BASF RevX Fields provide growers with local, on-farm fungicide data
The large-scale program provided growers with the opportunity to test the latest fungicide technology
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, February 26, 2020 – Following the EPA registration of its newest fungicides – Veltyma™ fungicide in corn and Revytek™ fungicide in soybeans – BASF worked with more than 1,200 growers across the country as part of the RevX Fields program. The program allowed growers to experience the newest BASF Plant Health fungicide offerings in their own backyards. RevX Fields is designed to provide local, relevant and transparent yield results.
“We’ve found there are often multiple barriers growers face when deciding to use fungicides,” said Dr. Josh Miller, BASF Technical Marketing Manager. “BASF created the RevX Fields program to be a true hands-on experience with Veltyma and Revytek fungicides. It was important for us to provide useful data for growers in the program, but it was also important to provide access for growers outside of the program, to see benefits in their own backyards.”
The RevX Fields program took place during the 2019 growing season following the EPA registration of Veltyma and Revytek fungicides. The program allowed for on-farm data to be gathered so growers could better make informed fungicide decisions. In addition, all RevX Fields were flown using drones by Aker Technology Inc., an independent crop diagnostics and analytics company, to supply growers with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) imagery and other environmental indicators of their fields near application and approximately seven weeks following application.
“What sets our crop diagnostics service apart, making it helpful to these growers, is that we collected data from each field using drones and specialized sensors, not satellite,” said Orlando Saez, CEO and Co-Founder, Aker Technology Inc. “This allowed timely and real in-field data to supplement BASF’s crop models to help growers in the RevX Fields program understand how these products were working and how they could make proactive updates to their plans in-season.”
The information gathered from this large-scale program also provided growers who did not participate in the program with access to data from fields in their area at RevXFields.com. All results were compiled and updated weekly in an interactive map that anyone can access from the website. Now, growers can explore local RevX Fields results gathered from their peers and are able to learn from those participants’ experiences.
For growers that provided combined yield files, the data is independently validated through a third-party. As of February 2020, there have been 321 on-farm yield results harvested, showing a +11.5 bu/A yield advantage of Veltyma fungicide over untreated in corn across 70 family farms and a +6.2 bu/A yield advantage of Revytek fungicide over untreated in soybeans across 88 family farms.
In addition to offering broad-scale data from the RevX Fields, a select number of growers were chosen to work with Karrot Research, who provided more in-depth analysis of their data. Two growers working Karrot Research set world record breaking yields in corn at 616 bu/A and in soybeans at 190 bu/A.
“We managed trials with a select number of growers who already consistently apply fungicides to provide another layer of data,” said Alice Robinson, CEO, Karrot Research. “We were able to gain true confidence in these fungicide trials as we analyzed data throughout the season for variability, spatial effects and significance.”
Throughout 2020, participant testimonials and featured fields will be shared on RevXFields.com. Growers can visit the website to learn more about the program and the data that resulted from these fields. For more on Veltyma fungicide or Revytek fungicide, please reach out to a local BASF representative.
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work — for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 20,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2018. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
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