DENVER (DTN) -- Billed as "America's largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience," the Commodity Classic has become the granddaddy of farm shows. This year, not even The Flash would've been fast enough to visit all the exhibitors who packed the trade show floor at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver with product displays and informational booths.

While DTN will have continuing coverage sharing more of what was learned at the 2025 show, here's a quick rundown on three developments that corn and soybean farmers should have on the radar.

BAYER ANNOUNCES VYCONIC

The next generation of herbicide technology in soybeans from Bayer, previously referred to as "HT4," was introduced with a brand name during Commodity Classic. The company plans to introduce Vyconic soybeans to both the U.S. and Canadian markets by the 2027 planting season.

"This is the very first trait stack to bring five herbicide tolerances in one soybean with four different sites of action," said Kacy Perry, Bayer's North American soybean business lead. "What this trait will bring to farmers is glyphosate tolerance, glusofinate tolerance, dicamba tolerance, 2,4-D tolerance and mesotrione, an HPPD. This is exciting because it's the industry's first tolerance to mesotrione."

Perry stated that since 1995, soybean yields have increased by 44%, which "shows how much innovation and technology truly add value to the American farmer."

Rick Leitz, Bayer technical product lead for soybean, said the intent in 2027 is to launch it across the entire soybean-producing region in North America, offering beans from maturity group 000 to maturity group 7.

"Vyconic soybeans really give the grower true flexibility in their weed management program," Leitz said. "Adding the mesotrione provides some additional residual management that we traditionally haven't had in our soybean portfolio, so I think that's an exciting thing to think about as growers design their weed management program for their particular acre and for their particular weed management issues."

Leitz added that as the Bayer breeding program continues to develop new germplasm, Vyconic soybeans will be launched with the latest genetics and newest disease tolerance traits.

"What we're seeing from a performance perspective to this point is on par with where our current XtendFlex pipeline is," he said. "We expect to continue to see that performance carry through into launch."

SYNGENTA NAMES NEW INSECTICIDE

After roughly 15 years in development, Syngenta announced the first product it intends to bring to the U.S. market with the company's Plinazolin technology containing the active ingredient isocycloseram.

During a "What's New" session at the show, Kevin Langdon, an insecticides technical product lead, announced Opello, a liquid soil-applied insecticide intended to control corn rootworm, wireworms and white grubs. The formulation is designed to offer tank-mix compatibility with starter fertilizers when planting field corn.

"We're very excited to bring this to the corn grower in the United States," said Langdon, who shared results of field trials from Kansas to Wisconsin comparing Opello to a non-treated control and two unnamed competitor products. "The Plinazolin technology was very consistent across the trials. We're 27 bushels (per acre) over no insecticide, nine bushels over competitor one and 13 bushels over competitor two."

Scott Johnson, Syngenta product lead, said that pending EPA registration, the company was now targeting the 2026 growing season for the launch of Opello in the United States. He said that a family of brands would incorporate Plinazolin technology, including Opello; Equento, an insecticide seed treatment intended for use in cereals and pulses; and three labels for foliar application in diverse crops including cotton, pome fruit, stone fruit and brassicas.

BASF ANNOUNCES FUNGICIDE CHALLENGE

During BASF's annual "Science Behind" learning session for media, the company focused on the evolution of the company's fungicide portfolio and the products' use to prevent disease and improve plant health.

"In the last 20 years, BASF fungicides have protected 260 million acres of corn and soybeans," said Scott Kay, BASF vice president of U.S. agricultural solutions. "But last year, about 45% of corn and beans didn't receive any fungicide application. We've got 115 million acres that are unprotected. With all the risk out there, we think now is the time to step up and really show farmers how we can help them in the field."

Kay announced the Real Results Yield Challenge, an opportunity for growers in 2025 to test one of three BASF fungicides -- Veltyma for corn, Revytek or Revylok for soybeans -- in an on-farm trial.

"It'll be our largest field-based yield challenge ever testing BASF's performance-driven fungicides at commercial scale," he said. "We'll partner with our local retailers to give more growers a chance to see those results and compare them to their current approach."

Farmers interested in participating in the Real Results Yield Challenge should contact their BASF authorized retailer or local BASF representative.

Jason Jenkins can be reached at jason.jenkins@dtn.com

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