Changes in the Central Plains

Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not the “blogging type.” It reminds me too much of all the papers I had to write in college as an ag student, and frankly, I’d rather be beaten with a stick than write another paper. However, this one is a little different. This will be my last blog entry at Limagrain Cereal Seeds, as I have decided to step down as the Central Plains Regional Commercial Manager. But before we get into that, I want to take this last opportunity to highlight some of the fantastic new products that were released this Fall for the Central Plains wheat farmer.

Right before planting, Limagrain released a total of four new HRWW varieties, two CoAXium varieties and two conventional. The first CoAXium release is LCS Atomic AX. This product has been a favorite of mine for a few years. It is the earliest maturing CoAXium variety on the market, perfect for a double crop situation. It has really good disease tolerance, very good straw, really good quality and the best thing is that it’s been the highest yielding CoAXium variety the last two years across all LCS locations.

LCS Atomic AX

The second CoAXium product we released was LCS Helix AX. With a maturity just a few days later than LCS Atomic AX, LCS Helix AX was our highest yielding variety at our Tonkawa, OK location in 2019. It has been a consistently high yielder across all locations and brings fantastic quality with very good disease tolerance. You should take a hard look at both LCS Atomic AX & LCS Helix AX this next Fall.

LCS Helix AX

The two other HRWW products that we released were LCS Julep and LCS Diesel. LCS Julep is a CSO product that is positioned to be a complement to LCS Mint. With a similar adaptation area as LCS Mint, LCS Julep brings with it better overall disease tolerance, including FHB tolerance, higher yields, similar overall quality measurements, all combined into a beautiful looking plant structure. Ya’ll thought LCS Mint was easy on the eyes, wait until you see LCS Julep out in the field. You should expect to see higher yields with LCS Julep over LCS Mint, even in those tougher years.

LCS Julep – Wheat you can bet on

The second HRWW product we released was LCS Diesel. What a great name, right! This non-CSO product is designed to complement LCS Link for our growers North of I70, up through the Nebraska panhandle into South Dakota. Our data has shown LCS Diesel to be significantly higher yielding that LCS Link. So, if you have tried LCS Link in the past, you like that maturity and the excellent disease tolerance, I would highly encourage you to look at LCS Diesel.

LCS Diesel – Power your yields

I’m excited to watch how these new products perform and I’m excited to be on the lookout for some of the other fantastic products in the pipeline that Dr. Marla Barnett is putting out onto the market.

As I mentioned earlier, I have chosen to step down as the Regional Commercial Manager in the Central Plains with Limagrain Cereal Seeds.

Many months ago, it was decided that to better serve our dealer network, our customers and to do the best job possible in all regions across LCS, all main commercial people and activities are to be stationed with our existing wheat breeders in the same location where they are currently located. What this meant for me, currently stationed in Fort Collins, CO is that my family and I would be relocated to Wichita, KS where Dr. Marla Barnett and her team are currently located.

Marla and I at a field day in Wichita.

While at first we thought we could make the move, my wife Emily and I have decided that because Northern Colorado has been our home for the last 8 years, it’s where our girls go to school, where we’re a part of an awesome church and just overall a place that we love; it is in the best interest of my family to stay in Northern Colorado and pursue a different career. While I wholeheartedly agree with the decision made by the Limagrain management team to better align all breeding & commercial efforts, it’s in the best interest for my family to stay here in Colorado.

It has been an absolute pleasure working in the wheat business. I have learned so much and I will forever be grateful for the friendships and relationships that I was able to make while working at Limagrain Cereal Seeds.

The CP research team and I.

The office is already beginning to put together plans to quickly find my replacement so that there is no gap in support, especially as we are approaching the busy field day and note taking season. They have essentially guaranteed me that the person they choose as my replacement will be better than I ever was!

That being said, if you know of an awesome person who wants to work for an industry leading plant breeding company as well as with some of the best people God has placed on this earth, then I highly encourage them to apply at: https://talent.limagrain.com

As for me, my wife, our five girls and our little guy, we have purchased a local business and will soon be our own bosses working for ourselves!

Thank you all once again, I have loved my time at Limagrain Cereal Seeds!

Lastly…..GO BRONCOS!

Sincerely,

Drew Hendricker