Major ag chemical companies spend billions of dollars a year developing new active chemicals and biologicals that can address a host of issues from herbicide-resistant weeds and grasses to specific pest problems. However, discovering new molecules is only one part of creating an effective crop protection product — equally important is a full product formulation that can deliver intended benefits in the field.
German industrial chemical and biotech company Wacker is helping ag companies formulate effective products through its portfolio of adjuvants, which improve the delivery of chemicals and biologicals, Nicolas Imlinger, senior director for Energy & Industrial Silicones in North and Central America at Wacker, told AgNavigator.
Wacker’s adjuvants include cyclodextrins, rheology modifiers, silicone defoamers, and wetting and spreading agents, which provide different functionality to crop protection formulations. The chemical company will showcase these products at the 2026 AgriBusinessGlobal Trade Summit, Aug. 5-6.
For instance, Wacker’s cyclodextrin adjuvants provide host-guest benefits, where a bigger molecule can hold an active ingredient, Imlinger explained.
“We can have the active ingredient go into this cyclodextrin cave, so that it then can go into a formulation and be controlled release where it should be released,” he added.
Why biologicals require specific formulation considerations
While providing adjuvants for both synthetic actives and biologicals, Wacker is anticipating further growth in biologics given their role in sustainable farming, Imlinger noted. Last year, Wacker opened a dedicated 1,500 square-meter biologics facility in Munich to tap into this market opportunity.
Developing bio-based ag products require specific considerations when it comes to application, stability, solubility, and other factors. Biologicals are typically larger molecules than synthetic active chemicals, thus “tend to require more support” to deploy effectively, Imlinger explained.
Wacker’s organosilicon wetting and spreading agents reduce surface tension in water-based systems, meaning that biologicals can spread more easily on a leaf, he added. Additionally, the company’s rheology modifiers can prevent settling and caking, which is also helpful in developing bio-based products.
Formulating any ag product requires an understanding of specific trade-offs of adding specific ingredients. For instance, if a defoamer can change a product’s elasticity and viscosity (i.e., rheology), which then requires a rheology modifier, he added.
Given these unique challenges, Wacker works hand-in-hand with ag clients to ensure that they understand the proper use of adjuvants in their formulations, Imlinger explained.
“Technical collaboration and market support is really what we strive for — it is what makes us tick,” Imlinger said. “It’s not merely about the active ingredient and the innovation that comes through that. It’s about enabling this innovation in the field — in the real world — through the formulation expertise that we bring together."
