Left to Right: Palle Pedersen, Syngenta Head of Seedcare Product Marketing; Ravi Ramachandran, Syngenta Head of North America Seedcare Institute; John Kline, Minnesota Congressman; Ponsi Trivisvavet, President of Syngenta Seeds, Inc. and Regional Director for North America; Wade Cowan, ASA President; Bob Wernimont, Stanton Site Manager with Syngenta; Chip Bowling, National Corn Growers Association President; Tim Kroenke, Syngenta Head of Seedcare; and Matt Wohlman, Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

American Soybean Association President Wade Cowan, of Brownfield, Texas, attended a ground-breaking for the Syngenta North American Seedcare Institute on Aug. 11, in Stanton, Minn. This premier seed treatment research facility is beginning a $20 million expansion intended to help speed the development of new seed treatment products and technology, while enhancing overall customer experience.

“We applaud Syngenta for beginning this important new research endeavor,” Cowan said. “Continued research and development efforts to create new products and tools the farmer can use to manage pest and disease issues are essential to the future of the agriculture industry.”

The new 38,000-square-foot structure will feature high-tech laboratories for research and development, treating, plantability, dust-off and quality assurance, a scale-up treating area, a treating equipment performance area to simulate real-life experiences for customers, state-of-the-art training facility, seed warehouse as well as office and meeting space. The Seedcare Institute expansion is slated to be completed by the end of 2016.

"Farmers appreciate that Syngenta, an important industry partner, is investing in the future just like we do in good times and bad," Cowan said. "Agriculture is not only an industry, but a team where every sector makes improvements for the betterment of the whole. Syngenta has once again shown its commitment."