CPDA-Sponsored Study Highlights Growing Farmer Interest In Biopesticides
13 June 2026, Arlington: The Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA) today highlighted new findings from CPDA member Stratovation Group’s 2026 Row Crop Biologicals Study showing that farmer interest, confidence and use of biological crop inputs continues to grow, with biopesticides emerging as a significant area of opportunity.
CPDA was a sponsor of the study, which surveyed 604 row-crop farmers producing corn, soybeans and wheat. The research was conducted as a blind study during the first quarter of 2026 and examined farmer awareness, perceptions, adoption, purchasing behavior, usage patterns and challenges related to biological crop inputs.
Among the study’s key findings, the use of biopesticides increased by 9 percentage points from the 2024 study, the largest increase recorded since Stratovation Group began tracking biopesticide adoption. The study also found that broad awareness of biologicals, including biopesticides, biofertilizers and biostimulants, remains strong at nearly 90 percent of respondents.
The findings come as CPDA recently launched its Biopesticides Working Group, a new member-driven effort focused on better understanding the role of biopesticides in modern agriculture, identifying barriers to broader adoption and supporting practical policies that help bring effective tools to growers.
“This study provides timely and valuable insight into how farmers are thinking about biological products, including biopesticides,” said Terry Kippley, President and CEO of CPDA. “As CPDA launches our Biopesticides Working Group, this data helps ground our work in real-world farmer perspectives. Farmers are clearly looking at biopesticides as part of their pest and disease management strategies, but they also expect products to deliver consistent performance and economic value. That is exactly the kind of practical feedback our working group will use to help inform CPDA’s advocacy, education and engagement in this space.”
The study found that farmers are expanding their view of biologicals beyond soil health and nutrient management to include pest and disease management.
“Biopesticides represent an important and growing part of the agrotechnology landscape,” Kippley said. “CPDA’s role is to help ensure that these tools are understood, supported by sound policy and evaluated through the same practical lens farmers use for every crop input: performance, return on investment and fit within their operation.”
The study also identified changes in how farmers gather information and make crop input decisions. University Extension services and fellow farmers both saw significant increases as trusted advisors, each gaining 11 percentage points since the previous study. Farmers continue to rely heavily on retailers, cooperatives, certified crop advisors and university-backed information when evaluating new technologies.
CPDA also welcomed Stratovation Group as a new member. Stratovation Group is an agricultural market research, insights and consulting firm that helps organizations better understand the evolving attitudes, behaviors and decision-making processes of farmers, agribusiness professionals and rural stakeholders.
“We are pleased to welcome Stratovation Group as a new CPDA member,” Kippley said. “Their research brings meaningful value to the policy and market conversations happening across agriculture, and we appreciate their work to help the industry better understand farmer needs, expectations and decision-making.”
The 2026 Row Crop Biologicals Study was conducted by Stratovation Group with support from sponsors Pivot Bio, Indigo, AgriThority and CPDA.
Also Read: UPL Recognized as Top Innovator in AgriBusiness at Clarivate South Asia Innovation Awards 2026
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