See national chem pricing trends in the FBN Research report
A branded product from a company you know over a low-cost, no-name generic often feels like the safe choice... but it isn't necessarily the best choice.
What’s the difference between generic and branded crop protection products? And if the branded product is 3x more expensive, is it 3x more effective?
As a farmer, having a firm grasp on your input costs allows for greater profitability and long term viability.
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A generic crop protection product is manufactured and sold by a company other than the original manufacturer, but contains the same Active Ingredient(s) (AI). Generic chemicals usually enter the market 12 -20 years after the initial discovery of the active ingredient(s) once the original product’s patent expires.
Most major crop protection molecules available today have had their initial patents expire and farmers have more choice than ever with all of the generics entering the market.
Yes! Regardless of whether you're a farmer in the U.S. or Canada, the regulatory agencies follow the same regulation, guidelines, and review process for a generic product or for the original branded product registration.
From a regulatory standpoint, generic versions of branded products must have the same AI components to be registered by the government regulator. The AI carries the pesticidal activity but the co-formulants, including surfactants and adjuvants, have a big impact on performance by improving the penetration of the pesticide, allowing targeted application, etc.
To ensure our FBN product efficacy and performance is as good or better than the branded product, we invest millions of dollars every year conducting laboratory (stability studies, physico-chemical testing like viscosity, pH, density, etc.), formulation testing (e.g. emulsion stability, persistent foaming pourability, suspensibility, etc.) and field trials comparing an FBN product to its branded counterpart.
Figure 1 below shows some of the results of those trials. Ensuring our product recipe is close to the branded product also makes it easier to receive registration for a product.
Figure 1
Source: FBN Canada field trials conducted with third party contract research organizations in 2022
Generic products are generally cheaper than their branded counterparts for several reasons, including:
Branded manufacturers predominantly are large multinational corporations. Funding all of those people, facilities and R&D require them to extract greater revenue from their products through higher prices. As well, it requires a lot of R&D and failed attempts to develop even one successful product.
It costs >$260M USD and takes over 11 years (2) to bring an active ingredient to market. To justify such a substantial investment, branded companies need to extract high prices and profits.
By making our own products, FBN cuts out several middlemen within the value chain, passing that savings directly on to farmers.
Generic manufacturers typically do not have rebate programs. Instead, they pass those savings up-front in the price rather than as an end of season payment.
Branded products often will charge a brand premium for their products, extracting extra value for the recognition of their company and their product.
Not always. Generic products usually mirror branded products as closely as they can. However, they are not always identical and can have different uses on the label, different concentrations of AI and other differences.
The label is the best place to find the specifics on a product. Compare more branded and generic products labels for free with CDMS Label Database or on FBN.com.
Here are the basics on generics vs. branded products:
A generic product is usually similar to a branded product but made by a different company.
Generic active ingredients are held to the same regulatory standards as branded active ingredients.
Branded companies may purchase active ingredients from the same manufacturing plant as generic companies.
FBN invests in field trials and lab work, striving for efficacy and performance to match or exceed that of the branded product.
Generic chemicals tend to cost less than their branded equivalents.
Competition is good for farmers! Generic products give farmers more options and lead to lower input prices.
When choosing to use generic products instead of branded products, it's about understanding what you get for the higher price you pay. Is the brand premium you pay worth the extra cost for you? If you’re interested in exploring cost-saving and performance-enhancing strategies and don’t want manufacturer bundles, generics might be for you.
The number one rule of thumb when considering generics: read your labels. (You can find thousands of chemical labels here). Knowing what’s in your products will give you the information you need to pay for ingredients, not logos.
Learn more about some of the generic alternatives we offer on FBN:
Brand Name | Common Active Ingredient | FBN Product |
2,4-D LV6 | 2,4-D, 2-ethylhexyl ester (5.50) | |
AAtrex® 4L | Atrazine (4.00) | |
Abolish 8 EC | Thiobencarb (8.00) | |
Affinity® BroadSpec | Thifensulfuron (25.00%) + Tribenuron-methyl (25.00%) | |
Affinity® Tank Mix | Thifensulfuron (40.00%) + Tribenuron-methyl (10.00%) | |
Aim® EC | Carfentrazone-ethyl (2.00) | |
Anthem® Maxx | Fluthiacet-methyl (0.13) + Pyroxasulfone (4.17) | |
Armezon® | Topramezone (2.80) | |
Armezon® Pro | Dimethenamid-P (5.25) + Topramezone (0.10) | |
Assure® II | Quizalofop-p-ethyl (0.88) | |
Authority® Assist | Imazethapyr (0.67) + Sulfentrazone (3.33) | |
Authority® First DF | Cloransulam-methyl (7.90%) + Sulfentrazone (62.10%) | |
Authority® MTZ | Metribuzin (27.00%) + Sulfentrazone (18.00%) | |
Authority® XL | Chlorimuron (7.78%) + Sulfentrazone (62.22%) | |
Balance® Flexx | Isoxaflutole (2.00) | |
Banvel® | Dicamba DMA (4.00) | |
Basagran® | Bentazon (4.00) | |
Callisto® | Mesotrione (4.00) | |
Clarity® | Dicamba DGA (4.00) | |
Cobra® | Lactofen (2.00) | |
Command® 3ME | Clomazone (3.00) | |
Cerano® 5 MEG | Clomazone (5.00%) | |
Deadbolt® | Bromoxynil octanoate (2.00) + MCPA, 2-ethylhexyl ester (2.00) | |
Defy® Amine 4 | 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt (3.80) | |
Direx® 4L | Diuron (4.00) | |
Dual II Magnum® | S-metolachlor (7.64) | |
Engenia® | Dicamba (5.00) | |
Enlist One® | 2,4-D, choline salt (3.80) | |
Facet® L | Quinclorac (4.02) | |
FirstRate® | Cloransulam-methyl (84.00%) | |
Flexstar® | Fomesafen (1.88) | |
Goal® | Oxyfluorfen (2.00) | |
Goldsky® | Florasulam (0.02) + Fluroxypyr 1-methylheptyl ester (0.71) + Pyroxsulam (0.11) | |
Gramoxone® SL 3.0 | Paraquat Dichloride (3.00) | |
GrazonNext® HL | 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt (3.33) + Aminopyralid, triisopropanolammonium salt (0.41) | |
Harness®/Breakfree® NXT | Acetochlor EC (7.00) | |
Harness® Xtra | Acetochlor (4.30) + Atrazine (1.70) | |
Harness® Xtra 5.6L | Acetochlor (3.10) + Atrazine (2.50) | |
Huskie® Complete | Bromoxynil (1.46) + Pyrasulfotole (0.26) + Thiencarbazone-methyl | |
Liberty® | Glufosinate-ammonium (2.34) | |
Maestro® 2EC | Bromoxynil octanoate (2.00) | |
Mepex® | Mepiquat Chloride (0.35) | |
Nortron® SC | Ethofumesate (4.00) | |
Raptor | Imazamox (1.00) | |
Resicore® | Acetochlor (2.80) + Clopyralid (0.19) + Mesotrione (0.30) | |
RiceBeaux® | Propanil (3.00) + Thiobencarb (3.00) | |
RiceShot® | Propanil (4.00) | |
Roundup PowerMax® | Glyphosate-isopropylammonium (4.00) | |
Sandea® | Halosulfuron-methyl (75.00%) | |
Select® 2 EC | Clethodim (2.00) | |
Sencor® | Metribuzin (75.00%) | |
Sharpen® | Saflufenacil (2.85) | |
Spartan® 4F | Sulfentrazone (4.00) | |
Stalwart® 3W | Atrazine (1.66) + Mesotrione (0.22) + Metolachlor (1.70) | |
Stalwart® C Herbicide | Metolachlor (7.80) | |
Stam 80 EDF | Propanil (81.00%) | |
StareDown® | Fluroxypyr 1-methylheptyl ester (1.60) | |
Status® | Dicamba, sodium salt (44.00%) + Diflufenzopyr-sodium (17.10%) | |
Stinger® | Clopyralid, monoethanolamine salt (3.00) | |
SuperWHAM® | Propanil (4.00) | |
SureStart® II | Acetochlor (3.75) + Clopyralid, Monoethanolamine salt (0.29) + Flumetsulam (0.12) | |
Triumph® 22K | Picloram, potassium salt (2.00) | |
Valor® SX | Flumioxazin (51.00%) | |
Verdict® | Dimethenamid-P (5.00) + Saflufenacil (0.57) | |
Warrant® | Acetochlor CS (3.00) | |
Weedmaster® | 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt (2.87) + Dicamba DMA (1.00) | |
Widematch® | Clopyralid, monoethanolamine salt (0.75) + Fluroxypyr 1-methylheptyl ester (0.75) | |
Zidua® Pro | Imazethapyr (1.33) + Pyroxasulfone (2.28) + Saflufenacil (0.48) | |
Zidua® SC | Pyroxasulfone (4.17) | |
AFrame | Azoxystrobin (2.08) | |
Bravo Weather Stik® | Chlorothalonil (6.00) | |
Onset® | Tebuconazole (3.60) | |
Quilt Xcel® | Azoxystrobin (1.18) + Propiconazole (1.02) | |
TebuStar® 45WSP | Tebuconazole (45.00%) | |
Tilt® | Propiconazole (3.60) | |
Topsin® 4.5FL | Thiophanate-methyl (4.50) | |
Trivapro® | Azoxystrobin (0.92) + Benzovindiflupyr (0.25) + Propiconazole | |
Admire® Pro | Imidacloprid (4.00) | |
AgriMek® SC | Abamectin (0.70) | |
Brigade® 2EC | Bifenthrin (2.00) | |
Capture® LFR | Bifenthrin (1.50) | |
Intrepid® 2F | Methoxyfenozide (2.00) | |
Onager® | Hexythiazox (1.00) | |
Orthene® 97 | Acephate (97.00%) | |
Pedestal® | Novaluron (0.83) | |
Prevathon® | Chlorantraniliprole (0.43) | |
Silencer® | Lambda-cyhalothrin (1.00) | |
Super Boll | Ethephon (6.00) |
Below are two downloadable reference sheets with generic vs. branded product alternatives:
Click here to enlarge the image.
Click here to enlarge the image.
Here are a few ways to get started with crop protection products for next season:
Get started with some of our most popular FBN products like:
Learn about common pests - and how to manage them in crops - in our Pest Solutions pages, including:
Prepare for upcoming sprays with the FBN Spraying Guide, a free educational resource outlining how to identify your primary sprayer components, clean and maintain your sprayer, and best practices for maximum spray efficacy.
1. Siekman, Darrel & Lowell, Sandell. “Comparing Generics vs Name Brand Pesticides”. University of Nebraska: Cropwatch Extension. 10/27/2008. Available here: http://cropwatch.unl.edu/archive/-/asset_publisher/VHeSpfv0Agju/content/888243
2. https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2016/04/14/cost-time-commercialize-rise
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