ECONOMICS
Like all business people, farmers want to know the economic impact of any change they’re considering. New technology often comes at a higher price. So, it may be worth doing a simple break-even analysis with the farmer to look at both price and potential for increased revenue/yield. You likely already know your price, so be sure to include any program discounts. Next, you’ll want to determine the potential yield improvement of the switch. You may already have yield data from third-party trials or your own plots. Then do some simple math: take the potential added cost of switching from two to three above-ground MOAs and divide that number by the current commodity price of corn. That gives you the amount of yield increase needed to break-even on the investment. As an example, Corteva Agriscience data shows a 7.4 bu/A yield improvement with PowerCore® Enlist® corn (three MOAs) vs. VT Double PRO® corn (two MOAs).1 At $4.50/bu corn, that’s roughly $33.30 of potential revenue to help offset the potential increase in cost.
RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT
A study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology found that insect resistance to Bt crops developed in an average of 6.6 years, depending on the pest and trait.2 Some products with two MOAs have been around for more than 15 years. As efficacy wanes, yield can suffer. And there’s always the possibility of insect flareups in a given year, which could reduce yield even more. An additional mode of action can help reduce the risk of insect resistance and help preserve yield.
HERBICIDE FLEXIBILITY
Some traits with three MOAs come with additional herbicide tolerances. More tolerances mean increased herbicide choices, which can help improve weed control programs and reduce the risk of resistance. For instance, a corn trait with tolerance to four herbicides, like PowerCore Enlist corn, allows farmers to choose from multiple foundational herbicides. And with the Enlist® weed control system comes a wide range of qualified products — more than 1,700 — that can be tank-mixed with Enlist One® herbicide, giving your customers the flexibility to choose what they need to suit their individual weed pressure situations.
Are three modes of above-ground insect protection right for every field?
Certainly not. But as farmers continue to upgrade from two modes of action to three, it’s worth having the conversation with your customers to get in front of any competition already making a push. So, the next time a farmer asks, “what’s new?” talk with them about the economic, resistance management and herbicide flexibility considerations of switching from two MOAs to three. The dialogue and future harvest results might surprise you in a very good way.
1 Data is based on an average of 2023-2024 comparisons made in US IMPACT trials through 10/25/24. Comparisons are against VT Double PRO® products from all competitors, unless otherwise stated, and within a +/- 3 CRM of the competitive brand. Product responses are variable and subject to a number of environmental, disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary. Multi-year and multi-location data are a better predictor of performance. DO NOT USE THIS OR ANY OTHER DATA FROM A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRIALS AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN PRODUCT SELECTION. Refer to corteva.us or contact your sales professional for the latest and complete listing of traits and scores for the products provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents.
2 Roche, J., Ph.D., “The State of Resistance to Transgenic Bt Crops,” Entomology Today, published April 18, 2023, https://entomologytoday.org/2023/04/18/insect-resistance-transgenic-bt-crops-bacillus-thuringiensis/.
™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. POWERCORE® is a registered trademark of Bayer Group. POWERCORE® multi-event technology developed by Corteva Agriscience and Monsanto. Always follow IRM, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Bt products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your seed representative for the registration status in your state. Following burndown, Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® herbicides with Colex-D® technology are the only herbicides containing 2,4-D that are authorized for preemergence and postemergence use with Enlist® crops. Consult Enlist® herbicide labels for weed species controlled. Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides are not registered for use or sale in all states and counties; are not registered in AK, CA, CT, HI, ID, MA, ME, MT, NH, NV, OR, RI, UT, VT, WA and WY; and have additional subcounty restrictions in AL, GA, TN and TX, while existing county restrictions still remain in FL. All users must check “Bulletins Live! Two” no earlier than six months before using Enlist One or Enlist Duo. To obtain “Bulletins,” consult epa.gov/espp/, call 1-844-447-3813, or email ESPP@epa.gov. You must use the “Bulletin” valid for the month and state and county in which Enlist One or Enlist Duo are being applied. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you have questions about the registration status of Enlist® herbicides in your area. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO USE ANY PESTICIDE PRODUCT OTHER THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS LABELING. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. USE OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, 2,4-D-CONTAINING PRODUCTS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITH ENLIST CROPS, MAY RESULT IN OFF-TARGET DAMAGE TO SENSITIVE CROPS/AREAS AND/OR SUSCEPTIBLE PLANTS, IN ADDITION TO CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. Additional product-specific stewardship requirements for Enlist crops, including the Enlist Product Use Guide, can be found at www.traitstewardship.com. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of BASF. Roundup®, Roundup Ready® and VT Double PRO® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. © 2025 Corteva. 025789 LC (06/25)
