Bayer launches Diflufenican in Brazil with new compound Icafolin to address resistance issues

At the Soybean Innovation Club in Mato Grosso, Brazil, Bayer revealed that it is developing a range of herbicide solutions to combat the growing problem of weed resistance.

Bayer's solution covers the entire production cycle from pre-emergence of invasive weeds to pre-harvest soybeans and includes 11 solutions for different stages to control the spread of resistant weeds in crops such as soybeans, corn, cotton and sugarcane. These include Convintro Duo (Diflufenican + Metribuzin), a new product Bayer plans to launch in 2026, specifically for weed control before soybean germination.

Bayer said products containing a new compound for post-emergence weeds, icafolin-methyl, will also be launched in the next few years, the first such new molecule to be developed in 30 years. Icafolin is a new isoxazole herbicide from Bayer Cropscience that was officially approved by ISO in August 2023 and will play a key role in weed management, particularly in the control of crab grass and crowfoot grass.

Bayer's current strategy is to use a combination of active ingredients in most new products. In Brazil, where more than 44 million hectares of soybeans are currently planted, about 60 percent of the weeds have developed resistance to at least one active ingredient. This proportion is expected to exceed 65% of oilseed crop acreage by 2030, with the emergence of more weeds resistant to multiple active ingredients simultaneously. In response to this trend, Bayer proposed to develop a new weed management system, not simply for a single crop, but from the rotation system, such as after the harvest of corn to start weed control for the next crop of soybeans, to reduce weed invasion and improve control effectiveness.

In addition, following RR soybeans, Intacta RR2 Pro and Intacta2 Xtend, Bayer announced that it is developing a fourth-generation GM soybean that will be tolerant to four herbicides and provide a new mode of pest control.