INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

A Year of Innovation from BASF

Published online: Dec 20, 2021 Articles, New Products
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While many companies claim to focus on innovation, BASF Agricultural Solutions delivered on its promise to farmers and the agriculture industry by launching more than 37 new products and programs in 2021. This growth reinforces BASF’s commitment to invest in research and development (R&D) and bring new tools to the market.

The company introduced 17 new seed varieties in cotton and soybeans, 11 new products and two label extensions, two anniversaries, and multiple new initiatives, including the launch of TeraxxaTM seed treatment, introduction of the e3 Sustainable Cotton Grower Fund, and creation of a Soybean Cyst Nematode Awareness Month.

“Through our pipeline of innovation and related efforts, BASF is focused on supporting farmers and their needs in a challenging environment,” said Scott Kay, Vice President of U.S. Crop, BASF. “We’re grateful that 2021 proved to be a year of such innovation, in which we continued to bring solutions that combine effective products, new technologies and services.”

Examples of 2021 BASF innovations and initiatives include the following:

New Product Launches & Label Updates

  • Launch of Teraxxa seed treatment, the first and only seed treatment capable of eliminating wireworms for wheat growers
  • Introduction of Sphaerex fungicide, designed to help wheat growers reduce damages from DON
  • Label update for Provysol fungicide to include reduced pre-harvest interval to seven days for sugarbeets, suppression of powdery mildew in sugarbeets, approval for use in-furrow in sugarcane, and the addition of fruiting vegetables and cucurbits 
  • Expansion of the EPA registration of Cevya fungicide on additional crop groups, including berries; cucurbits; and bulb, fruiting and root vegetables
  • Launch of Vercoras canola seed treatment for InVigor hybrid canola, delivering broad-spectrum protection against key seed and soil-borne diseases
  • Integration of VanderSat’s innovative, fully operational Cloud-free Biomass product with BASF Digital Farming’s market-leading xarvio  Field Manager solution
  • Expansion of xarvio Field Manager solution weather station device connectivity options to include integration of data from METOS by Pessl Instruments and Sencrop
  • Introduction of new digital tool for the Grow Smart Live app, providing crop input recommendations as well as the estimated value versus alternative options
  • Release of BASF’s first insecticide for the golf course market, Alucion 35 WG insecticide, the only non-restricted use pyrethroid labeled for golf courses
  • Launch of a new fungicide for the golf course market, Encartis fungicide, which offers long lasting, preventive and curative protection from dollar spot and ten other key foliar diseases
  • Introduction of Avelyo™ fungicide, a next-generation DMI fungicide for greenhouse and nursery growers with broad-spectrum disease control and exceptional plant safety at any stage in the production cycle
  • Launch of Finale XL T&O herbicide, a non-selective, contact herbicide with enhanced active ingredient loading that delivers fast and precise control of tough weeds on golf courses and in landscaping, greenhouses, and nurseries
  • Announcement of BASF’s newest innovation in pest control solutions, Ridesco WG insecticide, which will be available for purchase in early 2022. This product combines two active ingredients, dinotefuran and alpha-cypermethrin, in one convenient treatment

Other Initiatives

  • Launch of the e3 Sustainable Cotton Grower Fund, a unique and unprecedented effort to provide additional economic support for cotton farmers in the e3 cotton program
  • Introduction of Agronomic Advantage, a new grower-focused program that offers both flexibility and rewards, giving growers the freedom to choose
  • Creation of Soybean Cyst Nematode Action Month in October, during which BASF and the SCN Coalition provided information and resources needed to defend against this devastating pest
  • Raven Industries joined BASF and AGCO as the newest Operation Weed Eradication coalition member to support farmers in their weed control efforts

New Varieties

  • New FiberMax cotton seed variety FM 1730GLTP, which includes three-gene lepidopteran resistance, helping growers manage yield-robbing worms
  • New Stoneville dicamba-tolerant seed varieties ST 5091B3XF and ST 4993B3XF, both of which are tolerant to Liberty herbicide, Engenia herbicide, and glyphosate herbicides and include three-gene lepidopteran resistance
  • Fourteen new Xitavo soybean seed varieties, including the Enlist E3 triple-stack herbicide tolerant trait (Xitavo soybean seed is owned by MS Technologies and exclusively distributed by BASF)

Anniversaries

  • Celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Stoneville Legacy Club, which honors cotton growers; with record yields and enrollments in the club
  • Sixteenth anniversary of the FiberMax One Ton Club, which celebrates cotton growers who achieve four-bale or greater yields
  • Ten-year anniversary of Poncho Votivo®seed treatment, America’s No. 1 seed treatment trusted on more than 40 million acres annually

“Clearly, 2021 was a successful year of innovation for BASF and its growers, but it’s just the beginning,” said Scott Kay, Vice President of U.S. Crop, BASF. “We’re also looking forward to the unprecedented innovation in our pipeline, with additional solutions expected to launch throughout the next decade.”

BASF will continue to strengthen its activities in R&D for sustainable agricultural innovations to help farmers overcome environmental and economic challenges. By 2030, more than 30 major R&D projects will complement BASF’s connected offer of seeds and seed treatment products, chemical and biological solutions, and digital services.

Developments on the horizon include continued investments in game-changing technologies. For example, the unique Smart Spraying solution, currently in field trials, offers real-time, automated pre-mergence (“green-on-brown”) and post-emergence (“green-on-green”) weed identification and management day and night. It enables better herbicide formulations and rates to control weed resistance, ensuring herbicide is spot applied to weeds only where and when needed. Smart Spraying is part of a 50/50 joint venture between Bosch and BASF Digital Farming, known as Bosch BASF Smart Farming GmbH. BASF also is working toward launching IdeltisTM hybrid wheat, intended to provide farmers with higher and more stable performance in yield and quality to advance one of the world’s most important crops.

Click here to learn more about BASF innovation.