Bayer has announced a herbicide molecule in Phase 2 of early development that has demonstrated effective control of key resistant grasses in research trials, according to a company news release.
The announcement comes at a time when an increasing number of weed species have developed resistance to multiple modes of action, leaving growers with fewer weed control measures in their toolbox.
Phase 3 covers late development, and Phase 4 involves filing registration packages with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other countries’ regulatory bodies.
Should the product come to market, it would mark the first new post-emergence mode of action for broad-acre weed control in 30 years. The last new family of herbicides were the HPPD inhibitors.
Each new herbicide takes at least 10 years and more than $250 million to bring to market.
Bayer has not yet announced a brand name for either the active ingredient or the individual products.