Key Takeaways
- Meristem MaxStax Soybean topped liquid seed treatments in the 2025 Soybean Systems Management Trial at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Across treatments, MaxStax delivered a 2.3 bushel-per-acre yield advantage over commercial seed treatments, with the strongest improvements when paired with foliar applications.
- In the Planting Date Trial, the full Meristem program produced the highest yield for early-planted soybeans at 67.2 bu/ac, a 3.9-bushel gain over the control.
- Late-planted soybeans treated with Excavator AMS, Cyclestrike™, and MaxStax yielded 59 bu/ac, a 4.6-bushel advantage over the control.
- Researchers highlighted that even modest increases from biologicals are meaningful, underscoring MaxStax’s strong performance.
Meristem Results Lead University of Illinois Soybean Systems Trial
Meristem MaxStax Demonstrates Consistent Yield Advantages
The 2025 Soybean Systems Management Trial at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign evaluated 12 combinations of seed treatments and foliar programs across no-till soybeans planted into corn stalks. Despite late-season dry conditions, Meristem MaxStax Soybean applied to naked seed rose to the top of all treatments.
“The bottom line is, MaxStax can replace and outperform liquid seed treatment,” said Mitch Eviston, Founder and CEO of Meristem. He noted that the independent results reinforce confidence in the company’s Bio-Capsule Technology™ and its in-season portfolio.
According to research professor Dr. Connor Sible, “Averaged across foliar sprays, MaxStax had an advantage over commercial seed treatment by 2.3 bushels per acre, and we saw the greatest responses with MaxStax when followed by a foliar application.”
Meristem Program Shows Strong Gains in Planting Date Trial
A separate Planting Date Trial compared residue management, seed treatments, and foliar applications across soybeans planted on April 15 and May 19. Treatments included:
- Excavator® AMS with Cyclestrike™ LR for residue breakdown
- MaxStax Soybean, commercial seed treatment, or untreated seed
- V4 foliar application of Harvestshield™ Complete
- R3 fungicide and insecticide applied across all treatments
Across both planting dates, combinations featuring Meristem products consistently outperformed controls.
For early-planted soybeans, the full Meristem program delivered the highest yield at 67.2 bushels, a 3.9-bushel increase over the control. “The treatment resulting in the highest yield for the early planted soybeans was the full Meristem program,” noted Ava Isaacs, who managed the research.
Late-planted soybeans also showed strong responses. The combination of Excavator AMS, Cyclestrike, and MaxStax on naked seed produced 59 bushels per acre, outperforming the control by 4.6 bushels.
“That yield increase is a big change,” said Dr. Fred Below, emphasizing that even a 1.5-bushel bump from biological inputs is notable.
Meristem Crop Performance
Meristem® Crop Performance, Inc. provides biological products aimed at supporting farm productivity. The company utilizes its patented BIO-CAPSULE™ Technology platform to deliver live, in-field biologicals.
Meristem works to reduce waste and improve efficiency in crop input systems by facilitating innovation access, optimizing supply chains, and offering concentrated agricultural inputs.
