BASF and Nutrien announced a strategic collaboration to help U.S. growers capture more value from sustainable farming practices and participate in low-carbon biofuel markets. The partnership pairs Nutrien agronomy teams with BASF digital tools to document and verify crop carbon intensity for market and regulatory use. Section 45Z credit is among the programs the collaboration aims to support so growers can access existing incentives and emerging low-CI markets.
BASF’s two xarvio products—FIELD MANAGER and BIOENERGY—will be central to the effort, connecting growers and biorefineries and simplifying traceability for low-carbon grain. FIELD MANAGER delivers field-level agronomic recommendations while xarvio BIOENERGY tracks and documents carbon intensity for corn used in ethanol production in the United States. xarvio BIOENERGY platform lets growers, agronomists and biorefineries view verified CI scores together, reducing paperwork and improving transparency.
Nutrien agronomists will work directly with growers to tailor sustainability practices to each operation, focusing on yield stability and measurable CI reductions where feasible. The hands-on approach emphasizes practicable conservation measures—no-till, cover crops and targeted inputs—integrated with growers’ production goals. Nutrien agronomists in-field will help translate those practices into documented CI outcomes that biorefineries and markets require.
How the tools work
xarvio BIOENERGY compiles field data to calculate carbon intensity for grain delivered to participating biorefineries, providing a verifiable CI score at the field level. When combined with FIELD MANAGER’s agronomic records, the platforms present a single dashboard view of yield, inputs and CI tracking, which supports compliance with fuel programs and buyer requirements. That single-dashboard approach is intended to simplify recordkeeping for both growers and downstream buyers.
The collaboration is part of BASF’s Circalo: Low Carbon Intensity Crops program, which seeks to expand low-CI feedstocks beyond current incentives and into additional biofuel markets. BASF will also promote agronomic products that support conservation and yield—such as the fungicide Veltyma and burndown herbicide Verdict—to help growers maintain productivity while adopting sustainability measures. The combined offering aims to scale low-CI grain supplies across the supply chain and support domestic ethanol production.
Grower impact and market access
BASF and Nutrien say the work will create opportunities for additional revenue by turning existing sustainability practices into verifiable market value, while keeping implementation practical for producers. The partnership focuses on connecting field-level practices to market requirements so that biorefineries can reliably source and document low-CI feedstocks. Growers using the combined xarvio tools and Nutrien agronomy support will be able to present verified CI scores on a single dashboard to biorefineries.
Photo - hpj.com
