At Peterson, product decisions don’t happen in isolation. They never have, and with the formation of our product division, they’re more connected than ever. This division brings research, product management and agronomy together under one team with a single goal: delivering the right products, for the right acres, with confidence.

I’ve always believed the best product decisions come from blending science and experience. Data matters. Replicated trials matter. But so does walking plots, seeing how products behave under stress and understanding what actually happens in growers’ fields. Peterson is sized in a way that allows us to do both well.

Research: Building the Foundation

Everything starts with research. Our research program is designed around the environments where Peterson seed is grown – not broad, national averages. We plant replicated trials across our footprint to understand yield, stability, disease response, stress tolerance and management fit.

Those trials generate high-quality data, but just as importantly, they generate perspective. We see how products respond to wet springs, cool soils, wind events, disease pressure and variable fertility. That local context is critical and it’s something you can’t replicate from behind a desk.

Product Management: Turning Data into Decisions

Product management sits at the intersection of research and agronomy. Our role is to take the data, add field-level context and make informed decisions about which products earn a place in our lineup. Yield matters, but consistency matters too. Stability across locations, response to management and how a product fits into specific environments all factor into the decision. This is where the
“art” comes in. Data tells part of the story, but experience helps fill in the gaps.

Our lineup reflects the diversity of our footprint. We farm across a wide range of maturities, soil types and growing conditions. A product doesn’t have to win everywhere, but it does have to win somewhere that matters.

Agronomy: Turning Insight into Action

Agronomy is where everything comes together. Our agronomists take research results and product insights and translate them into recommendations growers can actually use. They help determine where a product fits best, how it should be managed and when it’s not the right choice.

This feedback loop is critical. Agronomists bring real-time field observations back to research and product management, helping refine future decisions. It’s not a one-way process; it’s constant
collaboration.

Why This Structure Works

Peterson’s size is one of our biggest advantages. We’re large enough to run meaningful research programs, but small enough that our teams stay connected. Product managers walk plots.  Agronomists help shape product decisions. Research doesn’t operate in a vacuum.

That’s how we combine science with experience, and why we’re confident in the products we offer.

One Team, One Purpose

The product division wasn’t created to add complexity. It was created to remove it. By aligning research, product management and agronomy, we ensure decisions are thoughtful, tested and grounded in local reality.

At the end of the day, our job is simple: help growers make better decisions, reduce risk and maximize every acre. That starts with the right team working together.

This article was originally published in our annual Peterson Field Insights Agronomic Snapshot publication. Click if you’d like a copy of current issue.