The company retools field day events, hosting five times the number of customer-focused events than in a typical year
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., USA, Oct. 7, 2021 – Syngenta Seeds announced that NK Seeds hosted 400+ customer events during the course of the 2021 season, five times the amount they normally host in a season. With restrictions and uncertainties still surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to make larger, in-person gatherings a challenge across the world, Syngenta doubled down on finding more personal ways of working with farmers and resellers that could remain beyond the pandemic.
The cornerstone of NK Seeds’ pandemic-era customer interactions has been a series of small-group educational tailgate talks. In a non-pandemic year, NK® typically would host 70-80+ field events attended by large numbers of customers. COVID-19 made it very challenging to continue hosting larger events while maintaining a safe environment for participants.
“We know that the best way to support farmers and resellers is through personal connections. You have to understand their unique fields, farms and operations to give them the help they need to maximize ROI,” said Todd McRoberts, head of agronomy at NK. “While the pandemic challenged our ability to support our customers, we stayed committed to personal connections. With the smaller-scale tailgate talks, we not only were able to connect safely with farmers and retailers, we were able to foster strong – and in some cases, even stronger – relationships than ever before.”
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Participants gather for tailgate talk just north of Bruning, NE.
Each of the more than 400 outdoor, in-field tailgate talks held in 2021 hosted about 10 attendees, allowing for hyper-focused discussions on critical nearby opportunities and challenges. Topics included:
- The Field Forged Series™: Launching for the 2022 growing season, this line-up of corn hybrids and soybean varieties combines proven performers and elite newcomers.
- Navigating soybean trait choice: NK pairs its own exclusive genetics with leading trait technologies like Enlist E3® soybeans and XtendFlex® soybeans, all from one seed provider.
- Managing corn rootworm (CRW): The NK® corn portfolio provides access to the Agrisure Duracade® trait, featuring novel, alternate modes of action that result in long-term field by helping to preserve trait durability and delay insect adaptation.
- Geographic challenges: NK agronomists provided short- and long-term recommendations for managing some of the most prominent agronomic issues of 2021, including tar spot, gray leaf spot and Sudden Death Syndrome.
“I like that the tailgate talks allowed me to connect with other retailers about how they approach their customers and how they place their NK product line-up,” said Fred Wilker, certified crop specialist at AGRILAND FS in Humeston, Iowa. “They helped me to break down the products that NK has, find what fits my area and learn what the agronomic properties are that their hybrids bring to my customers.”
Even as pandemic-related restrictions lift, learnings from the tailgate talks experiment are expected to remain.
“The past 18 months have obviously brought their share of challenges, but tailgate talks offered a silver lining,” said McRoberts. “Directly seeing the impact of these smaller, tighter-knit events, we look forward to finding ways to incorporate some of these elements in the future.”
To learn more about NK, contact a local NK retailer or visit www.NKSeeds.com. Join the conversation online – connect with Syngenta at Syngenta-us.com/social and follow @NKSeeds on Facebook and Twitter.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is one of the world’s leading agriculture companies, comprised of Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world-class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds are part of Syngenta Group with 49,000 people in more than 100 countries working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and the Good Growth Plan, we are committed to accelerating innovation for farmers and nature, striving for carbon neutral agriculture, helping people stay safe and healthy, and partnering for impact.
To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on X at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Media Contacts:
Kelsey Hart
331.220.5756
kelsey.hart@syngenta.com
Stephanie Lerner
312.648.6700
slerner@gscommunications.com
Web Resources:
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NK Seeds
Syngenta Seeds
Agrisure Duracade
Syngenta Newsroom
Syngenta U.S.
Thrive Magazine
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© 2021 Syngenta. 2001 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Important: Always read and follow label and bag tag instructions; only those labeled as tolerant to glufosinate may be sprayed with glufosinate ammonium-based herbicides.
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