Meristem Crop Performance® Take Cost Out Plots around the country are building farmer confidence in the science behind Hopper Throttle products powered by the patented Bio-Capsule™ delivery system using seed fluency.
From treating naked soybeans at the planter through the final yield results at harvest, Hopper Throttle MaxStax Soybean had an edge over traditional F&I liquid seed treatment for Jesse Koch of Harlan County, Neb.
For the 2025 Take Cost Out Plot on his farm, Koch split a 75-acre, irrigated field, half with his traditional seed treatment and half with the same untreated soybean variety adding MaxStax at the planter. Koch had some initial concerns about the coverage and delivery of active ingredients with the MaxStax, but the performance was there right from emergence. The stands were consistent across both sides of the plot, showcasing the ability of MaxStax to deliver results at least equal to liquid seed treatment.
“With soybeans it can be tough to see big differences, but the emergence was there across both sides,” Koch said. “And then going through the early season, the MaxStax side just looked a little bit healthier.”
It was a very dry early growing season for Harlan County in 2025, and irrigated plots performed above average for the farm. The MaxStax side of the plot yielded 86.13 bushels per acre and the traditional liquid seed treatment at 84.98 bushels per acre.
“Overall, it was positive experience with the MaxStax. I liked that you fill the MaxStax yourself. It was not hard to use, we saw a yield bump and now I know I can go with untreated beans,” Koch said. “Any time I can get a return on investment and increase my profit a little bit, I’m definitely going to try it.”
With proven performance on Take Cost Out Plots around the country in 2025, the science behind the Meristem’s Hopper Throttle family of products is shaking up the seed treatment world. For more about how Hopper Throttle works click here.
At the planter, the Bio-Capsules deliver combinations of living biological microbes and synthetic active ingredients. IonLock™ Zinc in the seed fluency carries an opposite charge, sticking the active ingredients to the seed coat as it flows through the planter. Because they are placed directly on the seed and the surrounding soil, the biological microbes are positioned to live and grow with the emerging plant roots.
“We are confident in the performance of Hopper Throttle products against traditional liquid seed treatments as part of a system to take cost out and produce more bushels for less,” said Mitch Eviston, Meristem Founder and CEO. “This technology works with every type of planter, in every type of field condition and consistently performs as well or better than traditional seed treatments.”
Of all the user-friendly Hopper Throttle products available, MaxStax includes the most crop input components at 16, and is backed by a $40 per acre replant program.
“All you have to do is push the buttons and add it at the planter. It doesn’t add any extra steps. There’s about 30 seconds extra before you plant,” Eviston said. “When farmers first hear about how Hopper Throttle works, they can be skeptical. But once you see it in the field, and you see the biology working, you’ll understand why we have full confidence to go with naked soybeans and go early for more bushels.”
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