St. Louis, MO, February 24, 2026 — Bayer is entering the fourth year of the Preceon™ Smart Corn System availability in the U.S. through its Ground Breakers® Field Trial Program after surpassing its 2025 targeted commercial acreage milestone.
In its third season, the Ground Breakers Field Trial Program reached approximately 85,000 acres — exceeding the target outlined in Bayer’s launch roadmap and nearly tripling its footprint from the previous year. Participation expanded to 655 growers, including 594 grain and 61 silage operations, supported by 348 dealers. Preceon remains commercially available only through the Ground Breakers program to a limited group of participating growers and geographies.
“The roadmap is deliberate,” said Lindsey Battle, Preceon Strategy and Launch Lead, North America. “We are scaling in phases — validating performance across more acres, more environments and more management systems as we move to full commercial launch.”
The scale achieved in 2025 provides Bayer with a materially broader performance data set as it advances toward its next milestone of doubling acres in 2026, including expansion into new regions such as the Northeast.
2025 Data: Higher Populations and Root Development
Beyond acreage growth, 2025 data show measurable shifts in how growers are managing the Preceon Smart Corn System.
Ground Breakers planted Preceon at an average population of approximately 41,600 plants per acre, compared to roughly 34,500 plants per acre for traditional corn — a difference of more than 7,000 additional plants per acre. The higher populations reflect grower confidence in stalk strength and standability.
Internal research also demonstrated 39% greater average root volume* across soil depths during mid-reproductive growth stages compared to conventional-height corn in controlled evaluations. The expanded root structure is a key component of the system’s approach to supporting plant health under variable environmental conditions.
“What we’re seeing is not just acreage growth. It’s management evolution,” said Andrew Penney, Preceon Agronomy Lead, Bayer Crop Science. “When growers consistently increase planting density by several thousand plants per acre and still feel confident making late-season applications, that tells you they trust the crop’s structural integrity. The root data reinforces that we’re building a system designed to perform under pressure.”
Grain and Silage Expansion
Participation in 2025 included both grain and silage acres, strengthening Bayer’s dataset across production systems. All silage respondents in post-season research reported achieving target moisture at harvest, and operational feedback indicated comparable packing and processing characteristics relative to traditional corn.
In 2026, Bayer will expand participation across both grain and silage systems as the program continues to grow its network of growers and dealers nationwide. The product portfolio will increase to 16 hybrids, including five new additions, while geographic expansion into new regions such as the Northeast broadens system validation across additional soil types, weather patterns and management environments.
“Expanding the portfolio to 16 hybrids allows us to match the right product to the right acre,” said Battle. “As participation grows, precision in placement becomes just as important as acreage.”
See Preceon at Commodity Classic
Bayer will showcase the Preceon Smart Corn System at Commodity Classic, Booth #113. Attendees can learn how the system differs from standalone short corn offerings and how Bayer is preparing it for broader commercialization.
Learn more at: www.preceon.com
*Based upon root observations from 2016–2022 Bayer internal trials.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2024, the Group employed around 93,000 people and had sales of 46.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
