A new No-Till network, known as the Conservation Agriculture Systems Alliance (CASA), has been formed to help local and regional organizations drive adoption of no-till systems and represent North American interests in international conservation agriculture talks.

Spearheaded by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), CASA has begun to develop an active communications network between the organizations that exist across the continent. Some of the groups represented include the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association; No-Till On The Plains; Manitoba/North Dakota Zero Till Farmers Association; Ohio No-Till Council; Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance; and NRCS.

To learn more about the network, visit the Learning Center link of the CTIC’s Web site at www.ConservationInformation.org.

In Other No-Till News

• The European Union’s Agricultural Council is now reviewing the Bayer CropScience application for EU import tolerance for food and feed for LibertyLink soybeans. With a planned launch in 2009, LibertyLink will be the only alternative nonselective herbicide-tolerant system to enable growers to rotate herbicide-tolerant systems to avoid weed resistance, company officials say.

• Pioneer Hi-Bred will receive a non-exclusive, global license with stacking rights to Syngenta’s MIR162, a novel insect control corn event. MIR162 is expected to receive U.S. regulatory approval yet this year. MIR162 will protect corn above ground by controlling worm pests like fall armyworm, corn earworm, western bean cutworm, black cutworm and sugar cane borer.

• Monsanto’s second-generation soybean technology, Roundup Ready 2 Yield (MON 89788) soybeans, has received final approval in Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. Monsanto is planning a…