The Climate Innovators Trial is a collaborative initiative between WinField® United Canada and Bayer Crop Science. The objective of this partnership is to help farmers better understand how specific agricultural innovations, such as fungicide combinations, biological products, and seed treatments, can optimize yields and improve farm efficiency. The goal of the 2024 program was to showcase the power of data-driven decision making through the Climate FieldView platform.
Collecting the Data
This year, a total of 21 trials were conducted across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Yield results came in from 14 out of the 21 sites.
Agronomists and retailers had three trial participation options. The first option was a trial involving MasterLock® and Holdfast® to evaluate the effectiveness of Holdfast fungicide with and without MasterLock. The trial evaluated if the addition of MasterLock with the sclerotinia fungicide, Holdfast, offered a yield benefit compared to Holdfast alone.MasterLock with the sclerotinia fungicide, Holdfast, offered a yield benefit compared to Holdfast alone.
Biological product trials were another option and were carried out using a biological and Prosaro® PRO Fungicide. This trial looked at whether there was a yield gain with the use of a biological in combination with Prosaro PRO Fungicide versus Prosaro PRO on its own.
The third option involved participating in a seed treatment trial comparing CROPLAN® CP22T1C treated with Helix Saltro Fortenza® Advanced to CROPLAN CP22T1C treated with Prosper® Buteo™. This trial aimed to determine if there was a yield difference between the seed treatments, comparing the seedling disease, flea beetle and cutworm protection from Helix Saltro Fortenza Advanced with the added insecticide offered by Buteo.
The Results
The MasterLock and Holdfast trials yielded results similar to those from the 2023 program, underscoring the product's consistent performance. In the 2024 trials,71% of sites reported positive yield results when using Holdfast + MasterLock compared to Holdfast alone, as tracked in the FieldView platform. Canola experienced almost a bushel per acre increase in yield compared to acres without MasterLock; an impressive gain from simply adding an adjuvant.
A farmer who participated in the trial initiative could see the effects of MasterLock from the sprayer.
"As soon as I added MasterLock to the tank, there was a noticeable difference in droplet size and uniformity. It appeared to drift less and reach the canopy more effectively. The observable uniformity and drift reduction that MasterLock brings to the table will help see it being used in many different applications. Going forward, whenever someone needs a NIS, MasterLock is the way to go."
In the biological trials, adding a biological product alongside Prosaro PRO Fungicide resulted in a 2 bu/ac yield increase, showing a measurable benefit for farmers interested in integrating biological products into their fungicide programs. While the increase may seem modest, every additional bushel can make a significant difference in a farmer's bottom line. These results gave the Climate Innovators trial group something to discuss and consider for future evaluations.
A Visit to Climate Headquarters
While the data nerds were keen to dive into the results of the trials, it's always nice to balance work with some play. Retailers participating in the Climate Innovators Trial were entered to win a trip with WinField United to Climate Headquarters in Chicago, IL. During the visit, the group toured the Climate facility.
Colin Cameron, Market Development Manager for Alberta with WinField United, found it fascinating to see the agricultural technology being developed there. The main focus at their headquarters is technology, and Cameron noted that most of their discussions revolved around hardware development and meeting the unique needs of farming.
"At the Climate facility, they’re focusing on everything from tablets and tractors to cutting-edge combines, aiming to make it all work for farmers who are interested in their own data,” elaborates Cameron. "Farming equipment that's 25 years old is still in use, but it's interesting to watch farmers gradually replace their old equipment with new technology. That's when tech adoption happens. It was very interesting to see what they are working on at the Climate headquarters."
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Photo: Jack Carels
Jack Carels, Business Agronomist with Double Diamond Farm Supply, attended the trip and shared his key takeaways.
"Touring Climate’s Chicago office was an amazing experience," Carels shares. "Like their other offices, since COVID hit, most employees choose to work from home. Even though there were fewer employees physically at the office, the passion remained."
Carels enjoyed observing the innovations and buzz of the facility. The electrical engineer’s corridor was a tinker room for inventors and innovators. Employees were currently working on their Canplug Drive 2.0, which has a much-anticipated public release, and there were rooms with many machines being built, tested and hardware created.
After the tour, Carels had the opportunity to visit with the lead electrical engineer at Climate.
"We talked about bigger picture visions for the company, how we both saw digital agriculture in future farms, and the implications of data-driven decisions in a competitive farm world," elaborates Carels. "We also shared urban versus rural perspectives within the agriculture industry and, to my surprise, were not all that unaligned. We both shared a collective goal to fight for farms and aid in better decision making."
"The passion to strive for success remains unhinged, and the innovation from the great minds of the Climate team is inspiring. To see some of this firsthand was a real honor." says Carels.
The collaboration with Climate FieldView, along with the collection of trial data and the trip to Chicago, highlights WinField United's dedication to continuous education with their network of independent ag retailers.
