Ag retailers and growers are accustomed to buying their crop seed and crop protection products from the same corporate providers, allowing for cost savings through bundling and higher compatibility between crops and chemicals.
This structure has been changing drastically over the last few years as some of these companies have been separating these functions into separate entities, adding a second set of representatives and relationships to what has been a consolidated, streamlined process for retailers.
Proponents say this new model allows more resources to be channeled into each side of the seed/crop protection equation, while other corporations are determined to retain their historic framework for serving their end consumers.
Ag giant Corteva has been the vanguard for this evolution, spinning off its advanced seed and genetics components into a new corporation, Vylor, a transaction completed Oct. 1, 2026. The “new” Corteva will continue as a global crop protection company headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, while Vylor of Johnston, IA, is a “$19 billion technology pipeline” for innovation, with 12 technological platform launches expected over the next 10 years.
Ryan Meyers, Vice President of U.S. Retail & Regional Business for Vylor, says, “For our retail partners, the foundation of our business remains the same — strong products, trusted relationships and people who understand their business. We plan to build on this foundation with stronger genetics, a deeper technology pipeline and an even better experience for our retail partners. We’re committed to helping them grow their entire seed business and to earn our place through performance, service and partnership.”
BASF is a chemicals company which also sells seeds in its Agricultural Solutions division, and Bryan Perry, U.S. Head of Seeds and Traits, says there are no plans to spin either off.
“We continue to see value in bringing seed, traits, crop protection and other technologies together,” Perry says. “The best solutions are wholistic and never siloed; agriculture is increasingly about finding the right combination of tools for a particular crop, acre and grower, and our integrated crop systems approach is designed to support this symbiotic ecosystem.”
Similarly, Bayer Crop Science’s Brian Naber, Head of North America & Australia/New Zealand Region, says his company continues to create value for customers in keeping seeds and protection under the same umbrella with an infusion of cutting-edge software.
“We believe the future of agriculture will belong to the companies that not only innovate to solve agriculture’s most pressing challenges but also help farmers realize the full value of those innovations on farm. That is the model agriculture needs, and that is why we are focused on connecting human expertise with seed, crop protection, digital capabilities and AI-driven insights to deliver measurable outcomes for growers.”
Eric West, Product Advancement Manager for Distributor and Retailer GROWMARK, said the changes from Corteva and Vylor could have pluses as well as minuses for retailers. As a distributor GROWMARK has dealt with multiple suppliers and can accommodate the creation of a few new ones, he says: “What’s most important to us is maintaining the ability to acquire the genetics and traits and crop protection products we need, which we are still able to do.”
Product bundles have been a reliable source of savings for growers and retailers, West says, but the upshot is a broader supplier base that could offer retailers and users new flexibility and opportunities.
