ICCTA Business/Industry Partnership Award

2012 Recipients
Parkland College and Monsanto Compny


The partnership between Monsanto Company and the Parkland College Agriculture Department has resulted in several measurable outcomes.

Thanks to the placement of nearly a dozen Monsanto research plots on campus, Parkland's agriculture and diesel power technology students have access to practical, hands-on training literally "in the field." Enrollment in Parkland's agriculture programs has grown by over 13 percent in the past six years.


David Shenaut and Leticia Concalves of Monsanto Company accept ICCTA's 2012 Business/Industry Partnership Award.

David Shenaut and Leticia Concalves of Monsanto Company accept ICCTA's 2012 Business/Industry Partnership Award.
In addition, Monsanto has been providing gifts-in-kind of seed and crop protectants for Parkland Land Lab since 1997. This has allowed Parkland students and others to see the latest seed and genetic traits in plant breeding programs.

In 2008 and 2009, Monsanto erected a rainfall exclusion tent on the Land Lab that included moisture probes to determine root growth via water extraction from the soil profile. The purpose of that demonstration was to determine the drought resistance of selected corn varieties.

The college also hosts Monsanto's Technology Showcase, which has drawn more than 400 growers and agribusiness employers during the past three years. The Technology Showcase attracts growers and agribusiness employers to the Parkland campus, where they can see first-hand the exceptional facilities that Parkland has to offer in agriculture and other academic departments.

Monsanto has also donated more than $32,000 in equipment, allowing Parkland to expand its program offerings in the areas of GIS guidance technology and yield monitoring capabilities.

"Parkland College has a role to play in educating the next generation of farmers and the public at large about the role of agriculture, and our work on campus helps to facilitate these discussions," says Monsanto official Leticia Goncalves.

For additional information on ICCTA's Business/ Industry Partnership Award, please contact Kim Villanueva at 217-528-2858, ext. 1.