All Episodes

April 1, 2025 20 mins

Send us a text

Continuing our coverage from Commodity Classic 2025 in Denver, this episode brings you another engaging discussion straight from America’s premier agricultural event. As growers focus on maximizing yields in 2025, effective disease management is essential for protecting crop potential. In this episode, we sit down with BASF Technical Marketing Manager Dr. Albre Brown to dive into the critical role of fungicides in high-yield soybean and corn production. From understanding disease pressure to selecting the right fungicide strategy, Dr. Brown shares expert recommendations for keeping crops healthier and more productive.

Key Takeaways:
✔️ If you want to optimize your yield performance you have to have an integrated pest management approach
✔️ Choosing the right fungicide for soybeans and corn
✔️ How BASF’s innovative solutions set growers up for success
✔️ Practical application tips to get the most out of fungicide treatments

Don’t miss this deep dive into one of the most effective tools for yield protection. Tune in now for actionable insights to help you spray to win this season!

Disclaimer: 

Liberty, Outlook , Zidua,  Zidua PRO , Poncho Votivo Precise, Endura , Revytek, Fastac CS, ILEVO , Vault IP Plus , Relenya , Priaxor , Liberty ULTRA , are registered trademarks of BASF.   Nemasphere, Zorina and Voraxor are trademarks of BASF.  Enlist, Enlist One, Enlist Duo, and Enlist E3 are registered trademarks of Corteva Agriscience LLC.  The transgenic event in Enlist E3 soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience LLC and M.S. Technologies, L.L.C.    

Xitavo is a registered trademark of MS Technologies and exclusively distributed by BASF.   All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and use of any such trademark does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by its owner.    

Always read and follow label directions. Before mixing components, always conduct a compatibility jar test. Always consult respective product labels for specific mixing instructions. The most restrictive label applies.  Fastac CS is a restricted use pesticide.   Nemasphere, Zorina, and Voraxor are not registered and not available for sale. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to promote the sale of this product. Any sale of this product after registration is obtained shall be based solely on the EPA approved product label, and any claims regarding product safety and efficacy shall be addressed solely by the label. The views expressed by BASF employees and Guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of BASF. Grow Smart is a registered trademark of BASF. Copyright 2025 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Spilling the Beans, the podcast that
spills the secrets to unlockingyour soybean farm's full
potential.
Every Tuesday, your hosts, billBackus and Jeff Mueller, dive
into expert strategies andinnovative solutions that will
help you boost your yields andmaximize your returns.
Whether you're a seasonedgrower or new to soybean farming
, we're here to help you succeed.
Let's get started.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hello, thanks again for joining us for this episode
of Spilling the Beans.
I'm Jeff Mueller.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
And I'm Bill Backus.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
And thanks for joining us today as we dive into
the world of soybeans, coveringvarious topics and providing
insights to the soybean industry.
Bill, here we are at CommodityClassic Again, second day.
We've been here.
We've had a lot ofconversations, we've talked to a
lot of people.
There's been a really goodcrowd that we've gone through.
There's anything you've gottenover the last couple days, any
key take-homes.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, you know, just wandering around, talking to
people, meeting a lot of peoplethat I haven't seen in a long
time and just kind of catchingup, so really just kind of a
networking event.
You just find a lot ofdifferent people that learn a
lot of things, a lot of newproducts, a lot of exciting
tools and equipment, and youname it.
Just going through all thestuff, that's really exciting to
see what's new and that's kindof what people come here for.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, and for me, I get a kick all the time, always
just all the states.
You know where everybody comesfrom and coming around and all
the questions you get.
And then they talk aboutspecific products that they're
using in their area and in thiscrop, this crop and it's really
interesting because you get tolearn a lot about certain
locations and where things areprevalent, where things aren't

(01:31):
used as much as you thought theymight be.
So it's always great to go fromthat standpoint.
Well, last episode we talkedwith our grower, chad, from Iowa
, and we talked about high-yieldsoybeans and some of the things
that he does and works with andutilizes in his operation to
help maximize his yieldpotential out there for soybeans
as we're going through there,and one comment he made about it

(01:53):
was fungicides.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Fungicide was a key component to him making sure
that he's getting somehigh-yield soybeans that we have
out there.
So, with that being said, todaywe're going to talk a little
bit about fungicides and we wantto dive a little bit more in
depth on them and some of thebenefits they provide.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
So, bill, if you want to be our guest, yeah, I think
it ties right back into what wetalk about really on every
episode our G by E, by M.
Right, you think about genetics, by environment, by management.
But this is one of the keymanagement perspectives that you
can do.
Once you have that foundation,once you understand your
environment, we've got tounderstand those management
tools that we can, and fungicidebeing one key component that we
can do.
So with that, we're going tospend a little more time on that

(02:33):
.
I'm going to go ahead andintroduce Aubrey Brown.
So, aubrey, come on up.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Hi, aubrey, let's give her a round quick, thank
you, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
So, aubrey, go ahead and introduce yourself, tell us
a little bit about where you'refrom, basically what you do here
at BSF, and I'll turn it overto you.

Speaker 4 (02:48):
I'm Aubrey Brown.
I'm the technical marketingmanager for Row Crop Fungicides
and Insecticides and even thoughI cover fungicides and
insecticides, I've reallyenjoyed working with you,
because both of you I know thatwe're on different parts of the
company and we have differentindications.
But, as you said, if you reallywant to optimize your yield

(03:10):
performance, you absolutely haveto have an integrated pest
management approach, and mybackground really plays into
that.
So I got my master's degree atTexas A&M in applied agriculture
and then I went on to UC Davisto get my PhD.
But in everything that I'vedone, I really understand that
if you're gonna get toagricultural success, it's not a

(03:32):
one stop shop.
You got to make sure you'retaking the right varieties,
using the right seed treatment,you're managing your weeds and
you're using fungicides.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
No, that's a great question.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Great information.
So last week we had Chad on andwe were talking about his
operation, like we said a littlebit ago, and he talked about
how one of the key factors forhis high yield management
soybeans in his operation isfungicidal components.
He lives and breathes with them, believes it has to be, it's a
must.
It was one of his two mainmusts that he has for growing

(04:05):
high yield soybeans, you know,can you tell us a little bit
about our BSF portfolio from afungicidal standpoint and then
really, what you know?
It can be corn and soybeans,both, but how it really sets us
apart from our competitors.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
Let's start with soybeans.
Corn and soybeans excellentrotational partners and that's
because they're not shared hostsfor pathogens.
Soybean pathogens are soybeanpathogens and corn pathogens are
corn pathogens.
But our approaches to soybeansin terms of fungicide management
, our number one leadrecommendation is Revitec
Fungicide.
Revitec offers broad-spectrumdisease control.

(04:39):
It has three modes of action.
So Revisol, the innovative DMIthat's only available from BASF,
Zemium, it's an SDHI, and thenF500 or Headline, that's our QOI
, and the three of these activeingredients are coming together
to provide broad spectrum,comprehensive disease control.
But when we think aboutchemistry, that chemistry is

(05:02):
what's bringing additionalbenefits, right.
So we're looking at diseasecontrol, but we're also looking
at plant vigor and plant healthand optimizing plant vigor and
plant health.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
Yeah, cool, cool.
That's the neat thing about it.
There's a lot of products outthere, right?
So as you think about Revitek,you think about Veltima.
We've got another one calledRevilock.
Absolutely, so what's thedifference between all three of
those?

Speaker 4 (05:26):
So Veltima is a two-mode of action product which
we recommend on corn it is F500, that's the QOI and then the
DMI.
It is the number onerecommended fungicide for tar
spot disease control by CropProtection Network.
So you're really seeing a highnet yield return with that
application.
But it has broad spectrumactivity.

(05:47):
So if you're going to haveunexpected southern rust,
veltima's got you covered theretoo.
But Revilac fungicide we seethat position on acres where
resistance has developed.
So Revilac has the highestamount of Revisol for any of our
products.
Revisol is that frat group 3 DMIthat's only available from BASF

(06:09):
.
When I think about Revisol, itis innovative, absolutely, and
it's in a class of its own.
So the comparison that I liketo make is a wrench versus a
socket wrench.
Okay, the revisol molecule isflexible.
It's unique in that flexibilityand it allows it to bind to
pathogen confirmation sites thatit might have changed to

(06:32):
develop resistance to otherfungicidal modes of action.
So that improved flexibilityimproves performance.
Back to that wrench versussocket wrench.
You have that same tool but theflexibility of that tool
improves performance.
So Revilock is that two-mode ofaction product with the highest
amount of Revisol.
That is excellent for sucasperaleaf blight control, frog eye

(06:55):
leaf, blight control and evencovers septoria brown spots.
So any major yield-limitingdisease in the south, that high
humidity disease environment,but also diseases that have
developed resistance, absolutelythat high-sermaline Revital is
going to give you the coveragethere.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Must have been reading my mind when I was
thinking of the question becauseI was going to ask you know
what makes that Revital moleculeso special and what's it bring
to the table.
And if you think about it, whenwe're talking about it we talk
about Revitec, we talk aboutTima, reviloc, that Revital
molecule, the vast array or justthe spectrum of coverage that
you get with that it all startswith that being able to change

(07:35):
that molecule and make it workto help from there.
So you read my mind.

Speaker 3 (07:38):
Read my mind, yeah, my mind as well.
So you know I was going on toget into the.
You know we've got a lot offrog at least, but resistance
development kind of going on.
So help us position a littlebit.
So Revit Tech kind of in whichpart of the soybean growing
region and Revit Lock kind ofwhere at?
And you know you're talkingabout T-Mond corn.
So let's talk ReviTech andReviLock for just a second Kind

(08:01):
of where do we position those?
North, south, east, west?

Speaker 4 (08:04):
We'll absolutely get there to product positioning.
But in order to get there toproduct positioning, you have to
think about how does fungicideresistance happen?
Like?
What leads to that?
If a pathogen population soimagine the population of
pathogens on your soybeans inyour field If they are exposed

(08:26):
to fungicides for an extendedperiod of time, they're going to
develop resistance.
If you're not using strongchemistry, you're not using
chemistry that lasts, thosepathogens that are really weak
against those fungicides they'regoing to die off.
But the ones that are moretolerant are going to be the
ones that repopulate.
So that's why you really haveto consistently use a strong
performing fungicide.
If resistance does develop.

(08:47):
Using new chemistries that thepathogens have not been exposed
to are what matters and that'swhy our products really
differentiate themselves,because we have new, innovative
AIs, but we also have thatinnovative chemistry that
translates to long lastingresidual activity.
So let's say you put on afungicide and it only lasts for
seven days.

(09:07):
With our fungicides they arelong lasting.
We have data that shows it goesup to 42 days after treatment
in both in soybeans and corn.
So if you have pathogens thatcome in let's say you have a
fungicide that doesn't last along time you put it on.
Maybe you knock back some ofthat pathogen population, but if
the fungicide is not lasting,you're going to have that

(09:29):
pathogen population start tocome back up and that's how
resistance happens.
So by using a long-lastingfungicide, a fungicide with
strong residual activity, withrain fastness, and a fungicide
that is going to stand upagainst UV degradation.
So if it's hot and it's dry,that will break down your
fungicide molecules.
But with our chemistry we'reworking to prevent that from

(09:52):
happening.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
Yeah, that's simply amazing when you think about all
the science basically that goesinto it and science behind, if
you will use that term right.
So we've got to figure outeverything around that and kind
of what we're doing.
So one thing that Aubrey and Ihave been working on is a Zatavo
and ReviTech kind of atechnical information bulletin.
So can you tell us a little bitabout that, and I'll add in
there too, but go ahead and talkabout that, what you're finding

(10:16):
, and maybe I'll do what I'mfinding on that as well.

Speaker 4 (10:19):
It's really exciting when we as partners are doing
kind of separate work, lookingat showcasing the performance of
our products and we see thesame end result, but we're doing
two different tests to assesslike what is that end result?
So on my end, we were lookingat the fungicide's ability to
improve root growth, at thefungicide's ability to improve

(10:41):
root growth.
A lot of the times when wethink about added physiological
benefits of the fungicide, we'reonly focusing on the top
portion of the plant.
But really our soybeangeographies have been challenged
by heat stress and droughtstress, so we want to be able to
showcase our fungicide'sability to improve root growth.
Soybean roots grow all the wayfrom R2 all out to R6.5.

(11:02):
By making a fungicideapplication that helps improve
plant health, you are promotingearly season root growth that
will carry you through the endof the season.
So if we have a lot of earlyseason rains, your crop has
access to that water.
But when that water drops off,you need that increased root

(11:23):
growth in order to acquire waterfrom the soil.
Because if you have waterthat's deeper down in that soil
profile and you can't access it,well, it's not doing anything.
So with your work, you sawsimilar results, right.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, exactly.
So I basically did a seedingrate trial where I had multiple
varieties.
I had eight different varietiesat 100,000, 140,000, 180,000.
And we did with and withoutRevitec, basically sprayed at R3
.
And we started looking at theroots, we started looking at the
yields and we started reallyliterally digging into and
understanding what's going on.
And you know, I talked toAubrey and I said what is going

(11:58):
on here and then we kind of gotinto this root discussion.
So look at the yield.
I mean we're roughly, you know,increasing the seeding rate.
I was able to, which is not thenormal thing.
Right, we're seeing seedingrates on soybeans go down, down,
down.
Actually, when we start pairingit with the fungicide and we
start putting all that togetherand getting that root mass to
understand what it's going tobring to the table, and we start

(12:20):
looking at differences invarieties as well.
As I talked earlier, we havethat G by E by M yield triangle.
We start looking at theunderstanding, the soybean
variety characteristics andtheir different rooting
architectures and how theycontinue to grow and build
different root masses, how thatties into yield at the end of
the day.
So we were continuing to getmore yield.
We had some higher seedingrates.
With that we had well aboveaverage across the trials that

(12:44):
I've been running about 4.4bushels for the Revit Tech
across the entire state of Iowathat I cover about 1,000 data
points and when I did this withthis trial what I found was I
was upwards.
About 6.6 is what I kind ofaveraged across all those trials
.
So understanding that there aresome differences when we start
tying the system together.
But yeah, been a pretty goodproject.
We're going to continue thathere this year.

(13:05):
So stay tuned, there will be alot more as we look down the
road on that one.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
Yeah, and that's what's.
You know, that's really one ofthe fun parts about our job is
being able to work with Aubreyand other members of the team
and going out there andincorporating those and doing
actual real field trials withthem and getting that ground
truth information out there andbeing able to utilize that to
get out to all the customers andthe audience that we have out
there.
So we're going to wrap up herepretty quickly, but I want to

(13:31):
ask you a question, because Iget asked this question a lot
and there's a little devilcalled the white mold that is
coming in in several areas and Ihear some people they ask me.
They said, hey, you know, justtalked about the Revosol
molecule, how great it, howadverse it can go over all types
of diseases and scenarios.
You know, can I spray afungicide on my soybeans and

(13:53):
take care of white mold?
Will it take care of it?
Will it kill it?
Will I have some protection?
Is there value there?
What are your thoughts on that,aubrey?

Speaker 4 (14:02):
It's part of the BSF innovations.
We're always trying to meetgrower needs.
That is our objective.
This month, in March of 2025,we're anticipating registration
of Zarina fungicides.
Zarina is comprised of.

Speaker 3 (14:16):
How do you spell that ?

Speaker 4 (14:19):
Z-O-R-I-N-A fungicide , but for you more broader
accents fungicide, fungicide.
So Zarina is comprised of Endura, but it's a liquid formulation
of Endura.
Endura, but it's a liquidformulation of Endura.
So Endura is the number onerecommended white mold control
fungicide by our universitypartners.
And when I say that it'sbecause it's the only fungicide

(14:42):
that is rated very good forwhite mold control.
So we have transitioned that toa liquid formulation to may
improve operator handling.
But we're combining that itwith a premix solution with
Revisol, that frat group 3 DMI,so you're getting two modes of
action.
Now for comprehensive whitemold control, we're recommending

(15:02):
an earlier application timingfor that.
So your application timing isR1 to R2.
When we think about soybeangrowth stages, that sweet spot
is at full bloom, right atcanopy closure, so you can get
the most comprehensive whitemold control.
So Zarina Fungicide BSF'snewest innovation we are getting

(15:22):
registration this month.
In 2025, you can demo theproducts if you want to see
performance for yourself, andthen 2026 is when we're going to
meet our first commercial sales.

Speaker 3 (15:33):
What's the rate of that at this point in time?
What we're thinking?

Speaker 4 (15:36):
18.5 fluid ounces per acre with Zarina fungicide
white mold control on soybeans.
It's also registered on goingto be registered on canola dry
beans and pulse crops.
So give you that flexibility,that comprehensive white mold
control yeah, Awesome.

Speaker 3 (15:51):
I got to see it in some research trials here over
the past year and it wasimpressive.

Speaker 4 (15:55):
You all have varieties that are tolerant for
white mold.
Yeah, we do.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, from a Zotavo standpoint.
We really look at that fromwhat we're going to do and how
we understand the soybeanvarieties and really their white
mold tolerance.
We do a lot of screening toreally understand that as well.
So pair those together withSerena.
I think that'd be a great tool,nice tool.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
And that's what's really neat.
You know, when you think about,when we talk about BSF all the
time, you know innovation is oneof the first things that come
in.
And that's really excitingtimes right now because you know
, with Zarina coming on and theNemisphere coming on, that we
got coming in just a lot oftools we have in the toolbox
that we can really help thefarmers, you know, help save
some of that yield loss outthere and help maximize that
return on investment they'regetting off of those acres.

Speaker 3 (16:33):
Yeah.
So anything else, aubrey, tobring it to a close that you
want to make sure the audienceand our listeners hear?

Speaker 4 (16:38):
Just thanks for the partnership.
Absolutely Integrative pestmanagement approach.
Reach out to your local BSFrepresentative for more
information.
We're happy to help.
This is what we're passionateabout.
Whatever indication you're inat BSF, agriculture is your life
.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (16:54):
Thanks again.

Speaker 3 (16:54):
Aubrey.
Thank you, Aubrey.

Speaker 2 (16:58):
Well, bill, I would say she said passionate,
absolutely I would say she hitit on the head.
Learned a lot of stuff aboutfungicides there on the corn and
the soybeans and a lot of theyou know, we see, you know you
spray and this is what it'ssupposed to do, right, but
understood a lot of the backchannels, a lot of the mechanics
in the back, that what it'sdoing to help maximize the

(17:20):
return on investment that we'regoing through there.
What were a couple of the keytake-home points?
Or what did you really get fromAubrey that we talked about
today, that you know for ouraudience you think would be
really beneficial.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
Yeah, you think about that Revisol just in the length
of control.
I mean, holy cow, when youstart talking that length of up
to what did you say 42 days whenyou think about what that
potential is.
That is amazing to think aboutwhat that potential control is
going to be and just how itworks and how it's flexible to
adapt to a lot of diseases.
So seeing that and seeing theoverall performance of it in the

(17:53):
field has been really exciting.
So really really cool on that.
And really just Zarina, I thinkthose two that's really the
main thing that you know.
Every time I talk to Aubrey Icontinue to learn more and more
about stuff and about fungicides.
You know definitely a sharp galand definitely you know glad to
have her on the team, so howabout you?

Speaker 2 (18:09):
Yeah, you know, probably my biggest take-home is
the flexibility with our newRevisol molecule, but being able
to have I mean, as you see, aswe talk about the Veltema or the
Revitek, the Revilock now we'vegot Zarina coming in we do have
the best fungicides in theindustry, absolutely, and it
shows up all the time.
And especially we talk abouttar spot, you know Veltema.

(18:31):
That's where it's at from thatstandpoint.
So, again, just the value thatour products can bring to the
growers and just the innovationwe're always coming up with at
BSF to stay ahead of that curve,to making sure we're fitting
the needs as we're going forward.
So, with that being said, bill,do you have anything else?

Speaker 3 (18:47):
to add before we sign off no, no, I think, another
great episode.
We've got a lot of good topicshere, so look, it's been a great
episode and we've got a lot ofgood topics here, so look
forward to our next episode aswe continue on down the road,
absolutely.

Speaker 2 (18:55):
Bill, thanks for joining me you bet, and thank
all of you for joining us todayon Spilling the Speeds.
Go ahead and download the GrowSmart Live app for more
resources and more informationand, if you like the podcast,
please share it with othergrowers and farmers.
So, with that being said, meand Bill are telling you to have
a great day.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Thanks for joining us on Spilling the Beans, where
every episode gets you one stepcloser to maximizing your
soybean profitability.
If you found today's insightsvaluable, subscribe and leave us
a review on your favoriteplatform.
Download the Grow Smart Liveapp for more resources and share
the podcast with other growers.
See you next week with moreexpert tips to help you grow

(20:05):
smarter and achieve the bestyields yet.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
Transcription by CastingWords does not imply any
affiliation with or endorsementby its owner.

Speaker 1 (20:11):
Always read and follow label directions Before
mixing components.
Always conduct a compatibilityjar test.
Always consult respectiveproduct labels for specific
mixing instructions.
The most restrictive labelapplies Natsai Fastax.
CS is a restricted-use pesticide.
Nemasphere Zorina and Voraxorare not registered and not
available for sale.
This information is providedfor educational purposes only
and is not intended to promotethe sale of this product.
Any sale of this product, Anysale of this product, after

(20:31):
registration is obtained, shallbe based solely on the
EPA-approved product label andany claims regarding product
safety and efficacy shall beaddressed solely by the label.
The views expressed by BASFemployees and guests are their
own and do not necessarilyreflect the views of BASF.
Growsmart is a registeredtrademark of BASF.
Copyright 2025, BASFCorporation.
All rights reserved.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.