OABA Industry Conference highlights momentum and opportunity. Helping agribusiness professionals take advantage of opportunities. Travis Kimmel, center, of Advanced Agrilytics received the 2026 Achievement as an Emerging Leader Award at the 2026 OABA Industry Conference, held Jan. 26-28 in Columbus. (Courtesy Photo) COLUMBUS, Ohio - More than 325 OABA members and industry professionals gathered for collaborative learning and networking at the 2026 Industry Conference, held Jan. 26- 28 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton Hotel. With the theme "Seize the Momentum," the conference focused on helping agribusiness professionals take advantage of opportunities and tackle challenges head-on. Through engaging sessions led by experts from across the country, attendees explored new ideas, learned practical strategies and left ready to drive their businesses forward in an ever-changing ag landscape. "The 2026 Industry Conference really captured the momentum happening in Ohio agribusiness," said OABA President and CEO Melinda Witten. "Bringing together industry leaders, experts and professionals created valuable insights and connections, giving our members the tools to tackle challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. I'm excited to see how what was learned and the relationships built here will help move our industry forward in 2026 and beyond." The conference addressed key topics in today's agriculture industry, including economic and market outlooks, public policy priorities, soilborne and foliar crop diseases, fertilizer and nutrient management, livestock markets and health, the role of artificial intelligence in agriculture, biofuels trends, regulatory updates and more. Notable speakers at the three-day event included Arlan Suderman, StoneX Financial, Inc.; Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien Agronomy; Jennifer Coleman, The Directions Group; and Lisa Woodke, Start of the West. ODA Director Brian Baldridge addressed attendees during the OABA Annual Meeting and Luncheon, sharing his insights on the state of Ohio agriculture and key priorities for the year ahead. OABA recognized three individuals with OABA Awards of Excellence during the luncheon: Steve Ramseyer of Deerfield Ag Services received the 2026 Excellence in Customer Service Award, Travis Kimmel of Advanced Agrilytics received the 2026 Achievement as an Emerging Leader Award and Jed Bookman of Sunrise Cooperative received the 2026 Excellence in Safety & Stewardship Award. John Ward, of Marysville, Ohio, and David C. Barrett, of Columbus, Ohio, were named OABA Honorary Members, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to Ohio's agribusiness industry and OABA. During the annual meeting, OABA announced newly elected and re-elected members to the Board of Directors, including Ann Staugler, vice president of Big K Mills; Eric Barnes, owner of Farmers Alliance LLC; Adam Conrad, general manager of Axis Seed; and Eric Rife, sales support manager at Becks Hybrids. OABA also announced its newly elected officers, with Nick Franks of Tyler Grain & Fertilizer elected president and Clark Carroll of Gerald Grain elected vice president. Grant Gates of Morrall Companies, LLC, who served as president for the past two years, will remain on the Board of Directors as immediate past president. The 2027 OABA Industry Conference will be held January 25-27, 2027, at the Hilton Columbus at Easton Hotel. About OABA The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is the leading advocate for Ohio agribusiness by creating a sustainable business climate through collaborative policy leadership, continuous education and effective communication. OABA is a membership-based state trade association which includes the manufacturers and wholesale/retail suppliers of plant nutrient and protection materials, the grain warehousing and marketing industry, the feed and seed industry, as well as companies providing equipment, financing, insurance, consulting, and other products and services for the agribusiness industry. For more information, visit oaba.net.

Advanced Agrilytics signals next phase of growth with strategic Mutiny Crop Performance partnership. Advanced Agrilytics has announced a strategic partnership with Mutiny Crop Performance, signaling a continued evolution in how Advanced Agrilytics brings its environment-based agronomy methodology to market through strategic value-chain collaborations. The partnership reflects Advanced Agrilytics' expansion of its technology-enabled agronomy platform to complement its long-standing grower-direct consulting services, enabling broader reach and impact through trusted industry partners. "At its core, this partnership represents how Advanced Agrilytics is evolving to scale impact without compromising agronomic integrity," said Scott Coldagelli, Chief Transformation Officer at Advanced Agrilytics. "Our methodology and proprietary technology were built to scale, but scale happens faster and more effectively through the right partnerships. Mutiny is one of the first strategic collaborators where one plus one truly equals more than two." Through the collaboration, Advanced Agrilytics will provide its research-backed, environment-based agronomy platform to support scalable prescription development and execution for Mutiny and its independent dealer network, demonstrating a model that can extend to other value-chain partners. By aligning fertility and management decisions to field-specific environments, the partnership is designed to support more informed product placement decisions, strengthening outcomes for growers and long-term value for partners. "What differentiates Advanced Agrilytics is our ability to translate proven research and sub-acre environmental analysis into executable prescriptions at scale," said Dr. Kess Berg, Chief Innovation Officer at Advanced Agrilytics. "This partnership allows that methodology to extend beyond individual engagements while maintaining the scientific rigor that underpins everything we do." Mutiny Crop Performance is known for its selective, product-agnostic approach, evaluating and delivering agricultural products based on performance rather than brand affiliation. The company works through an independent dealer network with a strong emphasis on relationships, trust, and on-farm results. "Our customers expect us to focus on what works and why," said Patrick Conyea, Co-Founder of Mutiny Crop Performance. "Advanced Agrilytics brings a data-based approach that strengthens the agronomic foundation behind product decisions. This partnership enhances the value we deliver while preserving the independence and trust that define Mutiny." Subscribe today for. In today's complex and fast-paced crop production sector, the team at CROPLIFE keeps 21,000 agricultural retailers, distributors and their suppliers up to date on such decidedly 21st century issues as seed technology, biotechnology, precision agriculture, customer service and retention, and business management. See all author stories here.

Digital tools help corn growers lower nitrogen use without losing yield. A new study shows that improving nitrogen use efficiency can create economic and climate benefits across U.S. corn production. Kenny Avery, CEO of Advanced Agrilytics, says their research shows a reduction in nitrogen use can lead to greater ROI and more consistent yields. "You think about a farmer, whether they're in sub-Saharan Africa or whether they're in the state of Iowa, they want to get the most out of every single resource they use on that farm," Avery said. "And the reality is a lot of those resources do not end up in the plant." Advanced Agrilytics unveiled its new white paper at the 2025 Borlaug International Dialogue, titled "The Nitrogen Efficiency Breakthrough: How Digital Tools Cut Corn Nitrogen Emissions by 21% Without Sacrificing Yields." The publication provides detailed findings from a field-based analysis of data from three growing seasons (2022-2024) across more than 750,000 acres. Across those acres, the study found that inefficient use of nitrogen led to $60 million in lost revenue annually. The environmental impact of improved nitrogen use efficiency equated to removing 63,000 gasoline-powered cars from the road per year, or capturing the carbon sequestered by 4.5 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years. Dr. Kess Berg, chief innovation officer for Advanced Agrilytics, says by proactively managing risk and tailoring nutrient applications to each microenvironment within a field, growers can reduce nitrogen loss while improving crop resilience. "How do we get that crop ready for the next weather event? Too many times we wait until that weather event happens," Berg said, "and then to try to mitigate that problem is a bigger effort." Avery says growers can utilize the TerraFraming platform to make precise decisions on nitrogen stabilizer applications in terms of rate, location, and timing. Avery and Berg spoke to reporters during the 2025 Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines.