AgChem Summit is the premiere U.S. conference focused exclusively on bringing together agrochemicals, agricultural biologicals, and disruptive technology industry insiders to develop ideas and capitalize on relationships needed for the evolving agricultural market.
The 2020 online event, Innovation in Action – Where Collaboration and Emerging Technology Meet, focused on agri-tech, AI, IoT, plant, human and food safety with pesticides, pesticide registration for specialty crops, drones, AI machine learning, and recent changes that impact emerging technologies – such as aerial applications with pesticides (precision ag), ag policy and beyond the Farm Bill, etc.
Attendees at the 2020 Online Event:
Dr. Reibach is currently the Technical Director for Chemistry at Smithers in Wareham MA where he is responsible for developing new technologies for conducting a broad range of regulated analytical chemistry studies and identifying new business opportunities to leverage Smithers current capabilities. He received a BA in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin and a PhD in Plant Physiology from Texas A&M University. Prior positions have included Rohm and Haas Research Laboratories, Cerexagri Inc., the Ag Division of Arkema Chemical Company, and JRF America. At Smithers Viscient the chemistry department conducts analytical chemistry research in support of global pharmaceutical, pesticide, and specialty chemical registrations. Prior areas of expertise include plant metabolism, animal metabolism, soil metabolism and environmental fate studies such as degradation in aquatic systems, aqueous photolysis, and soil photolysis. He has developed numerous residue analytical methods which have been utilized for trace level analysis of soils, crops, and animal tissues. He has conducted pesticide field dissipation studies, groundwater monitoring studies, and the field and analytical component of crop magnitude of residue trials. Dr. Reibach has issued over 200 technical reports and publications that have been submitted to various regulatory agencies worldwide. He has a passion for STEM education and has been involved in teacher training and development for the past 25 years.
Dr. Paul Ulanch is the Executive Director of the Crop Commercialization Program at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center where he facilitates value-add opportunities to improve crops that result in increased profits for NC growers and strengthens the state’s agribusinesses. Many projects add value to the greater Southeast. Current project work is pursuing increasing feed grain production in the Mid-Atlantic region to sustain North Carolina’s production animal industry, optimize parameters for growing cellulosic biomass grasses to sustain a high-value chemicals industry, scale the use of winter oilseeds as a way to improve wheat production and attract specialty oil markets, and explore niche specialty crops that can be deployed at scale for food ingredients. He served as the Enterprise & Technology Development Director where he led efforts to support ag biotech entrepreneurs, enable partnership development, and assist companies locating to North Carolina.
He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University where he developed a process to accelerate construction of physical genome maps, and MBA from the Katz Executive Program at the University of Pittsburgh, with Beta Gamma Sigma honors. He served as Director of Technology Commercialization at the NC SBTDC and research faculty at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, and consulted for and advised industry, commodity groups, and non-profits in areas of science, marketing, and intellectual property.
With over 25 years of research management experience, Bob leads Vestaron’s molecular biology and chemistry development teams. Management positions in Fortune 500 companies (Pfizer), academic appointments (Columbia, Michigan) and start-ups add to the leadership and technical experience he brings to Vestaron’s Research and Development success.
Joshua Haslun is an Analyst on the Agro Innovation team at Lux Research. In this role he monitors and evaluates emerging and innovative agricultural technologies from sectors including crop genetic improvement, precision agriculture, and soil microbiome management to drive future innovations, while navigating challenging regulatory frameworks.
Joshua has extensive experience across numerous scientific disciplines including quantitative genomics and transcriptomics, immunology, isotope systematics, and microbial ecology. Prior to joining Lux, Joshua was a Research Associate for the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at Michigan State University, where he developed methods to apportion nitrogen losses among diverse soil microbial processes, fostering soil microbiome management methods to improve biofuel feedstock production.
Joshua obtained a dual-degree Ph.D. in Integrative Biology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior from Michigan State University and has contributed more than 13 publications to top peer-reviewed journals on diverse subjects. He also holds a B.S. in Biology from Siena College, and an M.S. in Biology specializing in Marine Science from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
Blue Frog Scientific is an independent consultancy, providing scientific and regulatory affairs solutions to companies in all sectors of the chemical industry. Our philosophy is achieving regulatory compliance through the application of good science, innovative thinking and clarity; ensuring that all submissions are prepared efficiently and to a high standard. We offer scientific and regulatory affairs services with particular experience in agrochemicals, biocides, human medicinal products, veterinary medicinal products and consumer products.
Based in the United Kingdom and France, our core team of consultants coordinate operations and our comprehensive network of associates ensures that we can assist our clients in all areas of regulatory compliance.
We have particular in-house strengths in regulatory affairs, chemistry, toxicology, ecotoxicology and environmental fate. We utilise our associates when we need leaders in specific fields (e.g. reproductive toxicology) to address issues requiring an expert opinion, statement or report.
Knoell USA, LLC is a contract research organization serving the regulated scientific communities. Founded in 2001, knoell USA provides technical scientific support, regulatory consultation, dossier preparation and publishing, and analytical laboratory services. Knoell USA is part of the global family of knoell companies.
Our services at a glance:
» Strategic regulatory consulting
» Project management
» Federal, state, and worldwide registrations for biopesticides, biostimulants, fertilizers, soil amendments and conventional pesticides
» Study design, monitoring, and management (lab and field)
» Dossier compilation, technical writing, and publishing
» Environmental exposure & risk assessment
» Human and dietary safety
» Label preparation and amendments
» Tolerance & MRL assessments
» Laboratory: residue, E-fate, 5-batch testing
» Quality assurance and QA consulting
» Liaising with US and Canadian federal and state authorities
» Customized services at your site
For further information visit www.knoellUSA.com
Coming Soon
Keith has more than 20 years of private sector and government experience in environmental law related to chemical substances regulation, biopesticides, and genetically engineered organisms. He is a former Director of the Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). Prior to becoming Director of BPPD, Keith served in EPA's Office of General Counsel (OGC), first as a staff attorney, then as an Assistant General Counsel where he supervised attorneys providing legal counsel to programs in EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Pesticide Programs, and the Office of Research and Development.
Keith's practice focuses on the regulation of chemical substances, including agricultural chemical products, microbial products of biotechnology; and genetically engineered agricultural products that are regulated by EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Keith counsels and advises his clients using his breadth of knowledge on a variety of statutes, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Plant Protection Act, and the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.
I have been with Syngenta going on 6 years now in our Application Technology group based in Greensboro, North Carolina. My background has always been in agriculture, growing up on a commercial row crop farm in Southeastern NC, I am able to bring a different perspective to our diverse group within Product Technology & Engineering at Syngenta. I received my undergrad and graduate degrees in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University. I am currently the Global Lead on Drone Application Technology for Syngenta, supporting this new application method globally with a strong focus in APAC and China specifically. I have a research interest in precision application, including drone applications, see and spray systems as well as prescription based applications.
Paul came to Wabash College as an assistant professor of chemistry in the summer of 2016, after completing his PhD at Purdue University. His laboratory’s primary focus is the use of second harmonic generation microscopy to probe active ingredient crystallinity in agrochemical formulations, seeking to help develop the next generation of efficacious and sustainable products. Paul teaches analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and recently led an immersion course on the chemistry of wine. In his free time he enjoys fly fishing, rock climbing, music, and cooking.
Barney Debnam is the Global Agriculture Strategy Lead at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. Barney has spent the past 25+ years building agtech startups and growing global agribusinesses. Beyond experiences in the late 90’s agtech 1.0, Barney has contributed to digital solutions at GROWMARK/FS, Deere & Co and DuPont. During his time at DuPont he worked with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Research and IT. Barney was Global CIO for DuPont Crop Protection and Pioneer Hi-Bred International just prior to the formation of Corteva AgriScience.
Barney graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering then went on the study agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University. Barney grew up in a 4-H farming family in Kent County Maryland, which his father and brother continue to operate today.
Why is Barney at Microsoft? Few, if any, industries can match Agriculture when it comes to mission alignment with Microsoft, opportunity to apply innovation to the betterment of society and with the potential to empower agribusinesses to achieve more.
Dr. Lane has been at Battelle for the past 12 years. He possesses a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. from the University of Delaware and has specific experience with atmospheric processes, such as coagulation, condensation, evaporation, wet and dry deposition, as well as spray drift and volatility from pesticide applications. Dr. Lane has experience with both CMAQ and CAMx, which are both atmospheric transport models that are used to predict the atmospheric concentration of many contaminants.
Dr. Lane also has characterized many spray systems (nozzles, booms, etc.) using phase Doppler anemometry/interferometry, laser diffraction, and/or particle image velocimetry instrumentation. Additionally, Dr. Lane has helped construct large wind tunnels and environmental chambers at Battelle, where spray drift and volatility testing is performed.
