Argentina Update: AgroExpo: The Work Behind the Scenes

The ExpoAgro is a big event every year and seed companies put a lot of effort into showing their hybrids and varieties. One private research, Martin Johnstone, owner of Durantia, contracts for three of these plots at ExpoAgro.

Each of the companies tries to develop artistic layouts of the crops. To accomplish the layout, each plant is seeded by hand. In some cases, two or three seeds are placed in each spot and then thinned back to one plot. (I plan to bring this up when my crew complains about any type of plot work we do.)

Irrigation is used to prevent any lack of water. Since these are small areas of crops, animals and insects can be especially harsh on the crops. Electric fences, nets, and insecticides are all used to keep damage to a minimum.Weeds are controlled with herbicides and hand-hoeing (again, I will use this with my crew). These plots are as much a work of art as anything. Martin and his crew works very hard to keep all things in an artistic condition when the ExpoAgro comes.

Timing the plantings such that corn has dented kernels, sunflowers have beautiful yellow flowers and sorghum heads have dark seeds takes some effort.

Martin had one person stay with each plot from planting through the ExpoAgro. Each person's sole responsibility was to get the plot ready for show. The crew lived in campers for about 3 months.

The final result was a thing of beauty. The plots looked excellent. Again, they were more like art than fields.