New WinField United BioVerified designation helps vet the booming biologicals market

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — The U.S. biologicals market is forecasted to double in size in the next five years to more than $2 billion. While these emerging products carry the potential to improve yield, their impact on crops is variable.

That variability combined with oftentimes limited manufacturer product performance data has driven many potential users to seek clarity.

Enter the WinField United BioVerified designation, a vetting process designed to give ag retailers and growers a clearer reference point when selecting biologicals.

“Our agronomy and research teams have been closely monitoring and testing a wide range of biological products to help retailers and growers navigate which products can perform and add value,” said Jeff Carr, WinField United strategic marketing manager for biologicals.

“With the WinField United BioVerified designation, we’ve consolidated that effort into an identifiable brand and systematic rating scale to make the vetting process easier for our partners.”

The rapid growth of today’s biologicals market is being fueled by investment and innovation across a broad range of biologicals categories driven by changing consumer preferences, rising chemical resistance and a variety of other external factors.

Carr said the WinField United BioVerified designation covers the biological products including biocontrols, biostimulants, living biologicals and biochemicals that WinField United recommends based on a thorough vetting process.

“We’re looking to be a trusted resource across the biologicals market, not just testing our own products, which is what makes this designation unique in the industry,” Carr said.

“Our team also plans to evaluate this list annually, adding new products that meet criteria and removing products that have been outperformed by competitors, so partners have up-to-date information heading into every season.”

Vetting Process

Products that receive the WinField United BioVerified designation are evaluated based on four key criteria: uniqueness, agronomics, operational alignment and economics.

• Uniqueness: This considers how a product fills a need in the marketplace, is differentiated from other available options or is applied in a different way.

• Agronomics: The product must have extensive data to prove it works and brings value to the field. Data can come from a combination of sources, including the WinField United Answer Plot field testing system and the Innovation Center in River Falls, Wisconsin, where 3D imaging equipment is used to help identify product impacts faster in a controlled environment. Data also can come from reviewing broad data from a third-party vendor or product supplier.

• Operational Alignment: This criteria considers factors such as handling, shelf life, application options, tank-mix compatibility and more.

• Economics: This category evaluates the channel’s return on investment potential for each product to help retailers and growers determine if a product makes business sense for their operations.

The scores are compiled and rated against competing or similar products to determine which receives the designation.

“In 2024, a total of 11 products, ranging from plant growth regulators to soil activators, have been selected for the WinField United BioVerified designation,” Carr said. “As the market grows and products are introduced or improved, the designation will evolve to continue to bring the most value to our partners.”