The global agrochemical company behind the controversial weedkiller glyphosate has unveiled plans to introduce a new class of herbicide in Australia.
Bayer says the product, icafolin-methyl, is the first new chemical specifically designed to kill sprouted weeds by attacking leaves to hit the market in more than three decades.
The company has submitted applications for the product to regulators in the European Union, the United States, Canada and Brazil, and will seek Australian approval next year, with a rollout expected in 2028.
Farmers battling herbicide resistance welcome the move, but environmental groups are not convinced the full risk is understood.
Cost of resistance
Since its introduction in Australia in 1974, glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, has become a critical tool in food production.
But growing resistance, both from the weeds it fights and some consumers, has impacted its effectiveness, with few good options to replace it.
Bayer Crop Science Australia and New Zealand managing director Warren Inwood said the new chemical would complement, not replace, glyphosate.
"The holy grail in research and development in herbicide activity is trying to find something to replace Roundup or glyphosate, which is as safe as glyphosate," Inwood said.
"Icafolin will become a crucial tool, but it won't be a direct replacement … we will continue supporting Roundup in our portfolio."
Both glyphosate and icafolin are non-selective herbicides that kill all plants they contact, unlike selective herbicides, which spare desired plants.
Click HERE to read the full article.