Corteva: Advancing Agrochemical Formulations with Transformative Innovations and Differentiated Breakthroughs

Editor’s note: The field of agrochemical formulation technology is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. As agricultural conditions grow increasingly complex, the demand for sustainable development becomes more urgent, and digital technologies advance rapidly, how can innovative formulation technologies help agriculture achieve efficiency, environmental friendliness, and sustainable development? This question has become the focus of many enterprises and research institutions.

As a global leading agri-tech company, Corteva has achieved remarkable results in the field of agrochemical formulation with its emphasis on technology, strong innovation ability, and extensive global layout. This interview focuses on Corteva's in-depth insights and successful experiences in agrochemical formulation innovation, sustainable development practice and global market strategy. From the innovative development of complex multi-active products to the design of award winning formulations with industry leading sustainability development standards; From the development of ULV formulations for precision agriculture to the use of digital and artificial intelligence technologies to accelerate formulation optimization; and from the creation of integrated solutions that combine traditional agrochemicals, biologicals and biotechnology... Corteva's series of innovations have set an example for the industry and provided strong support for the sustainable development of global agriculture. Through this interview, we look at Corteva's strategic layout and technological innovation achievements in the field of agrochemical formulation. The insights shared also offer valuable references for other stakeholders in the agricultural sector, encouraging collaboration to drive the industry toward greater efficiency, environmental responsibility, and ingenuity.

Hui Shao R&D Director, Global Product Science & Technology Leader at Corteva Agriscience	Madan Somasi Formulation R&D Leader at Corteva Agriscience	Benjamin Doughan Biological Product Science and Technology Leader at Corteva Agriscience

In the current global trends of agrochemical formulation technology development, what formulation technologies do you consider most promising, and how do these technologies help agricultural producers address modern farming challenges?

Traditional formulation types, such as Soluble Concentrate (SL), Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC), and Suspension Concentrate (SC) remain popular in the crop protection market. However, newer active ingredients often have complex molecular structures and physical-chemical properties that affect their solubility and stability. At the same time, growers around the world are increasingly seeking pre-mix formulations that combine multiple active ingredients. These multi-active products offer broader pest control, reduce the number of applications required, and provide greater convenience and cost efficiency. However, incorporating multiple actives can also increase the risk of incompatibility and chemical degradation within the formulation.

The use of adjuvants to enhance formulation efficacy and formulation technology to reduce drift are also becoming more common. Furthermore, biological actives are gaining significant momentum as standalone products and complementary tools to improve crop health, often used alongside traditional chemical active ingredients.  Formulations like Oil Dispersions (OD), Wettable Powders (WP), and Water Dispersible Granules (WDG) are more common with biologicals due to their unique stability and delivery challenges.  

These trends indicate that traditional formulation types are no longer sufficient to address the increasingly complex challenges. As a result, formulations such as OD, Suspoemulsions (SE), Capsule Suspensions (CS), Flowable concentrates for Seed treatments (FS), and mixed formulation types (e.g., ZC) containing multiple active ingredients and/or adjuvants, are emerging as the new trend to meet market demands. Corteva has been heavily investing in developing industry-leading formulation technology in conjunction with Analytical, Process, and Application technology to enable the launch of robust formulated products that consistently and conveniently deliver the attributes growers need to tackle pests that threaten their yield.

Could you share some examples of innovative formulation technologies of your company, and how they create unique value for farmers and have received positive market recognition?

As discussed earlier, complex formulations are increasingly essential to deliver the multi-active solutions that growers demand. Corteva has recently launched two new corn herbicides in the US market: Resicore^® REV and Kyro^®. Both products utilize advanced microencapsulation technology to combine three active ingredients in a single ZC-type formulation. This approach effectively addresses compatibility challenges while providing broad-spectrum weed control and outstanding crop safety.

Additionally, Corteva’s Arylex^® active, a new herbicide for controlling broadleaf weeds, was launched in 30 new formulations globally. Of these, 27 are premix concepts, with the majority containing three or more active ingredients and safeners to meet different market needs (e.g., Cereal, Pasture & Land Management, Turf, Burndown, Sunflower, etc.).

In the biologicals arena, Corteva’s NEXTA™ STAND formulation delivers three plant growth regulator (PGR) actives, while NEXTA™ SPEEDBOX offers a unique blend of nine microbes and over six molecular actives in a convenient on-farm hopper box delivery system. Utrisha^® N nitrogen stabilizer represents another innovative solution for nitrogen management, featuring patented gram-negative bacteria in a differentiated wettable powder (WP) formulation. Utrisha^® N offers a two-year shelf life and broad compatibility with various chemistries, simplifying application for growers. Corteva has also developed an OMRI-listed version and achieved the first USDA Process Verified Program (PVP) verification for a biostimulant, underscoring the product’s quality and performance.

Beyond premix formulations, the development of new adjuvants is further enhancing the performance of agrochemical products. Adjuvants improve the delivery and efficacy of active ingredients by enhancing penetration, retention, wetting and spreading. Corteva has built a comprehensive suite of in-house capabilities to translate greenhouse insights to field performance, enabling the creation of innovative, customized built-in adjuvant solutions that maximize the effectiveness of our actives. For example, our patented Inatreq™ i-Q4™ technology delivers superior efficacy by optimizing spreading, retention, and cuticle penetration, allowing for a 50% reduction in use rate for Septoria control. Similarly, products such as Loyant^® Herbicide with Rinskor^® Herbicide (recognized with an R&D 100 Award and Best Formulation Innovation at the Agro Awards), Verpixo™ Fungicide with Adavelt™ active, and many other Corteva offerings feature proprietary in-can adjuvant packages to ensure optimal efficacy.

In developing new agrochemical formulations, what are the biggest technical challenges your company encountered? How did your company overcome these challenges?

Farming in the 21st century presents increasing complexity. Growers must contend with labor shortages, unpredictable weather patterns, and heightened demands on water and land resources. To address these challenges, farmers often streamline operations by tank mixing crop protection products, fertilizers, and water conditioners, thus reducing the number of field applications and maximizing efficiency. However, this approach demands that product formulations remain compatible across a wide range of tank mixes and under stringent application conditions.

At Corteva, we have built robust in-house capabilities and formed external collaborations to extensively test our products under the diverse conditions they will face in the field. For example, our flagship products Enlist One^® herbicide and Enlist Duo^® herbicide have been evaluated with hundreds of nozzle types and thousands of potential tank mix partners. Over 1,700 qualified tank mix partners are now listed on Enlist.com, providing our sales teams and customers with easy access to this critical information. Similarly, Instinct NXTGEN® nitrogen stabilizer, powered by our proprietary Optinyte^® technology, is an advanced capsule suspension formulation. It was specifically engineered to deliver superior tank mix performance with a wide variety of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides—not only in water, but also in most urea-ammonium nitrate solutions, N-P-K solutions, micronutrient slurries, and suspensions.

The adoption of precision agriculture technologies including drones is also shaping the future of crop protection. Drones require ultra-low volume (ULV) formulations that are highly concentrated to suit their limited carrying capacity. In response, Corteva has launched award-winning products such as Hibifen^® Insecticide with Pyraxalt™ insecticide and Jemvelva™ insecticide, specifically designed for drone application by rice growers in the Asia-Pacific region (2020 Agrow Awards – Best Formulation Innovation).

Corteva remains committed to developing integrated solutions that combine our industry-leading seed trait technology, crop protection chemistry, and biological products. Achieving this requires a deep understanding of biological interactions to design effective management programs for growers, as well as innovative formulation and application technologies that enable the success of products that may not otherwise perform optimally on their own.  

Sustainable development has become a global consensus. How does your company lead industry sustainable development through formulation design that simultaneously meets the multidimensional goals of excellent performance, regulatory compliance, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness?

At Corteva, sustainability is at the heart of our innovation process. We have fully integrated comprehensive sustainability metrics throughout our entire product development pipeline. Our new sustainable innovation criteria for both pipeline actives and new product development are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that by 2025, 100% of our newly developed solutions will meet stringent sustainability standards.

For instance, our Rinskor^® herbicide active provides exceptional weed control at much lower application rates and with reduced environmental persistence compared to previous herbicides. Similarly, our recently launched product, Reklemel^® nematicide, is effective at use rates nearly 50 times lower than traditional industry standards.

Sustainability also guides our approach to product formulation. We have created an extensive co-formulant toolbox, ranking over 4,000 co-formulants based on safety and sustainability criteria, including quantity used and renewable content. This system ensures that every formulation achieves an optimal sustainability profile without sacrificing performance. Additionally, we employ advanced in-silico and in-vitro predictive safety screening in all early-stage formulation development, prior to finalizing product composition and regulatory studies.

Our commitment to sustainability is further demonstrated by our Enlist™ herbicide solutions, which are designed to minimize off-target movement by reducing spray drift and volatility. Enlist Herbicides are the first products to comply with the new US EPA framework for the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Seed Applied Technology (SAT) is another powerful tool we use to deliver sustainable benefits to growers. Seed treatments offer unique advantages such as precise application to the seed, lower use rates, and reduced exposure for both users and the environment. All Corteva seed treatments undergo our rigorous PASSER evaluation (Plantability, Application, Seed Safety, Stewardship, Efficacy, Regulatory) before commercialization, ensuring strong performance and a positive grower experience. Over the years, we have built a differentiated SAT portfolio to meet diverse grower needs, supported by an industry-leading internal pipeline that secures long-term growth. 

Global presence is one of your company's core advantages. Could you share how your company leverages localized formulation innovation strategies to tailor products to meet the unique agricultural environments and farming practices in different regions?

For agrochemical products to be truly effective, they must be tailored to address the specific requirements of each market. Application practices, water quality, and regulatory standards can vary widely across the globe, making it essential to deeply understand the unique needs of every customer. To ensure this, Corteva’s Product Science and Technology group maintains a strong presence in each of our major commercial regions, guided by the principle of ″Global expertise with Regional execution.″

By partnering with local universities, research institutions, agronomists, and engaging directly with customers, we focus on developing innovations that integrate seamlessly into existing agricultural practices. For example, our insecticide active ingredient Pyraxalt™ insecticide was specifically developed to combat planthopper – a significant pest in rice crops throughout Asia Pacific. To fully leverage this novel active, we created the award-winning Hibifen^® insecticide formulation, optimized for drone applications in rice paddies, which is an emerging trend in several Asian countries.

Our regional approach is further exemplified by Haviza™ fungicide, our latest fungicide active ingredient. Haviza™ was designed to help Latin American farmers manage Asian soybean rust and other fungal diseases. This active will be introduced through innovative premix formulations, with upcoming launches in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

We also collaborate closely with strategic co-formulant suppliers in each region to ensure a flexible, reliable supply chain that complies with all local regulatory requirements.

Digital transformation is reshaping the agrochemical industry. How does your company empower formulation development through digital technology and AI? Could you share some successful cases?

Corteva is transforming its formulation development process by integrating AI and digital technologies, resulting in faster development cycles and enhanced product performance. Our AI-driven adaptive experimentation approach empowers formulation scientists to rapidly optimize co-formulant choices and quantities, far surpassing the efficiency of traditional one-variable-at-a-time or classical experimental designs. By linking this AI platform to a cloud-based database, new data is automatically integrated, continuously enhancing the accuracy of our predictive models.

User-friendly graphical interfaces and automated visualization of AI outputs support a human-in-the-loop model, ensuring that expert insights guide and validate AI-generated recommendations. To fully leverage AI’s potential, we are implementing a comprehensive digital strategy. This includes advanced electronic lab notebooks, structured formulation design templates for consistent data capture, and robust visualization tools that help scientists spot trends and quickly access historical data. Our modeling tools go beyond predicting optimal compositions for physical and chemical testing – they also address key attributes such as cost, predictive toxicology, and regulatory classification and labeling.

At the same time, we are expanding our high-throughput (HTP) infrastructure to efficiently prepare and analyze the larger candidate sets generated by AI. In a recent proof-of-concept, AI-generated candidates produced several high-performing samples within just two iterations. For example, our HTP Emulsion Dilution Stability Screening process can reduce sample preparation and screening time by up to 95%, using only 5% of the sample volume typically required. This is especially valuable for early-stage formulation screening when technical material is limited. Additionally, we have developed advanced capabilities to screen and enumerate microbial actives and formulations using state-of-the-art generative AI, analytics, and imaging tools – dramatically reducing assay execution time and exponentially increasing throughput.

By embracing these digital advancements, Corteva is shortening development timelines, reducing costs, and enabling the creation of more effective and sustainable crop protection solutions – delivering greater value to growers and the environment.

The biological market is showing rapid growth trends. As a dual innovator in both traditional agrochemicals and biologicals, how does your company combine the advantages of both to develop next-generation integrated solutions and lead market development?

Biological products are seeing increasing adoption and have become valuable complementary tools for farmers around the world. Corteva is building on its strong foundation in crop protection and expanding its biological development capabilities to deliver best-in-class integrated solutions for growers.

One example is our program that combines the flagship biological Utrisha^® N with our Optinyte^® technologies, N-Serve^® and Instinct^®, for nitrogen stabilization. This powerful combination enables growers to optimize their fertilizer use and maximize crop growth potential. We are now extending this integrated approach – blending agrochemicals, biologicals, and seed traits – to develop tailored biocontrol solutions for our customers.

Beyond crop rotation programs, we are also actively developing integrated in-can solutions that combine conventional chemical and biological actives. By leveraging advanced formulation technologies, these products provide enhanced stability, excellent field performance, and user-friendly application features.

Based on your insights into long-term trends in the agrochemical industry, what strategies does your company have for formulation innovation, and how will your company lead technological transformation in the next 5-10 years?

Corteva’s formulation strategy is built on innovation, sustainability, and adaptability to address the evolving challenges of modern agriculture. We are advancing beyond traditional formulations by investing in innovative formulation technologies to enable the delivery of multiple active ingredients and adjuvants in a single product, overcoming challenges related to compatibility, stability, and efficacy. As a result, growers benefit from broader-spectrum pest control and fewer application passes.

The sheer diversity of active types within our Biological Business alongside our traditional crop protection chemistry actives requires Corteva to continuously innovate in our ability to deliver challenging actives in all formulation and application types.

Our commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by our alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We focus on reducing use rates, minimizing environmental impact, and selecting safe, renewable co-formulants. Digital transformation, including AI-driven adaptive experimentation, accelerates formulation optimization and product development, while our high-throughput infrastructure enables rapid testing and iteration.

Localized innovation is another cornerstone of our strategy. Regional teams and collaborations ensure that our products are tailored to meet diverse agronomic practices and regulatory requirements worldwide.

By integrating biologicals with conventional chemistries and utilizing proprietary adjuvant and delivery technologies, Corteva delivers next-generation, integrated solutions that maximize crop yield, resilience, and environmental stewardship. This holistic, science-driven approach empowers growers worldwide with effective, sustainable, and reliable crop protection tools, positioning Corteva as a leader in the future of agricultural innovation.

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