Syngenta Thrive

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Beef producers can achieve a potential 5% increase in feed efficiency while also helping to improve their environmental footprint by using Enogen® corn for feed.1 That’s the takeaway from a new life cycle assessment released by Syngenta Seeds and the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center.

Enogen helps cattle convert starch to sugars more efficiently, resulting in more readily available energy for livestock. In research studies at leading universities, Enogen has shown potential to increase feed efficiency by 5%,2 which can help cattle producers improve profit potential for their operations. The assessment shows that this nutritional boost helps improve efficiency in the farming, backgrounding and feedlot operations involved in livestock production. As a result, for every 1,000 head of finishing beef cattle, producers can potentially achieve the following environmental benefits:

  • Reduction of greenhouse gases equivalent to removing 35 passenger cars from the road for one year.3
  • Decreased land use for growing crops to feed the animals, equivalent to 50 American football fields.3
  • 6 million fewer gallons of water, enough to fill nine Olympic-size swimming pools.3
  • Enough energy saved to power 22 average homes for a year.3

To put the impact of these benefits into perspective, there are about 15 million head of beef cattle on feed at any given time in the U.S., and the industry processes approximately 35 million head of beef cattle each year.4

“The potential environmental benefits of feeding Enogen corn to finishing beef cattle could be very significant as the technology becomes more widely adopted,” says Duane Martin, head of Enogen marketing at Syngenta.

For more information on Enogen corn , go to enogenfeed.com.

1G. Thoma, M. Matlock, and M. Christy. 2020. Analysis of Life Cycle Impacts of Using Enogen Feed Corn in Feed Rations in Beef Cattle Production, University of Arkansas Resiliency Center.
2University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Studies, 2013–2017; Kansas State University Research Studies, 2016–2018; Penn State University Research Study, 2020.
3Based on LCA conducted by the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center, 2020, for 1,000 head, backgrounding through feed yard, using these experimental data and resources: Transl. Anim. Sci. Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2019, 504–512, https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txy121 (Exp 2); Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 4: Issue 1, https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7543 (Exp 1); https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator; and https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/energy-conversion-calculators.php.
4“Cattle on Feed Report,” released Feb. 19, 2021, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture.

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The European Union’s (EU) Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F) might have admirable climate goals — but the price tag for farmers and the global population is high.

Some of the proposed changes include strict guidelines for fertilizer and pesticide use along with increased organic production goals. They look good on paper, but the impact of F2F approval is an imposition on EU farmers who would have to use more land and spend more money —; both of which will produce lower yields. Lower yields mean more people go hungry.

And if passed, it might not be long before more growers than just those in the EU are losing income.

“Farm to Fork isn’t something that’s just going to affect European farmers,” says Mary Kay Thatcher, senior manager of Federal Government and Industry Relations at Syngenta. “It could easily limit the ability for the U.S. farmer to export products to those countries. There’s no question that the EU will further limit the use of pesticides on imported crops, and U.S. farmers need to understand what’s going on.”

A Brief Overview: Farm to Fork

F2F falls under the European Green Deal, an initiative that strives to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

“A shift to a sustainable food system can bring environmental, health and social benefits, offer economic gains and ensure that the recovery from the [COVID-19] crisis puts us onto a sustainable path,” says Stella Kyriakides, EU directorate-general for health and food safety in the Farm to Fork Strategy prepared for the European Commission.

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We applaud the EU’s goal of improving environmental sustainability in agriculture, but policies must also address food security and livelihood of farmers.

Mary Kay Thatcher Senior Manager, Federal Government and Industry Relations at Syngenta

But Ted McKinney, agricultural consultant and former undersecretary of agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, sees problems with the F2F Strategy. “The EU’s intentions are good with this program, for example, their objectives are laudable but their tactics don’t work,” he says. “They didn’t ask farmers — they didn’t even ask the commissioner of agriculture at the EU — making the plan.”

Ultimately, the EU wants to change the global standard for how food is raised — and the F2F plan is positioned as the first step.

A few highlights on new restrictions proposed in the F2F Strategy include reducing the overall use of pesticides by 50%, limiting nutrient losses by 50% by requiring farmers to use 20% less fertilizer by 2030, requiring more carbon-efficient livestock production, removing 50% of antimicrobials in farmed animals and aquaculture production by 2030, and transitioning at least 25% of EU’s agricultural land to organic farming practices.

“We applaud the EU’s goal of improving environmental sustainability in agriculture, but policies must also address food security and livelihood of farmers,” Thatcher says. “There are many trade-offs to be managed — such as significantly increased land use of organic farming — and targeting the use of inputs in isolation will not do anything to mitigate climate change. We would rather work with all stakeholders to establish a functioning measurement and incentive system for increasing carbon in soil, limiting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing biodiversity.

“Healthy nature and productive agriculture are not contradictions. At Syngenta, we believe there is a place for many different agricultural practices, and their impact needs to be properly and thoroughly assessed,” she continues.

This proposed strategy would only regulate EU farmers to start but that might not be the case for long.

“The EU is a major agricultural producer and participant in international agricultural trade. This policy shift is likely to affect international markets for agricultural commodities.” the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports in “Economic and Food Security Impacts of Agricultural Input Reduction Under the European Union Green Deal’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies.”

U.S. farmers have seen EU decisions impact them at the farm gate before through nontariff changes, Thatcher says. “Prices are likely to fall if this goes through because it’ll push our exports down and the EU is our 5th biggest trade partner.”

To put it into numbers, a recent study by ERS shows that if the F2F Strategy is adopted globally, gross farm incomes will decrease by 34%. Per capita food costs in the U.S. will increase by $512. Globally, they’ll increase by $450 per capita. Furthermore, ERS forecasts 185 million more people would go hungry.

A Harder Way to Farm

The F2F Strategy restricts farmer options and impedes farmers’ right to choose how they farm. It’ll start in the EU only but could quickly begin to impact global production.

“If they’re further limiting the use of pesticides, and they’re checking for residues, it’s likely going to change production practices here,” Thatcher explains. This would require a different focus in what currently is an efficient system.

McKinney believes the basis of much of the proposed plan is flawed. The idea that organic farming and reducing the use of pesticides that have been proven safe will make the climate and producers better off is not accurate, he says.

“If you’re not allowed to use pesticides or you’re forced to go organic, you still have to find some way to get rid of weeds and pests,” McKinney explains. “It’s not going to work with no-till, for example, and you’ll have to pull out the moldboard plow and do a lot of tillage, and you’ll see more erosion and certainly more greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Diversity and inclusion programs may focus on opening doors to women and people of color, but they also ultimately drive tangible benefits and opportunities for the entire agricultural industry.

“As agriculture becomes more diverse, more companies are realizing diversity is good for the bottom line,” says Ebony Webber, chief operating officer of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS). “They see opportunities to expand into new markets and stay competitive.”

MANRRS, which has 2,050 members in 65 chapters across 38 states, promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in agricultural and related scientific careers. The organization helps members through networking and leadership-training programs. It also provides role models and networking opportunities for student members as early as the seventh grade. A growing number of companies are offering internships and full-time positions to MANRRS members.

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As agriculture becomes more diverse, more companies are realizing diversity is good for the bottom line.

Ebony Webber Chief Operating Officer
Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)

“Once our members have the chance for hands-on experiences and realize the opportunities in agriculture, they become more engaged,” says Antomia Farrell, Ed.D., assistant dean and director for diversity, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky. She is also serving as the 2020–2021 national MANRRS president and as the University of Kentucky’s MANRRS adviser.

Women are already playing a sizeable role in agriculture. Female-operated farms accounted for 38% of U.S. agriculture sales and 43% of U.S. farmland, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

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Joy O’Shaughnessy, chief operating officer, agribusiness, at HighQuest Partners, works with Women in Agribusiness. This group encourages its members to learn about the many career opportunities in agriculture, such as law, finance, insurance, research and more. A part of O’Shaughnessy’s role is working with ag retailers looking to transform their workplaces by hiring and retaining more female employees.

In addition to supporting groups like MANRRS and Women in Agribusiness, agricultural companies can develop their own initiatives. For example, Syngenta recently launched a four-year equity, diversity and inclusion plan. The plan focuses on building diversity and inclusion into senior-level and management teams as well as into employee recruitment, advancement and retention, says Brandon Bell, diversity and inclusion lead at Syngenta, North America.

Webber believes that working together is the key to building greater diversity and inclusion in agriculture. “I hope that as an industry we can become more proactive,” she says. “It’s going to take everyone. But this is a marathon, not a sprint.”

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Unpredictable disease pressure is a concern each season, but when equipped with the right tools, soybean growers can fight back.

To help growers make informed input decisions, Syngenta is introducing the Miravis® brand performance hub to showcase how Syngenta fungicides stack up against competitive brands and untreated acres.

Using this online tool, growers will be able to explore local fungicide trials by crop and state and see how Miravis brand fungicides performed in environments similar to their own.

With this new resource, Southern soybean growers in particular will see the proof in the performance of one of the top Syngenta fungicides — Miravis Top.

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We want to empower growers to make data-driven decisions when it comes to their disease control.

Tyler Harp Fungicide Technical Product Lead at Syngenta

“We want to empower growers to make data-driven decisions when it comes to their disease control,” says Tyler Harp, fungicide technical product lead at Syngenta. “That’s why we created this performance hub. Now, Southern soybean growers can see how Miravis Top fungicide performed in their region with the environmental and disease pressures they face.”

Proven Performance

Specifically engineered with these growers in mind, Miravis Top fungicide is built to provide superior disease control, resistance management and longevity that growers can count on.

Miravis Top contains two powerhouse active ingredients, ADEPIDYN® technology and difenoconazole, to shut down difficult diseases including strobilurin-resistant and susceptible frogeye leaf spot, Septoria brown spot and target spot. Even in the toughest conditions, Miravis Top is proven to help increase profit potential.

“We’ve conducted trials throughout South, and Miravis Top is consistently beating the competition in yield and crop quality and at a lower cost per day of control1,” says Harp. “Plus, we’ve seen Miravis Top deliver an 8 bu/A average increase over untreated2.”

Protect Profit Potential

Due to projected higher market prices, more soybean acres are being planted this season than previous years, which is why Harp encourages growers to help protect their investment with a fungicide like Miravis Top.

“Especially since prices are high, you’ll want to take the steps necessary to maximize yield potential and help reduce the risk of loss,” says Harp. “A fungicide application may lead to more bushels, and more bushels helps give you the most return on investment potential.”

As the window for fungicide applications narrows, growers in turn are approaching their last chance to protect their soybeans with Miravis Top, which is where the performance hub comes in, says Harp.

“If you’re still on the fence about a fungicide, visit our performance hub and see the data for yourself,” says Harp. “When you look at the trials in your region, you’ll see the value Miravis Top could add to your operation.”

To find trials from your region, visit the Miravis brands performance hub at BoostYourBushels.com, or contact your local Syngenta sales representative for more information on Miravis Top.

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1Cost per residual is based on product cost per acre and average days of residual control, which may vary by geography and other factors.

2199 COI and on farm grower/strip trials. Application rate and timing: Miravis Top 13.7 fl. oz/A applied at R3. AR, KY, LA, MS and TN contain some replicated trials. AR (39), IL (55), IN (11), KS (6), KY (1), LA (27), MO (26), MS (22), TN (12); 2020.

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Like so many of his colleagues, Grant Morris, a producer in Pasco, Washington, relies daily on mobile communications to talk, text, email and manage equipment, crops and employees. The gains he makes by using his smartphone and tablet add to his annual bottom line.

“Without mobile communications, it would take longer and cost more to perform the tasks I do on the farm. There would be more face-to-face interactions, which create inefficiencies,” says Morris, who owns and manages Schneider Farms. He farms a total of 2,000 acres and produces grass seed, potatoes, sweet corn and peas for processing.

Morris uses apps for any number of tasks today: to view satellite imagery that helps detect crop problems, look up invoices, monitor equipment operations, check fuel levels, buy inputs, transfer data, manage application rates, peruse agronomic recommendations, review sampling and scouting information, and much more.

“The apps help eliminate a ton of paperwork and trips to the office to grab files,” he says.

Morris equips each of his employees with a smartphone or tablet and trains them on those devices. The operation relies heavily on a notes app and Dropbox to maintain to-do lists, communicate and transfer data.

“I can see on the notes app when they’ve completed their work, so I don’t have to call and check up on them,” Morris says.

Kansas Farmer Adds Acres, Cuts Windshield Time

Producer Matt Moreland of South Haven, Kansas, says mobile communications have helped him reduce driving time between the different sections of Moreland Farms. With 10,000 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans and winter wheat spread over 40 miles, that’s significant.

“So much of our business is based on spreading the cost of our equipment over many acres, and the more acres we can spread those costs over, the more profitable we can be,” says Moreland, who farms with his wife and three sons. “By using mobile apps and other tools, we can manage a greater number of acres.”

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The most significant value created by mobile communications is a return on time invested.

Tommy Jackson Executive Account Lead, Crop Protection at Syngenta

He uses a multitude of apps to help his operation run smoothly, and he’s a big fan of the Syngenta AgriEdge® whole-farm management program. The program’s record-keeping platform enables him to simply and quickly access all of his farm information via mobile communications.

“I have all of my fields mapped, so at any given time, I can use my phone to see the exact acres on a field and what’s been applied to them, check planting dates, and much more,” Moreland says.

He also uses apps to monitor rainfall and irrigation, an efficiency that saves money and can reduce water usage.

“We’ve installed monitors on the center pivots, so I can use my phone to check water pressure and the speed at which each is moving,” Moreland says. “If necessary, I can change the directions they’re moving and adjust water amounts with my fingertips. I will get a text, email or call if anything goes wrong — the app gives us that immediate notification and saves us trips to the fields.”

Morris and Moreland are just two of the many ag professionals who have adopted mobile technology to work more efficiently.

“The most significant value created by mobile communications is a return on time invested,” says Tommy Jackson, an executive account lead for Syngenta Crop Protection. “Our growers have the ability to make decisions quickly because the information they need is right at their fingertips.”

To help keep its customers on the cutting edge of mobile technology, Syngenta is hard at work delivering digital tools that drive efficiency and accelerate profit potential.

“Slightly more than 50% of the traffic on our websites comes from mobile devices,” says Tom Lesser, a digital marketing lead at Syngenta. “Whenever we build or change anything on our websites, we take a mobile-first approach to design.”

Growers Benefit From On-the-Go Pest Alerts

Pest Patrol, a Syngenta tool developed to provide free and timely agronomic information for ag professionals throughout the South, is another way growers and crop consultants can get information quickly on their mobile devices.

They can sign up on the Pest Patrol website to receive text messages from university personnel and Syngenta agronomic service representatives (ASRs) from any of the 11 participating states. When specialists post crop updates, subscribers receive text messages with a Pest Patrol website link that takes them to a short recorded commentary on a timely topic.

The program sees significant annual growth. “It helps land-grant university extension specialists gain a wider audience for the information they generate and gives growers and crop consultants the in-season information they need to be more efficient,” Syngenta Marketing Communications Lead Pam Caraway says.

Dominic Reisig, Ph.D., North Carolina State University extension entomologist, is a regular contributor to Pest Patrol. “It’s one of the methods I use to get timely updates to farmers and crop consultants during the growing season,” he says. “Our extension participants tell us that this is the program they receive the most positive feedback from.”

Mississippi-based Syngenta ASR Tripp Walker started posting alerts last year when growers needed in-season updates on the status of herbicides under regulatory review.

“I use it in situations where I need to provide more information than a text message can,” says Walker, who encourages growers to sign up now for this year’s growing season. “The alerts are focused and precise and have been well-received both internally and externally.”

To view archived agronomic posts, find more information on the 2021 Pest Patrol program and sign up for alerts, go to syngentaus.com/pestpatrol.

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Syngenta researchers fine-tune formulations to meet these challenges. This might mean adding a nonionic surfactant to change the surface tension of a liquid so the droplets don’t bounce off the plant and hit the soil.

For instance, coverage is essential when the goal is weed control. “If you’re spraying small, upright, grass-like weeds, our formulations will stick to the target,” says Mark Ledson, Ph.D., group leader of the lead application technology group in formulation development at Syngenta.

Syngenta works closely with equipment manufacturers to optimize spray nozzles’ effectiveness. “While there haven’t been a lot of new active ingredients coming along, there’s a lot of research going on with nozzles,” Ledson says.

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Our goal is to ensure that Syngenta chemistry is applied in the most effective way to maximize efficacy, which leads to higher yield potential and profit potential for growers.

Mark Ledson, Ph.D. Group Leader, Lead Application Technology Group, Formulation Development at Syngenta

Among the successes over the last 25-plus years of working with equipment manufacturers, Syngenta helped develop the Hypro GuardianAIR with a 10-degree angle for increased spray coverage. The success of the GuardianAIR spurred the creation of the 3D nozzle, whose 40-degree angle outperforms flat-fan nozzles for pre-emergence weed control.

“Our goal is to ensure that Syngenta chemistry is applied in the most effective way to maximize efficacy, which leads to higher yield potential and profit potential for growers,” Ledson says.

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Cover image: Equipment manufacturers and Syngenta work together to optimize the effectiveness of nozzles. Photography courtesy of Pentair. 

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Wheat growers are all too familiar with the stress of managing Fusarium head blight or head scab. Narrow application windows, booked applicators and unpredictable weather delays can make it challenging to effectively protect wheat from this disease.

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The key to easing that stress is extended residual control. With Miravis® Ace fungicide, growers can now treat head scab earlier — as early as 50% head emergence up to flowering1 — and see the benefit longer.

Averaging 12 bushels per acre more yield over untreated,2 Miravis Ace delivers extended residual control and superior head scab protection. Plus, trials show that Miravis Ace helps reduce the incidence of deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin that can negatively impact grain quality at harvest.

1The optimal timing for maximum yield and DON level reduction is still full-head emergence to full flowering.
2Data from 22 trials in IL, MN, MO, OH, SD, WI; 2018–2019.

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Saltro® fungicide seed treatment is the 2020 AgriMarketing New Product of the Year. Available for commercial use following its September 2019 registration, Saltro provides stronger emergence and higher yield potential.

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“Many soybean growers think they have to give up early-season plant health to get Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) protection. But with Saltro, that’s no longer true, and growers confirmed the excellent performance against SDS and soybean cyst nematode that we had seen in our trials,” says Paul Oklesh, Syngenta Seedcare product lead. “We’re very proud to be named AgriMarketing’s New Product of the Year — and it feels great knowing that we’re helping growers get better yield and a better deal.”

To learn more about Saltro and see more local trial results, visit whysaltro.com.

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The northwest corner of Illinois has some of the highest corn rootworm (CRW) pressure in the state. That puts Steve Marr, sales agronomist at Pearl City Elevator, Inc., in Warren, at ground zero in the fight to protect yields from what’s known as “the billion-dollar pest.”

“That’s not an exaggeration by any means,” Marr says of the moniker. “Last year, corn rootworm definitely took a toll on the crops. So this year, it’s a point of emphasis for growers who are trying to decide how to best control it and mitigate their losses.”

Joining Marr and area growers in that effort is Susie Heavner, sales representative for NK Seeds. While still in college, Heavner signed on as an intern with Syngenta. After graduation, she started as a developmental sales representative and then took a sales rep role, where she now serves northwestern Illinois.

“One thing I knew I wanted to provide as a service was working with retailers to help their growers better manage corn rootworm,” she says.

Since then, Heavner and Marr have been spreading the word about NK® corn and traits, including Agrisure Duracade® trait stacks. These trait stacks offer a unique protein and multiple modes of action that make them the foundation of any CRW management program. Managing below-ground pests also pays off above-ground with healthier plants, fuller leaves that allow for increased photosynthesis and maximum grain fill, and more robust stalks that stand tall.

“Nothing’s going to be a silver bullet for any kind of pest,” Heavner says. “But what I’m trying to provide to Steve is another tool in his toolbox that he can use to help his growers avoid the high cost corn rootworm can impose on their crops.”

Any growers concerned about CRW should have a multiyear management plan in place that incorporates multiple control strategies for each field, including crop rotation, CRW-traited corn hybrids, soil-applied insecticides and adult beetle management. The Syngenta “Take Control of Corn Rootworm” decision guide, available from any Syngenta representative, can help growers build an effective management plan.

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Last year, corn rootworm definitely took a toll on the crops. So this year, it’s a point of emphasis for growers who are trying to decide how to best control it and mitigate their losses.

Steve Marr Sales Agronomist at Pearl City Elevator

Crops and Cows

For Marr and many of his growers, there’s another benefit to his partnership with Heavner: A number of his customers are dairy producers interested in dual-purpose silage and grain hybrids to be used as feed for their dairy herds, and Enogen® corn for feed — available through NK retailers — fits the bill.

“I’ve had conversations about the benefits of Enogen corn hybrids with the Agrisure Duracade trait and the potential benefits it can have from a feed standpoint,” Marr says. “It garners interest from growers pretty quickly.”

Third-generation farmer Tim Leitzinger is one of those growers. He raises corn and alfalfa, along with 150 dairy cows and a small beef herd, on 500 acres in Lafayette County, Wisconsin.

“Rootworm has been a significant problem in our corn-on-corn acres over the last several years,” he says. “Steve brought Susie to talk with us when we originally started considering Enogen corn for our silage needs, and they provided information and data that led us to believe Enogen corn hybrids with the Agrisure Duracade trait were worth planting.”

Leitzinger had tried other traited corn hybrids but was interested in the ability of Enogen with Agrisure Duracade to protect the plant from CRW feeding as well as its potential benefits to the farm’s silage. Enogen corn silage maximizes starch digestibility, and research shows an increase in sugar content even while silage is in the pit. The result can be an increase in feed efficiency of about 5%,1 which helps cattle producers reduce feed costs and improve profit potential for their operations.

“We don’t operate extra acres, so we need to be aggressive with the acres we do have,” Leitzinger says. “Spending responsibly to maximize our own acres is definitely better than having to buy forages.”

Another aspect of the Enogen trait that’s intriguing to growers, Marr says, is that, unlike some other silage-specific hybrids, Enogen corn hybrids don’t have to be managed differently than traditional corn hybrids.2 And since Enogen hybrids are offered in elite genetics, producers can take advantage of their feed efficiency benefits without sacrificing yield.

“Some feed hybrids on the market do require special treatment due to the genetics,” he says. “They inherently don’t handle stress as well; they don’t have good disease tolerance; and the roots and stalks may not be as strong. Enogen just offers more peace of mind to growers.”

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In-Person Service During a Pandemic

Providing service during a pandemic presented a challenge, but Heavner found a creative opportunity in the crisis. She largely replaced field days with Tailgate Talks, smaller gatherings where attendees could socially distance by sitting on their own tailgates. The format has advantages.

“If you have a presenter talking and there are 50 people around you, the likelihood of raising your hand to ask a question is a lot lower than when you’re in a group of 10 people,” Heavner says. “So, I think Tailgate Talks may have been more effective because we had more interactive discussion.”

Heavner and Marr both prefer face-to-face meetings, but Zoom eventually came into play when it was time to report to retailers on the harvest and product performance.

“I would have liked to have done that in person; but if I had waited to meet in person in big groups, I would have been late to the game from a sales and a resource perspective,” Heavner says.

Everyone hopes that the 2021 season will be a return to normalcy. But no matter what’s going on globally, Pearl City Elevator customers know their level of service will stay high.

“Steve understands that we need to maximize our production while also keeping expenses reasonable and manageable,” Leitzinger says. “He brings us information and recommendations that give us a good return on investment and meet our production needs.”

1 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Studies, 2013–2017; Kansas State University Research Studies, 2016–2018; Penn State University Research Study, 2020.
2 Growers must comply with specific yet simple stewardship requirements.

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Is your farming operation more complex today than it was 10 years ago? Is it important that you stay on the leading edge of innovation to stay competitive?

“If you answered yes to both questions, it’s crucial whom you hitch your wagon to, especially for profitable crop production,” says Mike Twining, vice president of sales and marketing with Willard Agri-Service of Frederick, Inc., which serves farmers in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Twining knows farmers must keep an eye on their budgets but sees the bottom line as the key indicator. Realizing a strong bottom line, he says, requires evaluating which inputs deliver the most value.

“What growers are truly purchasing is a result,” Twining says. “That’s why I’m going to go with branded products.”

Duane McAllister, agronomy sales manager with Houff Corporation in Weyers Cave, Virginia, starts conversations by listening to farmers’ concerns about weed control and other challenges. He’s not annoyed when farmers who bought generic products complain that their herbicide container cracked and leaked. He takes it in stride when frustrated farmers demand to know how to get the last 20% out of a jug where the generic product has turned to sludge.

“In my early retail years, I might have gotten defensive in these situations,” McAllister says. “Now, I use this as a teaching tool to show why we recommend branded products.”

It starts with empathy. “I tell these farmers I understand their problem, because I’ve been in their shoes,” McAllister says. “I note that these are exactly the reasons why I choose Syngenta products, which are tested for specific formulations and consistent results.”

Consider the sludge in the jug, which can only be removed with elbow grease, McAllister adds. “I explain that if the Houff Corporation used generics like that, we’d never get to your field on time, because we’d be digging the product out of the jug, plus you wouldn’t get all the product you paid for. With branded products, you’re buying a solution you can count on.”

Keith Sheets gets it. “I don’t have time to learn everything about the chemistry of every product, so the Houff team is a valuable consultant for me,” says Sheets, who raises corn, soybeans and livestock near McGaheysville, Virginia.

With more than 35 years in business, Sheets still carefully analyzes spreadsheet data to determine return on investment. He values the Houff team’s expertise. “They aren’t going to sell me things I don’t need or that don’t work,” he says. “They also know my goals, with my No. 1 goal being making a profit.”

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The farmer had used generic products to try to make his own Flexstar® GT 3.5 herbicide, but it crystallized. Just knowing the active ingredients isn’t enough to create a successful product.

Matthew Cottle, Ph.D. Group Leader, Herbicide Development at Syngenta

Success Takes More Than Active Ingredients

Finding out what matters to farmers is a top goal for Syngenta. “We send our chemists into the field to find out what our customers’ crop protection needs are, compared with what we think they are,” says Matthew Cottle, Ph.D., group leader for herbicide formulation development at Syngenta.

When he was a formulation chemist, Cottle was concerned about bloom (particles dispersing in solution). “When I visited with a North Carolina farmer, he said he used an induction bowl that sucked everything in, so he wasn’t worried about bloom,” Cottle says. “Nothing beats directly interacting with clients. They’ll set you straight about what they like and what we can do better.”

Sometimes growers learn the hard way what “better” really means. Cottle thinks back to a retailer meeting in Rake, Iowa, that was interrupted by an angry farmer. “The farmer had used generic products to try to make his own Flexstar® GT 3.5 herbicide, but it crystallized. Just knowing the active ingredients isn’t enough to create a successful product.”

A Strong Formulation Maximizes Efficacy

Many factors go into producing high-quality crop protection products, including:

  • Correct ratios of active ingredients and other key components. Roughly 10% to 50% of the components in a crop protection product are active ingredients. The remaining components include adjuvants and surfactants, which enhance spray coverage and stabilizers. Products that contain sugar-based stabilizers also contain preservatives, which inhibit bacterial growth and extend package shelf life.
    • “That’s where the science comes in,” Cottle says. If the formula isn’t correct, for example, the product might thicken during cold springs, which are common in places like Wisconsin and Minnesota.
    • “If the product is too thick, it slows down flow rates and can even burn out pump motors,” Cottle says. “Syngenta adds anti-freezing agents that enable liquid water-based formulations to endure natural freeze-thaw cycles without compromising product performance.”
  • Physical stability of active ingredients. Hot weather creates its own challenges. “Heat can be detrimental to many active ingredients,” Cottle says. Generic mesotrione or S-metolachlor herbicides, for example, are known to have issues with stability. When hot weather hits, those products may not deliver the performance growers need in their fields.
    • “We study active ingredients’ physical stability at various temperatures,” Cottle says. “Then we add the right stabilizers to ensure our products deliver consistent, robust results at different temperatures.”
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Service After the Sale Drives Performance

None of this comes quickly or cheaply. The average time it takes to bring a new crop protection product to market can exceed 11 years and cost more than $265 million. Syngenta invests $1.3 billion in research and development each year, with 5,000 Syngenta scientists around the globe working on new and improved technologies.

McAllister finds field trials to be a particularly valuable test of the products, helping to ensure reliable results and crop safety. “When you explain to customers these differences between branded products and generic products, including service and support, the customers sell themselves on Syngenta products,” he says.

Service after the sale impresses Adam Dexter, a certified crop specialist with West Central FS in Williamsfield, Illinois. When some local growers had an issue with a corn herbicide last year, he recalls, “Syngenta had boots on the ground here within 24 hours.”

This support drives loyalty for West Central customer Grant Strom. “Price definitely factors into our choices, but service is important, too,” says Strom, who raises corn, soybeans, hay and beef cattle near Dahinda, Illinois. “I really like having the assurance of performance guarantees that come along with branded products versus generics.”

Strom continues to add more Syngenta products each year. In 2021, these include Bicep II Magnum® and Lexar® EZ corn herbicides, and Miravis® Neo fungicide on some corn and soybean acres. “Our salesman does an excellent job of supporting the products he sells,” Strom says. “He also deals with any issues of underperformance for us.”

Key for Willard Agri-Service is that the products they recommend deliver results for their customers. “As a retailer, we have to provide results,” Twining says. “We’ve vetted Syngenta products against the competition, and we know they’ll work consistently for our customers. We win when our customers win.”