About “Beyond the Rows”

Beyond the Rows is a Monsanto Company blog focused on one of the world’s most important industries, agriculture. Monsanto employees write about Monsanto’s business, the agriculture industry, and the farmer.avatar Monsantoco Posts

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Tag Archives: Agriculture

We're all in this together…

Editor’s note: Rory Herron is one of two UK interns spending their summer at Monsanto’s global headquarters, under a program with Scotland’s Saltire Foundation. The Saltire Foundation is an independent charitable organization representing a new vision for Scotland, providing invaluable opportunities through experience, learning and business networking. Its undergraduate internship programme offers Scotland’s students the chance to spend 8 weeks working at a top multinational company with the aim of encouraging candidates to develop their confidence, skills and capacity to succeed.

By Rory Herron

I’m the youngest of seven children. Before I was born in Ireland, my parents and … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 29, 2011 by Monsantoco

Producing More Vegetables in Peru

By Sara Duncan

Imagine increasing productivity by 1,000 percent without adding hours to the day. In just two production cycles, Monsanto employees in Peru increased the yield of cucumbers by 985 percent at their Homefarm Ica vegetable seed production site. The team also more than doubled the yield of melons, watermelons and tomatoes, tripled the yield of lettuce, and increased the yield of seedless watermelon by almost 700 percent. How did they do it? They looked at their farm and made production changes to make it more efficient.

“When I became Ica’s site manager, I realized–based on my previous De … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 26, 2011 by Monsantoco

The Scottish Are Coming! The Scottish Are Coming!

By Kitty Gordon

Avid “Beyond the Rows” readers will have been introduced to my fellow intern Rory, and will know a little about who we are, and why we’re with Monsanto for the summer. For those of you who haven’t had the good fortune to read Rory’s blog, I’ll fill in the gaps.

My name is Kitty Gordon. I am a 26 year old Communications and Public Relations student from Aberdeen in the north east of Scotland, and part of the fantastic Saltire program.

The Saltire Foundation is a Scottish organization established in 2006 with a view to … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 25, 2011 by Monsantoco

New Experiences, Perceptions & Lessons

By Rory Herron

It’s not very often that a student from a Scottish University gets the opportunity to spend a summer working abroad in one of the world’s most successful companies. Yet thanks to a relatively new Scottish initiative, The Saltire Foundation, I am one of 54 successful student applicants lucky enough to be doing just that: having the experience of a lifetime; enjoying 8 weeks of summer in the busy offices of one of the world’s most exciting and innovative multinational companies.

My name is Rory Herron; I’m 22 years old and hail from County Derry in Ireland. … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 15, 2011 by Monsantoco

Indian Farmers Producing More, Conserving More and Improving Lives with Better Technology

By Sara Duncan

Indian farmer Jamuna Lal had always planted his corn crop the same way: he mixed the corn seed with the fertilizer and spread it out over the field. Like many farmers in his village, he also used a traditional method of a bullock-drawn indigenous plough based system. Using this method results in the random spacing of seeds and direct contact with fertilizer—both factors decrease yield.

After seeing farmers experiment with mechanization, Lal decided to join a project that introduced him to a new sowing and fertilizing drill that would revolutionize his farming practice.

The seed cum fertilizer … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 14, 2011 by Monsantoco

Golden Tower Pepper Improves the Lives of 30,000 Chinese Growers

By Sara Duncan

Hongge Cai is a 49-year-old Chinese grower who used to feed his family by working on a two-hectare parcel of land growing corn. He, his wife, and two sons barely survived on $2,000 a year. Recently, Cai and his wife experienced one of the many joys of parenthood: their eldest son was accepted into college.

They were proud, but concerned about how to pay for tuition when they could barely get through day-to-day life.

Until, Cai happened to see a field demonstration about growing a certain type of pepper with potential. He borrowed money from his relatives, … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 8, 2011 by Monsantoco

Gothenburg Learning Center Highlights Agricultural Conservation

By Sara Duncan

Water limitations are constant constraints to western agricultural production. In 2008, Monsanto pledged to reduce, by one-third, soil, land, water and energy resources required to produce a unit of its corn, soybeans and cotton crops between 2000 and 2030.

Using a combination of advanced breeding, biotechnology and improved farm-management practices, the company is helping farmers make the most efficient use of precious resources that are vital to meeting growing demand for food, fiber and fuel. In 2009, Monsanto opened a learning center in Gothenburg, Nebraska, dedicated to showcasing efforts to support sustainable agriculture.

“The most difficult part … Full Article »

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Originally published
June 30, 2011 by Monsantoco

The Future of Food

As a Brit living in the United States, I have immensely enjoyed all the attention my former stomping grounds have been receiving lately due to the Royal Wedding. Watching my future king walk down the aisle, and having my American friends and family celebrate with me, was incredible and exciting.

So when His Royal Highness (HRH) the Duke of Cambridge’s father, otherwise known as HRH The Prince of Wales or Prince Charles and my immediate future king, visited the U.S recently to speak on food and agriculture at the Future of Food conference in Washington D.C., I paid attention.… Full Article »

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Originally published
May 31, 2011 by Mark Sutherland

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The 9 Billion-People Question

Last week, The Economist Magazine published an extensive series of articles with the summary title of “The 9-billion people question: A special report on feeding the world.” The articles examine what is going to be required to feed more than two billion additional people by 2050.

A few selected quotes from the report’s introduction:

• “At the start of 2011 the food industry is in crisis. World food prices have risen above the peak they reached in early 2008.”
• “The end of the era of cheap food has coincided with growing concern about the prospects of feeding the world. … Full Article »

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Originally published
March 2, 2011 by Glynn Young

Agriculture Biotech Means More Yield, Less (Greenhouse)Gas

I have it on my long to-do list to start a series about yield and why it matters. I’ve made the point with some of my colleagues that although yield is a positive term for farmers, it doesn’t resonate much with the general public. That’s because 1) it’s primarily agriculture terminology and 2) our American culture has equated productivity and efficiency with a lack of quality and a loss of artistry/skill.

Yield matters for a variety of reasons, but one was illuminated this week in a new study released by Stanford Earth researchers: Increases in crop yields may slow the … Full Article »

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Originally published
June 25, 2010 by Mica Veihman