Before most planters start running, the agronomic team at WinField United is sharing takeaways from its research programs.
Every year, data is aggregated from the Innovation Center in River Falls, Wis., and nationwide Answer Plot field locations. The goal of the analysis is to provide insights on input decisions, return on investment and agronomic performance.
Here are the 4 takeaways the company has highlighted for 2025:
1. Glyphosate effectiveness.
Joe Rickard, crop protection product manager with WinField United, encourages growers and retailers to try adjuvants for improved weed control and reduce water use.
“This past summer, we paired InterLock adjuvant with glyphosate to test changes in performance on some tough weeds like velvetleaf,” said Rickard. “The results showed that when InterLock adjuvant was added to the spray mix, there was a 20% reduction in the size of velvetleaf weeds and their leaf areas were reduced by 26%, indicating more effective weed control.”
Additionally, adding InterLok to the tank mix saved up to 11 gal. of water during a day of applications.
2. Glufosinate uptake in tougher conditions.
Rickard points out for glufosinate herbicides, such as Liberty herbicide, are popular choices for weed control, and they also benefit from adjuvant usage.
“In an Innovation Center study, scientists found that Class Act NG adjuvant significantly improved the uptake of Liberty herbicide, by as much as 178%,” Rickard said. “This research translates to a more cost-effective way to combat weed pressure, especially in tough conditions that could affect uptake.”
3. There’s up to 6 bu/acre to be gained with adjuvant use for fungicides.
“With many growers battling increased disease pressure in their corn fields, we know fungicide applications are in disease management plans this season,” Rickard said. “In Answer Plot trials, we looked first at how popular fungicides performed against several of the most common corn diseases, such as Northern Corn Leaf Blight and eye spot. But then, compare that to how plants reacted when those fungicides were applied in combination with an adjuvant.”
Rickard says the research had one combination at the top of the list: Altipro funcigicide and MasterLock adjuvant showing a 6 bushel yield increase. Fourteen days after application disease severity dropped significantly and plant biomass increased.
4. Biologicals still have a learning curve.
Introduced in 2024, WinField United’s BioVerified program is a vetting process designed to give ag retailers and growers a reference point when using biologicals.
“The BioVerified designation has quickly become a source of truth when it comes to helping determine which biologicals have been shown by research to be effective and could make the most sense to incorporate into crop protection and crop nutrition plans,” said Rickard.
This year, it’s been updated with 11 products including hopper-box treatments for corn and soybeans, Dash PBC and Dash PBS. Those products are designed to provide lubricity and improve early season growth. The full BioVerified list can be found here.
