Bayer Expands Preceon Smart Corn System Field Trials

Preceon program reaches 85,000 acres, nearly tripling footprint in 2025 as Bayer prepares for broader commercial launch.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Bayer is entering the fourth year of its Preceon Smart Corn System field trial program, surpassing its 2025 commercial acreage target and expanding participation to 655 growers across grain and silage operations. The program saw significant increases in planting populations and root development data, indicating grower confidence in the system's structural integrity. Bayer plans to double acreage in 2026 and expand into new regions as it advances toward a full commercial launch.

Why it matters

Bayer's Preceon Smart Corn System represents a major technological advancement in corn production, offering growers a new approach to managing plant health and productivity. As the company scales the program, it is gathering critical data to validate the system's performance across diverse environments and management practices, a key step toward broader commercialization.

The details

In 2025, the Preceon Ground Breakers Field Trial Program reached approximately 85,000 acres, exceeding Bayer's target and nearly tripling the previous year's footprint. Participation expanded to 655 growers, including 594 grain and 61 silage operations, supported by 348 dealers. The program saw growers planting Preceon at an average population of 41,600 plants per acre, compared to 34,500 for traditional corn - a difference of over 7,000 additional plants per acre. Internal research also demonstrated 39% greater average root volume across soil depths during mid-reproductive growth stages compared to conventional-height corn.

  • Bayer is entering the fourth year of the Preceon Smart Corn System field trial program in 2026.
  • The Ground Breakers Field Trial Program reached approximately 85,000 acres in 2025, exceeding Bayer's target.
  • Bayer plans to double Preceon acreage in 2026, including expansion into new regions such as the Northeast.

The players

Lindsey Battle

Preceon Strategy and Launch Lead, North America at Bayer.

Andrew Penney

Preceon Agronomy Lead at Bayer Crop Science.

Bayer

A global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition.

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What they’re saying

“The roadmap is deliberate. We are scaling in phases — validating performance across more acres, more environments and more management systems as we move to full commercial launch.”

— Lindsey Battle, Preceon Strategy and Launch Lead, North America

“What we're seeing is not just acreage growth. It's management evolution. 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.”

— Andrew Penney, Preceon Agronomy Lead, Bayer Crop Science

What’s next

Bayer will expand Preceon participation across both grain and silage systems in 2026 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.

The takeaway

Bayer's Preceon Smart Corn System is gaining significant traction among growers, demonstrating their confidence in the system's ability to support plant health and productivity under variable conditions. As the company scales the program, it is gathering critical data to validate Preceon's performance, a key step toward broader commercialization and adoption of this innovative corn production technology.