Syngenta Thrive

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For Tyson Walters, success isn’t about excelling in just one area, but thriving in two that complement each other. As Head of Direct Procurement for North America at Syngenta, Walters works closely with growers and vendors, overseeing everything from seed treatments to packaging. His work supports global agriculture and helps foster lasting relationships with corn and soybean growers across the U.S.

When Walters isn’t managing his corporate responsibilities, you can find him at Walters Brothers Farm LLC, his family’s fourth-generation operation in central Illinois. Spanning nearly 850 acres, the farm grows corn and soybeans. Together with his brother, Walters manages the farm while balancing the demands of his corporate role and, more importantly, his family life.

Balancing Corporate Work and Farming

Farming has been part of Walters’ life for as long as he can remember, and his position at Syngenta allows him to balance both worlds. “Syngenta has really supported my work-life balance,” he says. “The ability to work from home and set my own schedule has made a huge difference, especially compared to other jobs in agriculture that require you to be in the field or at the office all the time.”

However, this flexibility is a rare exception. For most farmers, balancing a full-time career with farming is a constant challenge. A study from the University of Illinois found that farmers often face worse mental health than the general population, with 34% showing signs of anxiety and 26.3% experiencing depression. These statistics highlight the overwhelming stressors that come with farming, such as financial pressures, time constraints and a lack of social support.

“Farming doesn’t offer the same benefits as other careers — things like health insurance or retirement plans — so you’re juggling a lot just to keep things afloat,” Walters explains.

Health Emergency Leads to a Pivotal Moment

When Walters’ son was 18 months old, he faced a serious health crisis that led to a six-month stay at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During that time, Walters’ manager at Syngenta was supportive, offering the flexibility he needed to balance work and family. “It made all the difference,” he says. “I was able to stay connected with my job while also being there for my son.”

Thanks to the flexibility of his role and technology, Walters was able to work remotely from the hospital. “I could respond to emails in the evenings when things settled down. It wasn’t easy, but it allowed me to stay involved with my team while being there for my family,” he says. This experience reinforced how crucial work-life balance is, especially in times of crisis.

Tips for Balancing Work, Farming & Family Life

Managing a demanding job, farming and family life isn’t easy, but Walters developed a few strategies to keep everything running smoothly. The key? Preparation, technology and clear communication.

“Preparation is everything,” he says. “A lot of it comes down to the prep work I do before the day even starts. Staying organized and knowing what needs to get done makes everything easier to manage, whether I’m scheduling meetings or handling farm operations.”

Technology plays a major role too. With up to 15 Zoom meetings a day, staying connected is critical. “Technology has been a game-changer for work-life balance,” he says. “Having the right tools helps me manage both work and farm tasks, even during the busiest periods.”

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Technology has been a game-changer for work-life balance. Having the right tools helps me manage both work and farm tasks, even during the busiest periods.

Tyson Walters Grower and Head of Direct Procurement for North America at Syngenta

Finally, clear communication is a must. Regular check-ins with his team keep everyone aligned, even during hectic times. “Over-communicating, even when you think it’s enough, helps keep everyone engaged and reassured,” Walters says. When things get chaotic, he ensures his team stays informed, which helps the work progress smoothly despite the distractions.

Walters’ story proves that with flexibility, technology and strong communication, it’s possible to thrive in both worlds. With careful planning, ongoing support, and a focus on what matters most, it’s clear that it’s not only possible to maintain both, but to excel in each.

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Sustainability practices are embraced by successful farmers, especially as they relate to yield and profitability. Allied industry partners like Syngenta are at their most impactful with their boots in the dirt alongside producers, working to understand how sustainability and profitability work hand-in-hand.

With that standard in mind, the Sustainable Solutions team at Syngenta partnered with the Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA) in 2023 to provide actionable on-farm sustainability insights to potato growers, packers, processors and retailers across North America. Applying the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture standard, developed by Syngenta, and tracking their practices with the help of the Cropwise™ Sustainability app, nearly 500 potato growers have been able to improve, measure and report sustainability on their farms and better communicate their sustainability stories up and down the supply chain. One year in, just about all the parties involved agree the partnership has been a rousing success.

Why Sustainability Data Matters

When it comes to sustainability, it’s fair to ask, What exactly are we supposed to be measuring? And is the data I’m getting a good sign or not? 

Dozens of different metrics exist that the industry can use to gain an understanding of sustainability in agriculture. Coming to an agreement as to which are the most applicable and helpful is one of the major challenges the industry faces.

“As our understanding of the impact of these indicators improves, so will our ability to better predict outcomes for the industry as changes or improvements are implemented,” says John Mesko, CEO of PSA. “Collectively, we are still looking for the right standard. We want to see resilience and improvements in our production systems over time.”

According to Mesko, there’s really no definite line to declare a farm sustainable or not. “It’s just not that simple. It requires looking at the whole health of a farm, of a region, of an industry,” he says.

Sustainability is complicated, but today’s growers didn’t make it this far by not being sustainable. Yet, characterizing and proving sustainability remains a challenge for producers.

“For years, farmers have been asked by these companies in the value chain for all this sustainability information, and it’s been a challenge to actually collect that data,” says Jeff Lail, senior technical data analyst on the sustainability team at Syngenta. “Farmers did not start farming so they could sit at the computer and type for three hours about what makes their farm sustainable. A big part of our mission is to make that process easier for farmers so value chain partners can get the information they need.”

Working Toward Simplifying Sustainability

“Ultimately, we want to simplify sustainability for growers,” says Steven Wall, development manager of sustainable solutions at Syngenta.

A major part of that simplification is to define what on-farm sustainability insights growers should look for, what those insights tell them about their farms, and what benefits those insights provide for different players along the value chain. In potato production, the biggest sustainability impacts on both an environmental and an economic level come from irrigation, tillage and nitrogen fertilizer. A failure to play those cards right can not only take a bite out of this year’s profit but put farmers in a hole that could take years to climb out of.

“Those are expensive inputs, and there’s not a farmer in the world who wants to do any of those things unnecessarily,” says Mesko. “We’ve seen new technologies, new production methods and new understanding of the impact of these practices; they really open farmers up to making changes.”

For several years, PSA conducted its own sustainability survey but found that, ultimately, it wasn’t delivering the actionable insights they hoped it would. The organization’s partnership with Syngenta and adoption of the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture standard has provided uniformity and clarity to their approach, which in turn has encouraged producer participation.

PSA Implements Cropwise Sustainability

Cropwise Sustainability offers growers the opportunity to self-assess their performance in areas such as biodiversity, fertilizer use and irrigation efficiency. After growers fill out an assessment in the app about a range of sustainability practices, Syngenta aggregates that information to show individual producers how they compare to their peers in those areas. Growers maintain ownership of their data and, if they so choose, can share assessment results with their choice of partners along the value chain, from packers to processors to retailers. Just over a year in, the integration of Cropwise Sustainability into the potato industry has increased communication and begun fostering a sense of community around proving the sustainability of America’s favorite vegetable.

“When growers can see how they’re performing against their peers, their eyes are opened to what they can improve on their own farm,” says Wall. “Or they might say, ‘Maybe I can help educate some folks on what I’m doing and help them improve as well.’ It generates a sense of community. Then value chain partners can receive that aggregate report of all their growers in the program, and they can really start to understand the potato supply, and how they’re performing and what’s realistic to expect as far as sustainable outcomes.”

Syngenta highly values the potato industry and has worked with PSA to incorporate crop-specific questions into the Cropwise Sustainability survey. Mesko points to three primary components as reasons for the program’s early success: ease of use; quick, specific and useful information for growers; and a big-picture look at sustainability measures across North America’s potato industry.

“Syngenta has gone to great lengths to accommodate our growers,” says Mesko. “Any grower who has a question or doesn’t understand something, they are able to provide some real-time help and support.”

Holding Room for Growth

Potatoes are grown on a longer rotation than a lot of crops — typically three to five years. There’s still a lot of progress to be made in accounting for practices in those rotation years, which likely have major repercussions on an operation’s actual sustainability. In a given year, any number of factors could cause a farm to need more water or nitrogen than planned, or for those inputs to be less efficient than expected.

“That’s the next thing up on our agenda,” says Mesko. “We’ll be looking for ways to track all that across a multiyear picture.”

“Something that happens repeatedly in the sustainability space is we get hung up on the measurement rather than what the measurement is supposed to create,” says Lail. “The data assessment is step one, but Cropwise Sustainability is designed to create partnerships. PSA and potato growers have understood that from the start, and that’s what has made it such a great initiative.”

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Applying fertilizer to corn is a sound investment because adding nutrients to the soil helps reap higher yields. Many growers follow the “4 Rs” of nutrient management to make sure they’re getting the most out of their fertilizer. Consider herbicides a similar investment.

Similar to fertilizers, agronomists recommend following the “4 Rs”  of herbicide applications to get the most out of your investment:

  • Apply the right residual herbicide …
  • At the right rate …
  • And the right time …
  • Using the right sprayer nozzles.

Weed seeds lie in the soil seed bank. When they germinate, they compete with your corn for valuable nutrients, including those from fertilizer applications, sunlight and water.

Early-season weeds present the most serious threat to your yield potential. Multi-state research indicates the critical importance of controlling weeds in corn before they reach about 3 inches tall, because yield losses increase as weeds grow. Syngenta trials across 20 locations found that weeds as small as 2 to 4 inches used 13.4 pounds of nitrogen, 0.85 pounds of phosphorus and 16.8 pounds of potassium.1

Controlling weeds effectively prevents in-season competition — and avoids adding more weed seeds to the soil seed bank to compete in future seasons. Sarah Lancaster, Ph.D., assistant professor and extension specialist at Kansas State University, says that as herbicide-resistant weeds increase, the importance of excellent weed control also increases. That’s why controlling later-emerging weeds still should factor into herbicide programs even though your corn yield may not be impacted as much at that stage.

Understanding the unseen, long-term cost of weeds helps shape a sound herbicide program. When evaluating types of herbicides and how to tackle weed resistance, it is important to consider the cost of the application with the control provided to determine the best program for maximum yield benefits.

Choose the Right Residual

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Select herbicides that control the toughest yield-robbing weeds in a field with effective sites of action and unique active ingredients. For maximum protection, include residual herbicides that will reduce the dependence on planned over-the-top herbicides like glyphosate.

Not all residual herbicides are created equal. Long-lasting residual control helps manage weeds throughout the entire growing season, possibly requiring fewer applications to prevent them from going to seed.

Not all components of herbicides with multiple active ingredients have the same level of value. Choosing herbicides with multiple effective sites of action and powerful active ingredients can slow the development of weed resistance.

For example, Storen® herbicide combines four powerful active ingredients that complement and enhance each other’s weed control to consistently provide clean rows up to three weeks longer than other residual corn herbicides.2 Acuron® corn herbicide is another robust option and contains three different site-of-action herbicide groups.

Apply the Right Rate

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You’d think that partial application rates could be an easy way to save on your herbicide investment. However, that’s not the case.

Labeled herbicide rates are thoroughly tested to ensure the active ingredients provide the best performance and value on your investment. Partial investments tend to result in partial returns, in the form of more weed escapes, shorter residual and less control of resistant weeds. Avoid these negative ramifications by following label instructions and using full labeled rates.

Apply at the Right Time

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Herbicide application timing matters. But timeliness is tricky in the spring when weather can limit days suitable for fieldwork and narrow the planting window.

Preemergence timing is best, as it helps control weeds while they are still seeds. But for those who choose to rely on early post-emergence applications, herbicides should be applied before weeds reach 4 inches tall and yield loss potential accelerates. Use herbicides that provide effective knockdown of emerged weeds and contain one or more residual herbicides.

When circumstances cause application delays, crop safety becomes a bigger concern. Corn herbicide injury can occur when the crop is stressed and unable to metabolize herbicides. It’s critical to choose a corn herbicide, like Acuron, that has been proven to deliver broad-spectrum control with excellent pre- and post-emergence crop safety across many geographies. For delayed herbicide applications, check the product label for any potential carryover issues.

Use the Right Nozzles

A decorative icon and text that says "Use the right nozzles"

During herbicide application, spray droplets of solution carrying the active ingredients reach the soil or plant surface. Different sprayer nozzles create different types of droplets, determining their size, spray pattern and more.

Nozzle selection matters to deliver effective herbicide doses. For example, fine droplets provide better leaf coverage for emerged weeds. However, larger droplets minimize herbicide drift and better penetrate the crop canopy.

Combined, the 4 Rs for herbicides (the right herbicide at the right rate and right time applied with the right nozzles) can point to the best option and management practices to protect corn yield from competitive weeds. These considerations maximize the value of herbicide investments — and help save fertilizer investments just for the crop.

1 Weed Nutrient Uptake Source: Approximately 20 Syngenta Learning Center Research locations between 2006-2008. Nutrients measured from samples taken from weeds 1-2” and 2-4” in height. Analysis completed by Midwest Labs, Omaha, NE. Period from weed emergence to removal at 1-2” in height was 10 days and 2-4” in height was 20 days.

2 Storen length-of-control advantage based on 2022 Syngenta and university-replicated trials comparing Storen to Resicore® and TriVolt®.

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Does this sound familiar? A field looks clean and weed-free; you have an occasional weed escape, but nothing worth noting. Then, one season, part of that field explodes with weeds that just won’t go away.

More than 230 cases of herbicide-resistant weeds have been confirmed in corn and soybeans across the United States. Though herbicide technology has improved, weeds remain hard to control.

Common problems include widespread resistance to atrazine, ALS inhibitors and glyphosate, according to David Belles, Ph.D., herbicide technical product lead for Syngenta.

“Due to herbicide resistance, waterhemp and Palmer amaranth have significantly spread to new areas,” he says. “These weeds have adapted to become tolerant to herbicides and they can outcompete other weeds. Plus, they adapt well to different environments, making them difficult to control.”

While weeds run rampant for a variety of reasons, growers are also managing more acres with less help. Volatile weather patterns narrow windows for field work, leading to the need to plant crops, side-dress fertilizer and apply herbicides at the same time.

“Growers move as fast as they can,” Belles says. “But unpredictable weather and equipment problems slow them down. Tough weeds keep growing regardless of conditions and when growers get a little behind, weed control problems can snowball.”

Proactive Management Fights Weed Resistance

To help prevent rampant weed problems, Belles advises growers to rely on residual weed control and sound application practices.

“Be proactive rather than reactive and manage fields like they already have resistance,” he says. “Once a weed problem starts, it’s hard to get it back under control.”

He shares recommendations based on years of helping growers manage resistant weeds.

Start clean

Eliminating weeds before planting prevents competition when the crop is most vulnerable. Take care of early season pressure with either tillage or a burndown herbicide application. Belles says that burndowns should contain at least two effective modes of action against problem weeds.

“If atrazine resistance is present in the field, the herbicide application should contain two other modes of action that will control the atrazine-resistant species,” he explains.

Give the crop a strong start

Crop competition helps manage weeds. Planting for quick, even emergence and stand in a clean field allows the crop to use nutrients and moisture first. A healthier crop also canopies more quickly, which provides better shade for later-emerging weeds.

Starting strong includes being ready to complete fieldwork when conditions allow. Aim to get equipment ready and inputs delivered to take advantage of suitable days for planting, weed control and other critical spring tasks.

Overlap residual applications in a two-pass herbicide program

A full labelled rate of a preemergence herbicide extends its residual activity — and the window for the second pass — as long as possible to account for weather, labor and equipment issues. It should be followed by an early post-emergence application that adds residual herbicide before the first application runs out.

“The goal is to apply more residual before weeds emerge,” Belles says. “Keeping residual herbicides in the root zone of the soil allows them to work when conditions are right for weed seeds to germinate.”

That’s when weeds are most susceptible. Germinating weed seedlings generally can’t metabolize herbicide active ingredients.

He recommends making the second herbicide application before weeds emerge, when corn and soybeans are just a few inches tall. If weeds come up before that application, adjust to include a product with activity on growing weeds combined with residual control.

Follow best application practices to maximize herbicide effectiveness

Using the right herbicide rate, additives and spray volume helps ensure good coverage of the soil and emerged weeds. Higher spray volumes provide better coverage; for example, spray 15 to 20 gallons per acre rather than 5 to 10 gallons per acre.

“Use high quality herbicide suppliers and formulations that maintain active ingredient concentration,” Belles says. “Ensure products are compatible with other herbicides and inputs in tank mixtures.” Always read and follow product labels and instructions, including using full rates.

He encourages growers to consider everything that goes into the spray tank, including fertilizer or biologicals.

“Think about the efficacy of weed control first,” he says. “Even just a little antagonism in the tank can impact herbicide performance.”

Use cultural practices where they fit

Mechanical control, hand-weeding, cover crop residue or technologies like at-harvest seed destructors all provide the equivalent of another mode of action in a weed management strategy. While these efforts may not make sense on every acre, using them strategically can help prevent weeds from going to seed, reducing the weed seed bank and pressure over time.

Use Herbicides as Directed for Full Potential

Applying herbicides at the proper application rate is absolutely essential to tackle herbicide resistance. “Premixes simplify weed control by combining ideal rates of active ingredients,” says Shawn Hock, corn herbicide product lead for Syngenta. “Nothing helps increase the spread of weed resistance like using low or non-labeled herbicides or only one effective site of action in a tank mix.”

A corn herbicide like Acuron® includes four active ingredients and three sites of action, including the unique HPPD inhibitor bicyclopyrone, for built-in resistance management and added control of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, according to Hock.

For flexibility in areas where growers decide what to plant as spring unfolds, Acuron GT corn herbicide provides an early post-emergence option.

Storen® corn herbicide contains four different active ingredients: S-metolachlor, mesotrione, bicyclopyrone and pyroxasulfone, from three herbicide sites of action when atrazine is added, giving it the opportunity to provide maximum residual performance.

At full rates, both Acuron and Storen help control resistant weeds, especially when applied preemergence.

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In these cases, it’s about horsepower. These herbicides overcome resistance with potency.

Shawn Hock Syngenta Corn Herbicide Product Lead

In U.S. corn and soybean fields, weed scientists have documented 131 cases of resistance to ALS inhibitors, 88 cases of atrazine resistance, 140 cases of glyphosate resistance and 24 cases of resistance to PPO inhibitors. In contrast, they’ve confirmed just 11 cases of HPPD resistance. Though this system doesn’t account for unreported or unconfirmed cases, HPPD resistance is limited.

According to Belles, HPPD resistance coincided with increased use of mesotrione and other HPPD herbicides. Post-emergence HPPD applications have become less effective on large weeds, but they still effectively control weeds preemergence and very small weeds post-emergence.

Because of their formulations and doses, Acuron and Storen can help control even HPPD-resistant weeds.

“In these cases, it’s about horsepower,” Hock says. “These herbicides overcome resistance with potency.”

In soybeans, he encourages starting with a preemergence application of Tendovo® herbicide. It’s one of the few soybean products with three active ingredients for improved consistency, crop safety and length of residual control. As part of the post-emergence tank mix, Dual Magnum® herbicide provides overlapping residual.

“A good corn and soybean weed control program protects yield for good short-term return-on-investment (ROI) potential,” Hock says. “It also provides the best shot at decreasing the weed seedbank, providing long-term ROI potential for resistance management.”

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Syngenta active ingredients stand out from the rest. That’s because our ideas start with conversations with growers like you and are backed by years of research, development and testing before they reach your fields. Visualize the entire life cycle of a A.I. here.

An infographic shows the steps it takes to bring an active ingredient to market, including lead generation and exploration, optimization, selection, development, and commercialization. The icons and design elements break down the necessary steps and add more detail.

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Losing crops is a reality of farming, especially when you’re battling weather, new pests and emerging diseases. Seeing a few acres of your life’s work perish is tough, but the threat of losing your entire operation is a different type of sting. One California almond grower shares how soil health improvements made his orchards vulnerable to disease and how he was able to bring them back from the brink of total devastation.

Trees Lost to Unusually Wet Weather Worsened by Soil Prep

Whole orchard recycling is a process to reincorporate an outgoing orchard in preparation for planting a new one. Mature trees are felled and ground into woodchips, which are then spread and incorporated into the soil. The University of California found that this process can help improve water retention. The issue for John Fassler, a California pest advisor who went through whole orchard recycling, was that the moist soil and greater-than-normal rainfall turned his orchards into the perfect breeding ground for oomycete pathogens like Phytophthora.

Fassler has consulted at Braden Farms where they used whole orchard recycling as a way to prepare for planting a new orchard. “This is a fairly new process, which means we’re learning as we go,” he says. “Some issues we’ve seen have been a rise in fungal diseases, such as Phytophthora and other replant diseases.”

Mother Nature hasn’t helped the fungal disease risk, especially at the beginning of the 2023 growing season. California experienced greater than average annual precipitation in 2023, breaking numerous records and ending three years of persistent drought, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center.

“We’ve had significant rainfall in California the last two years, so this has really intensified the battle with Phytophthora in some spots,” says Ashley Bandoni, Syngenta sales representative and California almond grower.

Fassler experienced devastation due to those heavy rains. One of his orchards was completely submerged, worsening the orchard’s Phytophthora issues.

“We lost about 500 trees on this block due to Phytophthora and replant disease,” says Fassler. “Phytophthora is becoming more and more of an issue in these wetter years.”

Phytophthora Overtakes Young Almond Trees

Many California growers and crop consultants have been battling fungal disease challenges.

Ethan Nicol, an independent pest control advisor and crop consultant for Balanced Agronomics, helped one of his customers manage extreme Phytophthora in a young almond orchard.

Planted in the fall of 2021, Nicol began seeing early symptoms of Phytophthora infections the following spring. Young trees like the ones in the orchard Nicol manages tend to be more susceptible to disease because their root systems and crown areas are smaller compared to those of mature trees, according to the University of California Department of Agriculture.

“In that first 2022 season, we observed maybe 30 percent of the orchard was infected,” says Nicol. “By mid-August, we had really grown to realize the significance of the issue.”

Coming Back from Orchard Devastation

For both Nicol and Fassler, almond yield potential was on the line and devastation was just over the horizon. They both had a tough decision to make.

“As far as doing our research going into it, usually we have the Syngenta reps come in to help us decide if the product will be a good fit for us,” says Fassler. “We also ask about how the product differentiates itself from what we’ve already been doing.”

After discussions with their local Syngenta experts, Fassler and Nicol decided to apply Orondis® fungicide to help save their orchards. Fassler says his flooded orchard plot turned around.

“My experience with Orondis changed up our program,” says Fassler. “We’ve been able to work it into our program really well and we didn’t lose one tree this year.”

Nicol’s experience with Orondis was also nothing short of extraordinary. Before application, Nicol was working with the grower to continuously remove and replant dead trees. They lost roughly 600 almond trees — six ranches — to Phytophthora. Once Orondis was applied in 2023, Nicol observed a noticeable decline in newly infected trees.

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My experience with Orondis changed up our program. We’ve been able to work it into our program really well and we didn’t lose one tree this year.

John Fassler California Pest Advisor

“We were confident in the success that we were seeing by the replants taking and growing strongly, and the existing trees continuing to grow and not develop signs of Phytophthora,” says Nicol. “Going into 2024, just as a precaution and to help protect this investment, we made an additional Orondis application. There’s been almost no sign of infected trees this season.”

Growers Also Need Care

If Fassler and Nicol didn’t have the guidance and support of their Syngenta representatives, their almond orchards might have been lost.

“I’ve worked with Syngenta for probably about the last 20 years, and through the years we’ve had many different experiences,” says Fassler. “Syngenta has always been there to help us through and guide us through what needed to be done.”

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Take a breather from planning with this fun quiz – and who knows, you may learn something about yourself!

What Type of 2025 Grower Are You?

Take this fast and fun quiz to find out what type of grower you are.
Answer these six questions to find out how you’ll rule the field in 2025.

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Just like you, weeds, pests and diseases are waiting anxiously to see what conditions next season brings. No matter the weather, one or more will be ready to battle your corn crop. Having a strategy that prepares your crop to face any opponent in any condition will tip the odds of a winning harvest in your favor.

Dominate Early-Season Weeds

Your corn crop’s first challenger is early-season weed pressure. Make sure your weed management strategy includes a timely application of a residual preemergence herbicide with an overlapping postemergence residual and multiple effective sites of action.

“Early-season weed control is about effective control,  which is necessary for high-yielding corn crops,” says Travis Gustafson, Syngenta agronomist in Nebraska. He explains that if corn emerges next to a weed, it will orient its leaves to avoid the competition. This leads the corn to instead compete with its neighboring corn plants as it grows.

“Additionally, in a weed-free field, corn will shade the row faster, gather more sunlight throughout the growing season, and ultimately be a healthier, more productive plant,” he says.

An effective preemergence residual herbicide also provides a longer window for young corn plants to establish healthy root systems free of weed competition. If corn emerges to weed pressure, it will grow quickly to get above it, sacrificing root growth.

“If a dry spell hits later in the season, a crop that competed with weeds early will have less root mass to take up water and nutrients and be under more stress than a plant that had a clean field from the start,” says Nick Groth, Syngenta agronomist in Wisconsin. “Corn plants need to have a good day every day from planting through harvest to maximize yield potential.”

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Corn plants need to have a good day every day from planting through harvest to maximize yield potential.

Nick Groth Syngenta Agronomist

For some weeds, it’s even more critical to make sure they never see the light of day. Palmer amaranth caught some producers off guard last season, Gustafson says.

This heavy hitter can knockout corn yields — losses have been shown to reach 91 percent in corn1. Palmer amaranth plants can produce up to 100,000 seeds per plant, grow quickly, and are prone to developing resistance. It takes discipline to defeat this opponent.

“We can’t take a wait-and-see approach with tough weeds like waterhemp, marestail and Palmer amaranth,” says Gustafson. “In my area, once the weed is up, it’s nearly impossible to kill. Producers can’t cut corners on residual herbicide.”

Groth says producers in his area are having to adjust their thinking as they face waterhemp.

“Waterhemp isn’t like every other weed they’ve faced throughout their career. They can’t spray it over the top once it’s up and expect it all to die,” Groth says. “Growers should plan an aggressive herbicide program to stay ahead of it, and you don’t want to fall behind and risk developing a resistance problem.”

Reinforce Resilient Weed Control

Choosing the correct residual herbicide is just as critical as following label instructions and making timely applications at full recommended rates.

“The key to having an effective program that is resilient to varying weed spectrums is using an herbicide with multiple, effective sites of action targeted to key driver weeds for optimal control and resistance management,” Groth says.

Choosing a corn herbicide like Storen®, for example, delivers two sites of action and four residual active ingredients, including the unique component bicyclopyrone, which is also included in Acuron® corn herbicide. These options consistently deliver high levels of weed control, Groth says.

Using the higher recommended labelled rates of residual herbicides can be a make-or-break decision when facing tough weeds. The residual needs to hold out until the field is fit for the next herbicide pass.

“You need to control the weed seed, not the weed itself. Bolstering rates and getting as much residual control as possible in the soil will be critical going forward,” Groth says.

Plan Ahead For Preventive Fungicide Applications

Late-season foliar diseases are tough to predict since pressure can vary season to season. Some growers take a “wait and see” approach with disease outbreaks, but that could mean losing out on plant-health benefits or losing yield to late-emerging diseases if they don’t apply a fungicide.

Wet conditions in 2024 had producers in Groth’s region rightly concerned about tar spot. Many applied fungicides. In areas where it hit, producers saw great benefit. There were a lot of areas, however, where tar spot didn’t develop. In those areas, growers that used Miravis® Neo fungicide, part of Syngenta’s Cleaner & Greener fungicide portfolio, still saw a yield bump thanks to its proven plant-health benefits.

“Using a fungicide like Miravis Neo that controls a broad spectrum of diseases and delivers plant-health benefits allows producers to get a benefit from that application and a return on their investment in a wide variety of scenarios,” Gustafson says.

Plant-health benefits can help corn overcome stress like excessive heat and lack of moisture. They keep the corn crop greener and healthier longer, absorbing more light to produce more yield. Healthier crops use water more efficiently and have stronger stalks to reduce lodging at harvest.

Groth says producers shouldn’t wait for diseases to appear. Instead, they should plan to apply a broad-spectrum fungicide with plant-health benefits between tassel and R1-R2 every year to get the best long-term return on investment from a fungicide program. At this critical point, pollination and fertilization are occurring. Any additional stress on the crop can reduce the number of kernels per ear, kernel size and yield potential.

“We just don’t know what will happen after application. It might stay wet, and disease becomes an issue. Or it might turn dry and you need to rely on plant-health benefits. Some years it will be a home-run and other years a moderate ROI will be maintained,” Groth says.

Formulate a Crop Protection Plan

Weeds or disease, corn producers should go into the season with a solid crop protection plan in place. Being aggressive early in the season can help head off problems that could otherwise tank profit per bushel.

With weed control, waiting too long or not using a product with a long enough residual can mean a costly additional application.

“Cleanup options for weeds like waterhemp aren’t always effective and they’re definitely expensive. It is best practice to apply two timely passes of a herbicide to make sure the crop doesn’t struggle with competition” Groth says.

For disease control, using a product at R1 that sticks around longer to provide more protection spreads the value of that investment over more days. Trivapro® fungicide and Miravis Neo have the longest residuals on the market for tar spot and Southern rust, diseases that had pockets of heavy pressure in corn-producing states in 2024. They also mitigate stress from variable weather to help keep fields cleaner & greener.

“When you don’t have to make another application, the cost per day of weed control goes down. In other words, the longer the residual is, the less expensive the cost per day of protection will be,” Gustafson says. “At the end of the day, you’re providing excellent crop protection and increasing bushels produced at the end of the season.”

1 Purdue Extension 2013.

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For farmers, “spring fever” tends to manifest as restless energy to get into fields as soon as possible. After all, there’s lots to do, and weather often limits the time to do it.

Research shows planting soybeans early, before corn, has higher potential to increase yield and profit. But that can also increase the risks of planting soybeans into poorer conditions.

Pythium is one of those risks. A water mold, this group of fungal-like organisms live in most soil types or on crop residue as oomycetes that can survive for up to 10 years. When wet soil conditions and the right temperatures trigger the Pythium life cycle, they produce swimming zoospores that infect soybean seeds and roots, as well as some weeds and rotational crops.

University researchers note that Pythium species in the northern U.S. tend to infect plants when temperatures range from 50 to 60°F, while most species found in the South activate under temperatures between 85 and 95°F. In short, various Pythium species are active across a broad temperature range as long as there is moisture in soil pore spaces.

The pathogen causes damping off both before and after emergence. Pre-emergence, Pythium can prevent germination or cause seeds to rot; Post-emergence damping off is caused by Pythium killing young seedlings. Both types can lead to reduced yields associated with reduced plant stands. Under favorable conditions, Pythium can infect soybeans within 90 minutes of planting. It can be activated by stretches of wet weather between soybean planting and emergence.

The resulting poor stand establishment can require replanting, meaning you could miss out on the benefits of planting early in the first place. In 2023, university pathologists estimated that U.S. soybeans lost about 5.9 million bushels of yield to seedling diseases, including Pythium.

Support Soybean Growth to Protect Against Pythium

As soybeans grow, they become less susceptible to Pythium infections, so management practices that promote germination and growth help minimize yield loss.

  • Effective drainage prevents saturated soils that allow Pythium organisms to swim to soybean seeds and roots. Tillage or other water management can address problems, especially in low spots where water pools or in areas prone to flooding.
  • Planting into warmer soils, especially in northern states, decreases the risk of Pythium
  • Setting and monitoring planting depth helps optimize quick germination, emergence and stand establishment.
  • Tillage can break up soil compaction and aid with soil drainage in some situations.
  • Seed treatments protect soybean seeds and seedlings from Pythium infections during the two to three weeks after planting when they are most vulnerable.

To limit the risk for replants and maximize your seed investment, consider a premium F/I seed treatment like CruiserMaxx® APX. Powered by novel active ingredient picarbutrazox, along with second mode of action Apron XL, CruiserMaxx APX offers the most powerful Pythium protection available in a seed treatment premix. In addition, CruiserMaxx APX also helps safeguard soybeans against Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, bean leaf beetles and other early-season pests.

For more information about tackling early-season soybean diseases like Pythium, talk to your local Syngenta representative.

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Two factors indicate an insect’s ability to survive the winter: their biological adaptations to cold and a hospitable place to settle in to keep from freezing. If they hunker down successfully in your field, they’ll be in place to start feeding and breeding as soon as seeds are in the ground.

Because insects are unable to create their own body heat, three primary types of adaptation allow them to emerge in spring fields for another season: freeze avoidance, freeze tolerance, and “insect hibernation” or diapause.

Freeze-avoidant insects produce antifreeze proteins in their bodies as the cold moves in, allowing them to acclimate to the cold and survive sharp drops in temperature. Freeze-tolerant insects produce nucleating proteins that accumulate in their hemolymph — a fluid similar to blood in humans — which cause ice crystals to form in the hemolymph instead of the cells, where they would be lethal to the insect.

Diapause is a metabolic slow-down, regulated by hormones and genetically triggered to take place during a particular life stage. It’s effectively a state of suspended animation, during which growth and development slow and the insect’s resistance to extreme conditions increases. Extended diapause is what allows Northern corn rootworm to beat the corn-bean rotation by “sleeping” until corn is on the menu again.

Fight Back Against Threatening Insects

For soil dwelling insects, the most dangerous phase of development is often the larval stage when insects are hungry and preparing to pupate. Soil boring insects feed on plant roots or, in the case of cutworms, tender plant stems. In addition to feeding damage, the insects can spread disease through the crop as they move from plant to plant. They’re also most vulnerable to pesticides as larvae.

Since growers can’t count on the cold to kill off all the insects in their fields, integrated pest management (IPM) is a grower’s best approach against those that survive, according to Matt Geiger, agronomy service representative for Syngenta in south central Illinois.

“You should do multiple things to control your pests, not just one,” Geiger says. “You want to manage the vegetation in and around your fields and use good traits in conjunction with crop protection and seed treatments.”

A good time to scout is after harvest, when egg masses on dead plants, tree bark, and other sheltered locations are easier to see. Cultural controls against overwintering insects include tillage, which can disrupt habitats by incorporating field residue into the soil, destroying insect eggs laid in field stubble, and compacting the dirt, potentially crushing or trapping insects in the ground. Insects unearthed by tillage are also more likely to be exposed to predators or sudden severe weather they can’t bounce back from.

Crop rotation is another way to separate a pest from its crop of choice, as many corn growers learned after battling corn rootworm. In addition to depriving them of their food source, rotation can subject the insects to conditions they aren’t equipped for.

On the chemistry side, Geiger says clean fields are crucial even in cold weather, since insects, including cutworm moths, mate and lay eggs from early spring to late fall.

“In corn, you really don’t want to let a bunch of weeds go in the winter because cutworms could lay eggs in the weeds or potentially in a cover crop,” he says, noting that vegetation left in a field also serves as insulation for the insects beneath it.

“That insect can clip corn plants off at the ground if you don’t use traited corn. You should also have an insecticide like Warrior II with Zeon Technology® mixed with your corn residual herbicide pass.”

“When cutworms crawl across the ground, that insecticide will absorb into their bellies and kill them before they can clip the plants. Every farmer should be using a soil-applied insecticide if cutworms are a risk for their geography.”

On the seed side, Geiger says, DuracadeViptera™ corn trait stacks feature a unique mode of action that controls corn rootworm differently than others on the market along with offering protection against cutworms, earworms and rootworms.

“The most devastating insects are overwintering in the soil — corn rootworm, wireworm — those are big problems,” Geiger says. “If you’ve got those, you need to have an IPM strategy, for sure.”