The old and the new work together for Aditya Birla Nuvo. It is the second largest producer of rayon yarn in India, and also holds the title of the largest branded apparel company in the country, the second largest producer of carbon black, and is among the biggest fertilizer makers. Aditya Birla Nuvo also is engaged in growth businesseses, including life insurance, telecom, business process outsourcing (BPO) and other IT services. Madura Garments is the company's garments division -- it manages such Indian clothing lines as Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, and San Frisco. Idea Cellular spearheads it wireless communications unit. The company is a subsidiary of venerable Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla.

AgraQuest sweats the small stuff. The company's proprietary database of more than 23,000 microorganisms is the base for its line of pest control and plant disease-fighting products. AgraQuest's products fight plant pests and diseases with naturally occurring microorganisms that offer environmental advantages over synthetic chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops. The company's product offerings include Serenade, a biofungicide that is approved for use on crops such as grapes, apples, pears, and tomatoes; Rhapsody, a fungicide used in the professional ornamental plant market; and Baritone, a pesticide. AgraQuest has about 20 other natural pest management products in the pipeline.

Agrium Inc. produces and markets agricultural nutrients, industrial products, and specialty products worldwide, as well as involves in the retail supply of agricultural products and services in North and South America. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale, and Advanced Technologies. The Retail segment markets crop nutrient products, including nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulphur, and micronutrients; crop protection products, such as herbicides, fungicides, adjuvants, and insecticides; seeds; and a range of custom application and agronomic consulting services, as well as other services, including crop input product application, soil and leaf tissue testing and analysis, and crop scouting. As of December 31, 2008, this segment operated approximately 800 retail farm centers in the U.S., Argentina, and Chile. The Wholesale segment manufactures, purchases, and markets a range of nutrients, including nitrogen-based, potash, and phosphate-based crop nutrient products. It also owns and operates facilities that upgrade ammonia and urea to other products, such as nitrogen solutions and nitric acid. In addition, this segment operates fertilizer granulation and blending plants in the United States. The Advanced Technologies segment produces and sells controlled-release crop nutrient and professional products to the agriculture, specialty agriculture, professional turf, horticulture, and consumer lawn and garden markets. This segment also offers pest control products to the structural pest control industry, including pest control in residential and commercial structures. It was formerly known as Cominco Fertilizers Ltd. and changed its name to Agrium Inc. in 1995. The company was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Agrium U.S. operates south of the border for Canadian fertilizers manufacturer and distributor Agrium. The parent company produces and distributes four major crop nutrients: nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and sulfate fertilizers for the wholesale market. Agrium U.S. operates a network of about 500 retail farm centers in the US and Latin America, and is one of the largest independent retailers of fertilizers, seeds, and chemicals in North America. The US provides Agrium with about two-thirds of its sales. Agrium began originally as Cominco during the 1930s.

Got potash? If not, the Arab Potash Company (APC) would be glad to fix you up. The company mines the Dead Sea for potassium chloride, one of several potassium-based compounds commonly known as potash. The substance is used primarily for fertilizer, but also has industrial applications, for example in the manufacture of glass and ceramic. Canadian industry bigwig Potash Corp. bought more than a quarter of the company in 2003 and installed some of its own executives in APC management roles. Jordan Investment Corp. also owns more than a quarter of APC.

If people turn to Bayer for what ails them, why can't plants? Bayer CropScience, a part of German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant the Bayer Group, is a leading producer of agricultural chemicals. The company's Crop Protection unit makes fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. Bayer CropScience also operates units that focus on non-crop chemicals (such as consumer lawn care products) and genetically modified seeds. The company ranks as the #2 crop protection firm worldwide, behind Syngenta, and operates on six continents. It has been building up both its seeds business and bioscience unit in the last years of the decade.

Bodisen Biotech wants to strengthen China's crops. The company makes

C.P. Pokphand Co. (CPP) is the Chinese arm of Thailand-based Charoen Pokphand Group. The company's products include animal feed additives (chlortetracycline and hydrochloride chlortetracycline, which are broad-spectrum antibiotics), made at its Huazhong Chia Tai and Pucheng Chia Tai subsidiaries. Its Northern Ek Chor unit manufactures Dayang brand of cub-style motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and tricycles). Its Shanjiang Deni Carburetor joint venture manufactures motorcycle and auto carburetors, along with automotive accessories. In addition, through its ECI-Metro operations, the company is a dealer for Caterpillar products, offering sales, leasing, and repair for the heavy-equipment manufacturer's products.

Central Garden & Pet is happy to help with both pets and pests. The company is among the largest US manufacturers and distributors of lawn, garden, and pet supplies, providing its products to pet supplies retailers, home improvement centers, nurseries, and mass merchandisers from approximately 40 manufacturing plants and another 35 distribution centers throughout the US; it also has sales offices in the UK. Central Garden & Pet's proprietary brand lines include AMDRO fire ant bait, Four Paws animal products, Kaytee bird seed, Nylabone dog chews, Norcal pottery, Pennington grass seed and bird seed products, and TFH pet books. Chairman and CEO William Brown controls not quite 50% of the company's voting rights.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. manufactures and distributes nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products in North America and export markets. It operates in two segments, Nitrogen and Phosphate. The Nitrogen segment offers ammonia, urea, and urea ammonium nitrate solutions. The Phosphate segment provides diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and granular muriate of potash used in agricultural fertilizer applications. The company also owns a 50% interest in KEYTRADE AG, a fertilizer trading company. CF Industries Holdings’ customers include cooperatives and independent fertilizer distributors located in the grain-producing states of the Midwestern United States. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.

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