Bayer expands pipeline with focus on soybeans, corn and pesticides

Bayer is moving forward with a plan to launch ten agricultural products with the potential for sales exceeding €500 million each at peak sales. The strategy encompasses seeds, biotechnology, pesticides, and digital tools. For Brazil, the most immediate projects include Intacta 5+ soybeans, the Plenexos insecticide, and the Icafolin herbicide. The company presented this information during the Bayer Innovation Showcase, held in Huxley, Iowa, in the United States.

The forecast for the commercialization of Intacta 5+ soybeans in Brazil remains unchanged, starting with the 2027/28 crop season. Bayer presented the technology in the country in November 2025, at the company's innovation center in Paulínia, São Paulo (learn more here). The biotechnology has already received Brazilian authorization. Commercial availability still depends on approvals in importing countries. The company intends to start offering at least 13 varieties adapted to the main producing regions. In the first two years, the portfolio could exceed 200 varieties.

The platform combines tolerance to five herbicides: glyphosate, dicamba, mesotrione, glufosinate, and 2,4-D. The insect protection package utilizes five proteins and expands management to nine caterpillar species. The proposal aims to increase alternatives for weed and insect control programs under Brazilian conditions.

Vyconic in the United States

Bayer is also preparing to introduce Vyconic in the United States and Canada. The launch is scheduled for 2027 (learn more here). The platform will combine tolerance to the same five herbicides and will utilize materials from the company's breeding program. The company aims to increase flexibility in managing resistant weeds. Intacta 5+ and Vyconic are part of a global strategy for new generations of soybeans. According to Bayer, the combination of these technologies and future herbicide tolerance and insect protection features has a sales potential exceeding 3 billion euros at its peak.

Speaking about Vyconic, Brian Naber, president of Bayer Crop Science for North America and Australia, points to two factors behind the development of new technologies for weed management: increasing herbicide resistance and greater difficulty in carrying out applications at the appropriate times.

According to Naber, resistance and tolerance have grown over time for virtually all available chemical molecules. Weather conditions have also begun to limit field operations. In the area where he explained the issue, in Huxley, the annual rainfall reached 1.117 millimeters. For the executive, this scenario led producers to miss application windows.

Viconic aims to increase operational flexibility. The system allows farmers to work with different control alternatives when weather conditions prevent the initial plan.

Bayer is also preparing new stages for its portfolio. The HT5 technology is expected to incorporate a trait of tolerance to PPO-inhibiting herbicides. HT6 is expected to include Icafolin.

According to Naber, producers are already showing interest in Viconic. The executive states that productivity is the main deciding factor, followed by flexibility in weed management.

The launch is expected to cover different production environments. Bayer intends to offer cultivars adapted from the northernmost producing regions of the United States and Canada to the southernmost areas of the North American soybean belt. The strategy seeks to position germplasm according to each production environment.

Insecticides: Plenexos

In the insecticide segment, Plenexos has already entered the Colombian market. Mexico, Brazil, and the United States appear among the next markets planned by the company. At the Andav 2026 Congress, held in August, Bayer reported that the product remained in the final registration phase in Brazil (learn more here). The platform contains pidoxamate (learn more here) and has an initial focus on whitefly management. The planned portfolio for the country includes soybeans, cotton, citrus, tomatoes, potatoes, and beans. Targets also include aphids and citrus psyllid.

The company highlights Plenexos' performance on different nymphal stages and its selectivity towards beneficial organisms. This characteristic allows for integration with integrated pest management programs and biological control. The platform also offers systemic action and provides for different application methods, depending on the crop and target.

Studies presented by Bayer indicated a reduction of up to 75% in the amount of active ingredient compared to other products. The evaluation considered more than 600 internal and external experiments conducted in Brazil between 2021 and 2025. In studies with whitefly in soybeans, Plenexos used 24 grams of active ingredient per hectare. The comparative treatment with imidacloprid used 100 grams of active ingredient per hectare. The company projects a sales potential of 500 million euros for Plenexos by the mid-2030s.

And why did the product debut in the Colombian market? Mauricio Rodrigues, president of Bayer Crop Science in Latin America, explained that it was due to an opportunity presented by the environment and the team's work, but not a specific company decision. He considered the debut in that market important because it allowed for learning in a considerably large area, something fundamental for preparing the product launch in other markets.

Herbicide: Icafolin

Another project with a direct impact on the Brazilian market involves Icafolin. Bayer plans to launch it in the country in 2028 (learn more here). Brazil is expected to receive the technology before other markets. The company has already filed regulatory applications in the country. The molecule has been classified in Group 23 of the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) and acts on the microtubule organization of weeds (learn more here).

Bayer presents Icafolin as the first new mode of action in over 30 years for post-emergence weed control in major crops. The development aims to expand options against populations resistant to glyphosate and other herbicides. The molecule has an estimated sales potential of €750 million at its peak, projected for the mid-2030s.

Icafolin also represents a new stage in the development of biotechnological traits. Bayer has begun to develop the herbicide and the genetic trait for tolerance to the product in an integrated manner. This strategy aims to reduce the traditional gap between the discovery of a crop protection molecule and the creation of a compatible biotechnological trait.

According to Mike Graham, head of crop science research and development at Bayer, the historical model began with chemistry. The team first evaluated the herbicide's performance. The development of the tolerance trait came later, with a significant time difference between the two approaches.

The new approach starts with the genetic sequence of weeds. Researchers use this data to identify proteins produced by the plant and potential targets for new herbicides. The same information guides the design of the biotechnological trait intended to confer tolerance to the selected mechanism of action.

The chemistry and biotechnology teams began working on the same database. One group identifies the target and develops the herbicide. Knowledge about the mechanism of action is then passed on to the team responsible for the genetic characteristics. This group develops a solution capable of tolerating the product's action.

Graham classifies this integration as a significant change in the research process. According to him, progress depends on computational resources and artificial intelligence. These tools allow for the conversion of genetic sequence information into proteins, the identification of targets, and support for the development of crop protection products.

Biotechnology and resistance

According to Graham, combining biotechnology with crop protection solutions can slow the rate at which resistance advances in the field. The strategy involves the simultaneous use of different modes of action against the same target.

Graham cites Asian soybean rust as an example. According to him, some older molecules used in crop protection no longer perform as well as they did in the past.

According to the researcher, combining a crop protection solution with a biotechnological solution can broaden management options. The goal is to avoid dependence on a single mode of action against the pest or disease of interest.

The company works with the proposal of broadening the spectrum of control through multiple mechanisms applied to the same problem. Graham relates this approach to innovations in fungicides.

The executive also cites genome editing as a possibility for managing Asian soybean rust. In this scenario, the tool could work in conjunction with crop protection solutions.

According to Graham, using two approaches against the same problem can create a different spectrum of resistance management compared to strategies adopted in the past.

CropKey Platform

The development of Icafolin utilized the CropKey platform. The system applies artificial intelligence to discover modes of action and design molecules. The approach evaluates efficacy, safety, and sustainability from the early stages of research. According to Bayer, more than 15 new modes of action are in the research phase of the crop protection pipeline.

Among the projects is a new broad-spectrum fungicide for soybeans. The product has advanced to phase two of the pipeline and has the potential to join the company's group of blockbusters. Bayer is also developing a new triazole fungicide for corn, soybeans, and cereals. The project aims to expand the control of foliar diseases and prolong residual activity.

Preceon Smart Corn

In corn, the Preceon Smart Corn system is marketed in Mexico, Italy, Spain, and the United States. The technology uses shorter plants (learn more here). The proposal aims to reduce risks associated with strong winds and expand access for ground machinery during the growing cycle. The system also allows for adjustments to planting density and integrates agronomic recommendations into FieldView. Overall, it involves minimizing plant height and providing specific recommendations for each plot regarding product allocation and planting density.

Bayer Crop Science expects to double the area planted with Preceon corn technology in the United States in the next growing season. The company currently maintains approximately 81 hectares in the field and projects reaching 2,02 million hectares by 2030, according to Brian Naber, president of Bayer Crop Science for North America and Australia.

Preceon corn plants are about one-third shorter. While conventional hybrids reach heights of 2,7 to 3,7 meters in the United States, these technologically enhanced varieties reach 1,8 to 2,1 meters.

The change also involves the root system. According to Naber, the plant directs less energy towards the growth of the aerial part and develops larger, deeper roots that grow faster. This characteristic increases the capacity for absorption of water and nutrients.

The ear of corn is also inserted closer to the ground. The lower center of gravity increases the crop's resistance to strong wind events. The company positions the system for production under extreme weather conditions.

The plant's architecture also allows for increased population density. The recommendation involves a 10% to 20% increase in the number of plants per hectare. Fertility management should follow this change. Modern hybrids require a greater supply of nutrients in later stages, with adjustments to the timing and placement of applications.

The lower height also facilitates fungicide applications with machines already available on the farms. In tall corn fields, according to Naber, some interventions require aerial equipment.

The technology has entered its third year of commercialization. The current areas are expected to be harvested in the coming weeks.

Also in the United States, Bayer continues the development of the fourth generation of protection against corn wireworms, identified as CRW4. The technology combines an enhanced mode of action based on RNA interference with two new proteins targeting the pest's gut. According to the company, one of these proteins represents the first new protein-based mode of action against the insect in more than two decades.

Genome editing

The soybean pipeline also includes genome editing. Bayer is working on plants with an architecture focused on reducing lodging. The project seeks to reconcile higher yield potential with better plant support. The company applies genome editing in the initial stages of the breeding program and anticipates new commercial concepts at the beginning of the next decade.

The company reports launching 400 to 500 new hybrids and varieties annually. Bayer attributes this pace to a precision breeding platform supported by artificial intelligence. According to the company, the system doubles the rate of genetic gain compared to historical breeding and triples the time new materials reach the market.

Investments in research are part of the Five-Year Framework, a plan presented by Bayer in 2025 to expand growth, resilience, and profitability of its agricultural division. The company reports cost reductions of approximately €400 million and a decrease in inventory of €500 million. It also sold five active ingredients and removed more than 100 formulations from its crop protection portfolio.

Use of technologies

Alongside research and development issues, there is a need to ensure the correct use of products. Bayer emphasizes the adoption of new pesticides, seeds, and biotechnologies with guidance for farmers. The company maintains approximately 25 mapped producers in Brazil and uses technical teams and promoters to explain the use of new solutions, explains Marcio Santos, CEO of Bayer Brazil.

"Our team's role on a daily basis is to be in contact with the farmer, showing them how each innovation works. Innovation is something different from what existed before, therefore it requires a new way of using it. So what we talk about most with our team is our role in leading the producer to the best experience with our product. All so that, at the end of the day, they can obtain the expected economic return," he explains.