sorghum characteristics into one convenient package, delivering more profit to growers and livestock producers.

Not all forage sorghum are equal in performance. EMPYR Premier Forages are top-of-the-line, carefully selected hybrids that consistently outperform and outproduce in field and feed.

“The one thing we hear over and over from livestock producers is they need high-tonnage forages. But nutrition quality is equally important. With EMPYR Premier Forages, producers get a complete forage sorghum product with the industry’s top characteristics,” says Mark Kirk, Eastern/Western Regional Account Manager, Alta Seeds.

EMPYR Premier Forages offer the latest genetic advancements built on a wide variety of hybrid types that provide solutions for specific grazing and silage needs, including:

• Aphix^™ Elite Sugarcane Aphid (SCA) Tolerance to protect against one of the most destructive pests to Southern grain and forage sorghum growers.
• BMR-6 for increased palatability and digestibility, supporting more weight gain and milk production in livestock production. Also yields forage sorghum equal to or greater in feed value than corn silage.
• Brachytic Dwarf for superior standability and high leaf-to-stalk ratios for high tonnage.
• Dry Stalk, a reduced moisture level for earlier baling and storage.
• Photoperiod Sensitivity for a wide harvest window.

Livestock producers, feeders and nutritionists can rely on EMPYR Premier Forages to provide high-volume, consistent forage sorghum through tough weather conditions. EMPYR hybrids feature genetics that offer high yield, excellent standability and strong performance during drought and excess moisture environments. When conditions move from flood to drought in the span of one season, or water restrictions force a change in production, forage sorghum offers a water-efficient, sustainable solution.

“In side-by-side comparisons, our EMPYR forage sorghum silage is equal to or better than corn silage, in many cases with fewer input costs,” Kirk adds. “Livestock producers need all of the economic edge they can get, and EMPYR helps them accomplish their production goals.”

EMPYR offers eight hybrids that fit a variety of environments, from silage production on the West Coast to haylage in the Upper Midwest, sugarcane aphid tolerance in the mid-South to grazing and dry hay production on the East Coast. While sorghum forages are well known to be more drought tolerant than other crops, EMPYR hybrids also offer excellent standability through all kinds of extreme environments.

Alta Seeds, the U.S. brand for Advanta Seeds, continually evaluates the performance of these products against other in their global pipeline to ensure only the best of the best are included in the EMPYR classification. Growers can rely on these world-class hybrids to provide the best value and return per acre.

Experience EMPYR at Virtual Field Day

This innovative product will be revealed to growers during Sorghum Frontiers, a virtual field day experience on Nov. 5, 2020. An in-person tour of the EMPYR forages can be seen in Larned, Kan., and Enid, Okla., by contacting your local Alta Seeds retailer.

This is the second product launch by Alta Seeds in 2020. With a diverse and active R&D pipeline, Alta Seeds is the leader in providing premium genetics with traits and technology specific to the sorghum industry. In June, Alta Seeds unveiled igrowth^®, the first commercially available non-GMO herbicide-tolerant grain sorghum.

About Alta Seeds

Alta Seeds is a premium seed brand of Advanta US, an operating unit of global seed company Advanta Seeds and a division of UPL. Alta Seeds provides farmers with high-quality hybrids of grain sorghum and forage sorghum bred from the proprietary genetics of Advanta Seeds. The company with a diverse and active R&D pipeline, Alta Seeds is the most-focused team in providing premium genetics and technology specific to the sorghum industry, such as Aphix sugarcane aphid tolerance and EMPYR premier forages.

About Advanta Seeds

A global seed business with operations on six continents and sales in 40 countries, Advanta Seeds combines proprietary crop genetics and plant breeding capabilities with biotechnology to produce high-quality seed products and solutions for its customers around the world. Advanta is a member of the UPL group of companies.

Alta Seeds Releases non-GMO igrowth^® Hybrids for 2021 Planting Season

AMARILLO, Tex. (June 23, 2020) – With growing demand for sorghum, growers now have the advanced technology to achieve their crop production goals with igrowth from Alta Seeds. As the first commercially available herbicide-tolerant technology for grain sorghum, igrowth will give growers the ability to realize the full potential of their sorghum acres in 2021. 

Alta Seeds’ igrowth delivers the advanced crop technology that sorghum growers need to meet growing demand. Advanta Seeds was the first to discover this unique, non-GMO imidazolinone (IMI) tolerance technology. With successful launches in Argentina and Australia, Advanta is now offering this technology through its premium seed brand, Alta Seeds, to the U.S. market. 

This innovative product will be revealed to growers in a virtual field day experience on July 8, 2020. Additional in-field demonstrations will occur on August 18, 2020, in Enid, Oklahoma, and September 2, 2020, in Larned, Kansas. 

“The igrowth technology is a game changer, delivering the advanced crop technology that sorghum growers need to meet growing demand, improve crop production and maintain a profitable ROI,” says Tanner Antonick, regional sales manager – central U.S., for Alta Seeds. “For the first time, sorghum growers have the option for both grass and broadleaf control that can be applied either pre-emergence or post-emergence. It’s a huge breakthrough that will allow for a cleaner, more profitable harvest.”

The igrowth production system includes a companion herbicide, IMIFLEX™, which is expected to receive registration from the Environmental Protection Agency in late 2020. Research trials show IMIFLEX provides effective residual control of yield-robbing broadleaf and grass weeds in pre-emergent and post-emergent applications. Field trials show IMIFLEX can be tank-mixed with other herbicides, which helps lessen the dependence on a single active ingredient for effective weed control. 

A Game Changer for Sorghum Growers

Igrowth is a non-GMO technology, discovered through advanced genetic screening of Advanta’s elite germplasm. This naturally occurring tolerance means no DNA from other species or plants were introduced into the igrowth sorghum genome and igrowth has global market acceptance. When paired with the companion herbicide, the igrowth technology reduces the number of weeds competing for water and nutrients in the soil, allowing the sorghum crop greater access to crop inputs.

“The igrowth hybrids have been proven in numerous environments, including dryland and irrigated acres, for performance and yield,” Antonick says. “Growers will be able to select the igrowth sorghum hybrid that best suits their locale and growing practices, appealing to growers of both high- and low-input acres.”

Alta Seeds is planning to initially release five grain sorghum hybrids with early to medium maturity to fit most soil types. Approximately 20 grain and forage sorghum hybrids are in the igrowth pipeline, with adaptability to primary sorghum growing regions.

Growers wanting to purchase igrowth seed for the 2021 growing season will need to register and sign the igrowth Weed Control Sorghum Grower Agreement at AgCelerate.com. 

About Alta Seeds

Alta Seeds is a premium seed brand of Advanta US, an operating unit of global seed company Advanta Seeds and a division of UPL. Alta Seeds provides farmers with high-quality hybrids of grain sorghum and forage sorghum bred from the proprietary genetics of Advanta Seeds. The company with a diverse and active R&D pipeline, Alta Seeds is the most-focused team in providing premium genetics and technology specific to the sorghum industry, such as Aphix sugarcane aphid tolerance and EMPYR premier forages.  

About Advanta Seeds

A global seed business with operations on six continents and sales in 40 countries, Advanta Seeds combines proprietary crop genetics and plant breeding capabilities with biotechnology to produce high-quality seed products and solutions for its customers around the world. Advanta is a member of the UPL group of companies. 

About UPL 

UPL is a leader in global food systems, as one of the top 5 agricultural solutions companies worldwide. With revenue of US$5 billion, UPL has a presence in 130 countries. With market access to 90 percent of the world’s food basket and a focus on high-growth regions, UPL represents a compelling value proposition for growers, distributors, suppliers and innovation partners in a consolidating market. UPL offers an integrated portfolio of both patented and post-patent agricultural solutions for various arable and specialty crops, including biological, crop protection, seed treatment and post-harvest solutions covering the entire crop value chain.