As harvest approaches, many growers are evaluating what worked this season and what adjustments may be needed for next year. While every growing season presents a unique set of challenges, it also validates the agronomic and biotech traits that help protect yield potential. The DEKALB® corn and Asgrow® soybean brand portfolios offer a broad range of products with disease tolerance, insect protection and other agronomic traits designed to support harvest success.
Tar spot and southern rust in corn and red crown rot in soybeans were among the biggest disease concerns in 2025. Early observations indicate that 2026 conditions are favoring diseases such as tar spot in corn and white mold, crown rot, and sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans. Because disease pressure shifts with weather patterns, growers should select products with disease ratings and agronomic traits that are well suited for the risks they may face next season.
“Year in and year out, diseases are responsible for yield losses in corn and soybeans,” said Lance Tarochione, a DEKALB Asgrow technical agronomist in Illinois. “At Bayer, we work hard to evaluate our germplasm for resistance to important diseases and are constantly trying to improve the levels and sources of resistance we have in our germplasm.”
Disease isn’t the only threat to yield potential. In many parts of the Corn Belt, northern and western corn rootworm continue to be among the most damaging pests. DEKALB hybrids featuring VT4PRO™ and SmartStax® PRO trait technologies provide growers with proven protection against corn rootworm and above-ground corn insects while supporting strong agronomic performance.
“Growers have had excellent success managing both northern and western corn rootworm with VT4PRO and SmartStax PRO technologies, and those traits continue to perform well,” said Dan Koehler, a DEKALB Asgrow technical agronomist in Minnesota.
Koehler noted that with the strong yield potential seen across southern Minnesota this season, many growers are preparing fungicide applications to help protect that opportunity.
“We’re expecting a lot of Delaro® Complete applications this year,” Koehler said. “Our DEKALB lineup already offers strong tolerance to diseases like northern corn leaf blight, anthracnose stalk rot and tar spot, and Delaro Complete provides another layer of protection to help preserve yield potential.”
Bayer plans to introduce Corn Rootworm 4, a next-generation trait technology designed to provide enhanced corn rootworm protection through two new Bt proteins and an improved RNAi mode of action, targeted to launch in 2028, pending regulatory approvals.
“Bayer is always looking for new ways to stay ahead of corn rootworm,” Koehler said. “Corn Rootworm 4 is another example of our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that help growers protect yield.”
Bayer continues to build on that foundation through one of the industry’s leading trait development programs. Bayer’s fourth-generation Vyconic™ trait package will give Asgrow soybean growers expanded weed management flexibility as the first soybean trait with tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate, dicamba, 2,4-D and mesotrione. This product is planned for targeted market introduction in 2027, pending EPA label approval.
For weed management, Bayer’s new Stryax™ dicamba herbicide provides growers with another effective option for managing difficult broadleaf weeds as part of an integrated crop protection program.
Local agronomic support from DEKALB and Asgrow brands can help growers identify products with the agronomic traits best suited for their operation. This combination of genetics, data-driven insights and agronomic expertise can help growers make confident seed decisions.
For more information, contact your DEKALB Asgrow seed dealer or visit DEKALB and Asgrow online.
