Indiana Agronomist Committed to Grower Success

Whether it’s the growers he supports or the sales reps he trains, Chad Threewits works hard to see others succeed.

Threewits is an agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection covering the state of Indiana. A Purdue University alumnus with a degree in agricultural economics with a focus in agronomy, Threewits has been in this role for 14 years and has 28 years of industry experience. He shares his expertise as a contributing agronomist for Successful Farming’s coverage of USDA’s Crop Progress report. 

In this interview, Threewits shares his rich agricultural heritage, the way his background shapes how he trains sales reps and advises growers, and why harvest is his favorite time of year.

SF: Was a career in ag something you always envisioned? 

CT: Growing up on a grain and livestock farm in western Ohio, I always knew I wanted to be in ag. My grandpa was the role model. He was active in the industry — he farmed and was very active with Farm Bureau and other organizations. I was involved in 4-H and FFA, and I went to Purdue University and graduated from there. Since then, I’ve had over a 25-year career in the crop protection and seeds business. 

SF: Tell us about what brought you to your current position.

CT: A lot of roles start out in sales, and then there are different paths from that. One of those is an agronomy service rep. I’ve always enjoyed the technical side of this business. Problem-solving and servicing products are some of my favorite parts of the job.

I do a lot of training and help new sales reps start out in the industry. I also work with new retailers, helping to train them to be successful in their careers. That’s something that drew me into this, on top of supporting all the different businesses that we do, whether it’s plant protection with fungicides, seed care, or herbicides. 

SF: How does your background in ag economics impact the way you approach your work? 

CT: I think that it’s really helped: looking at it from the economics and not just totally agronomy. I think for growers to be successful, they have to have a strong return on investment for everything. I talk a lot about that with growers — when we’re investing in the crop, it’s not always about just saving money or getting the cheapest price. Sometimes it requires spending more on a product that works better or is more consistent to get higher yields and ultimately making more profit. 

SF: What’s special about the territory you cover?

CT: I cover about two-thirds of the state of Indiana. I think one thing that’s a little different is that we’re a little later to see some of the issues that come up since we’re farther east in the Midwest, whether that’s herbicide resistance or insects or diseases that come along. So, sometimes it’s more about what’s coming. It’s about encouraging growers to look at things differently, or different solutions, before the problem is here.

An example is waterhemp. I started my career out in Illinois, so I got to see how bad that problem really is. Then, coming back home to Ohio and Indiana, it wasn’t a big deal. Well, now it is.

SF: Of all the growers you’ve worked with, does one in particular stand out? 

CT: Overall, there’s not just one grower, because I work with hundreds of growers a year. But an enjoyable part of my role is that even when I have to go to a farm in a service capacity or because something went wrong, a lot of times those growers are the ones I end up having the best relationships with down the road. My phone is full of phone numbers that started out as a complaint, and now those are positive contacts in a lot of cases. They’ll still call me to this day with questions. Those relationships are the ones that stand out to me.

SF: Do you most enjoy the beginning of the growing season or the end? 

CT: I’m always ready for it to get started. But I have to say, fall harvest is my favorite time of year. I’ve been fortunate to launch a lot of new products in my career, bringing that innovation to life. For about two years, we can see that product in the field, in our trials, before it’s registered, and then once it’s registered we can put it out in the growers’ fields. Then harvest comes, and that’s really where you can see the success.

SF: What’s your favorite thing to do in the “off-season”? 

CT: I still help operate our family farm. I’m fortunate to farm the ground my late grandfather did.

In our “off-season” we have fall and winter meetings where we talk to growers about challenges and opportunities, we start to set the stage for the next season, and roll out some of those new ideas or plans. 

It’s kind of funny — there really isn’t an “off-season” anymore. We’re currently planning for 2026, so we’re looking a year ahead. Right now, I’m putting together our demonstration sites with trials for products and programs we want to bring out in 2026.