Bayer Weighs Glyphosate Alternatives
Bayer hosted a webinar earlier this week to share its crop science research and development team’s milestones and goals for the coming year.
Robert Reiter, Bayer’s head of research and development, says 2022 will be the company’s year to expand digital tools to harness carbon-smart agricultural practices. Currently, Bayer is financially recognizing the 2,500 farmers enrolled in their Carbon Initiative—a program that highlights their 2022 focus—which aims to quantify sequestered carbon through biotechnology, crop protection, biologicals and breeding tools.
Here are highlights from Bayer’s 2022 R&D pipeline webinar.
Precision Breeding
Using data, Bayer is focused on designing seed specific to individual fields. According to Reiter, precision breeding will open doors for Bayer to:
• Decrease generation time from 5 years to 4 months
• Develop a configurable pipeline for new traits
• Increase the amount of data available 20-fold for each new product deployment
• Create products based solely on customer feedback and data
Intacta2 Xtend
Bayer offers three modes of action for soybean insect protection—alongside dicamba as a pre-plant option—in their Intacta franchise. Currently available in Brazil, Intacta was launched on over 800,000 acres in 2021-22 growing season, with a projected reach of 6 million acres next season.
According to Bayer, the Intacta biotech trait for glyphosate tolerance “provides proven weed control and enables conservation tillage.”
RNAi Rootworm Technology
Named for RNA “interference,” three different product types of RNAi will be launched across the U.S., Canada and South America for modes of action in resistant corn rootworm.
“RNAi is a very critical new technology to battle against resistance coming from corn rootworm pressure in different parts of the world,” Reiter says. “This technology will be complimented by our pre-existing VT capabilities that control corn rootworm.”
U.S. growers will be offered RNAi technology in SmartStax PRO and VT4PRO by 2022 and 2024, respectively.
Short Stature Corn Hybrid
Originally introduced in Mexico, Bayer’s short stature corn hybrid will be advancing to Phase IV trials, making its way to 150 early-adopter U.S. corn growers in 2023.
“The beautiful thing about short statured corn is it helps the grower with standability and their fertility regime,” Reiter says. “We know when we shortened the crop at the top, we made differences below ground. In terms of water and nutrient uptake, and even carbon sequestration.”
Reiter anticipates these hybrids will launch in their Smart Corn System in 2024.
Biostimulants
Benoit Hartman, head of biologics, touched on Bayer’s work to improve plant nutrition—commonly referred to as biostimulation. He believes this technology is a “great” way to compliment pest and disease control in seeds as an avenue to optimize fertilizer use.
Hartman says each part of the world is experimenting with differing seed traits. Introducing biostimulant research and technology will push the product down the pipeline in various corners of the world.
“Our focus has definitely been on soybeans,” Hartman says. “We’re also looking into wheat for the U.S. and Latin America.”
Glyphosate Replacement
Input costs are high across the board this year. In leu of low glyphosate availability and increasing costs, whispers of an alternative have trickled down to Bayer’s research and development team.
Rachel Rama, Bayer’s head of small molecules, says her team is “convinced” glyphosate is unmatched and will hold its place in their fertilizer portfolio. She says Bayer is working on two to three modes of action they hope will evolve into the marketplace.
Read more:
> Bayer: The Beginning of What’s Next
> Two Ways to Be Paid for Carbon
> As Bayer Warns of More Glyphosate Shortages, Here's How Severe the Situation Could Be this Spring
