Today is the big event. I’m sitting in a Conference Room in the Bayer compound at Monnheim, Germany following the Bayer Global Press Conference. The Press Conference, an annual gathering of agricultural media from around the world, is something of a hybrid between an investor conference call and a football game pregame speech. Led by the Bayer Crop Science Board of Management, the Conference outlines Bayer Crop Science’s position, plans, and strategy for the coming year and long term plan. Covering everything from research investment to planned acquisitions, this is my first visit to this interesting confab.

Six members of the American ag media are on the trip, yours truly included, and we collectively represent most facets of the United States’ crop production segments. From Cotton-specialist Tommy Horton to Farm Progress Executive Editor Willie Vogt, I’m among some of the top writers in our field.

Following the Press Conference, I had the chance to sit down with Bayer Crop Science’s Head of BioScience Dr. Joachim Schneider. Dr. Schneider was one of the more interesting panelists during the press event, discussing Bayer’s plans in the areas of seed and trait development.