Corteva Agriscience gave the world a peek into novel crop protection products available now and in its pipeline during the 2023 Farm Progress Show. Mike Wilson, senior executive editor for Farm Progress, was there when the company pulled back the curtain. Here is a closer look:

Viatude. This fungicide, aimed at controlling sclerotinia (better known as white mold) in soybeans and canola already has U.S. EPA approval. It contains two modes of action: Onmira, the active ingredient in Approach, plus prothioconazole.

LumiTreo. Look for this three-way fungicide premix in 2024. It provides control of the soybean seedling disease complex, which includes damping off, seedling blight, and seed and root rot. Offending organisms include phytophthora, fusarium, rhizoctonia, phomopsis and pythium. Active ingredients are oxathiapiprolin, ipconazole and picoxystrobin.

Corteva also unveiled several biological products, either here now or in the pipeline:

Utrisha N. This nitrogen-fixation product was launched this year. It assists corn by pulling more nitrogen from the atmosphere. Spokespersons see it as a reliable product that adds respectability to the biologicals market. The company’s goal for Utrisha N is a 5-bushel-per-acre yield increase in corn and a 2.5-bushel-per-acre increase in soybeans.

Utrisha P. This new product will be positioned as a way to get more of the phosphorus in the soil actually into plant roots. Simply put, Nate Wyss with Corteva says it helps make P fertilizer more available to plants. Expect it to be available across a wide geography for 2024.

Instinct Nxtgen. This advanced nitrogen stabilizer targets ammonium. The goal is keeping it in the soil into June, when corn plants need it most.

Another biological innovation

Indigo Ag launched its first bionematicide in the U.S. The product is Biotrinsic Z15 for soybeans and corn. Spokespersons say it will provide a new line of defense against soybean cyst nematode and other plant-damaging nematodes.

The proprietary strain in this product is Streptomyces, a naturally occurring bacterium. By colonizing roots, it provides a shroud of protection against harmful, invasive nematodes. The product will be available in a flowable powder formation. Contact indigoag.com.

Crop answers at your fingertips

What is the plant-back interval to soybeans after applying XYZ herbicide mix? Yes, you could sort through labels to figure it out. Or you could just ask Ed! And Ed is not Mr. Ed, the talking horse from the 1960s TV sitcom days. It may seem far-fetched, but Agrivi assures everyone that its new invention is real, and not far-fetched at all. Agrivi Ed is billed as a fully artificial intelligence-driven agronomy advisory assistant.

Available in over 50 languages, Agrivi Ed is being positioned as an information source for agriculture. Companies can customize it to their own brand through Agrivi Engage, or farmers can access it.

Agrivi is a 10-year-old company offering products for agriculture and business on the cutting edge of the computer software space. Visit agrivi.com.

Space-age weed control

Aigen, a Seattle-based ag startup, intends to control weeds on some 20,000 acres on a custom-service basis in 2024 with weed-removing robots. The company claims it’s ready to unleash the world’s first artificial intelligence-driven, solar-powered robotics service in 2024.

The heart of Aigen’s approach is an unassuming robot, the Aigen Element. In theory, swarms of these small but effective, network-connected autonomous machines move through row crops, eliminating weeds. Developers say there could be a myriad of uses, but they started with weed control because it is an important need. See it for yourself at aigen.io.

Ready for an autonomous tractor?

Rather let your tractor work while you multitask? It’s no longer pie-in-the-sky thinking. Sabanto offers Steward, a cutting-edge technology that allows tractors to work by themselves. You create, manage and monitor field operations through Steward’s Vehicle Mission Control on your phone or tablet while your equipment works without you aboard.

Cellular connectivity, GNSS receivers, lidar sensors and intelligent video cameras make it possible, says Craig Rupp, Sabanto CEO. They connect with Steward’s systems in real time. Object detection systems within Steward ensure safe operation. Learn more at sabantoag.com.