Bayer Introduces Next-Gen Solution for Flexible Weed Management

Bayer Crop Science has announced Vyconic soybeans, a new trait technology that will be the first to feature five herbicide tolerances including dicamba, glufosinate, mesotrione, 2,4-D and glyphosate.

Flexible Solutions

Vyconic soybeans will enable the use of five herbicides for an integrated weed management program to help address specific field needs and challenges, including weed resistance management.

Currently, Bayer soybean trait platforms offer three different herbicide tolerances (dicamba, gluphosinate, glyphosate) which equates to 7 different chemistry combinations, said Frank Rittemann, Bayer North American soybean project manager and launch lead. “Moving it up to five tolerances, we quadruple the available options that growers can utilize in the field to combat the weeds that are getting ever more difficult to control,” he said.

With mesotrione and 2,4-D, Bayer is adding two new herbicide tolerances to its previous generation of soybean traits. Both herbicides are effective against a wide range of broadleaf weeds, including Palmer amaranth and waterhemp.

All five chemistries will offer contact herbicide control of targeted weed species, however, the addition of mesotrione adds a second residual herbicide option along with dicamba, Rittemann said. “Residual herbicide tolerance is unique from other platforms that are available in the marketplace today,” he said. “It offers unprecedented levels of flexibility, and it really gives growers an opportunity to work with a trusted advisor to create weed control programs based on their farm’s specific needs.”

Agronomic Traits and Yield Performance

The broad-spectrum herbicide options of Vyconic soybeans will enable a wide range of weeds to be managed as well as feature the latest soybean genetics, agronomic traits, and yield potential.

Jagdeep Kaur, a technical product lead for soy at Bayer, noted that Vyconic variety yields from 2023 and 2024 trials were at or above the standard Xtend soybean check. “We are very excited that Vyconic has not only a yield advantage but all the agronomic traits which are important for a soybean plant to be successful in the field like disease resistance and standability,” she said.

Bayer has soybean varieties in the Vyconic breeding pipeline from maturity group 000 to maturity group 7 and will have them available to choose from for the 2027 deployment, Rittemann said. 

Path to Regulatory Approval

Vyconic soybeans have an anticipated market introduction in the United States and Canada by the 2027 planting season, pending regulatory approval. The regulatory process is arduous with multiple layers and nuances, said Rittemann. “We talk about it as one product but on the regulatory and science side, it’s actually two different products that require different approvals, ” he said. 

The first event consists of four out of five tolerance traits (2,4-D, dicamba, glufosinate, and mesotrione) and the second event being the Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait to form the stack with separate global reviews and approvals for each trait. 

Global approvals for cultivation in the U.S., Canada, and Brazil are progressing well, Rittemann said. The U.S. and Canada have granted approvals for certain events, with Brazil’s approval for the stack expected soon.

According to Rittemann, the overall goal is to get approval for the stack of traits and herbicide tolerance in key agricultural regions. The company is on track for marketing the Vyconic soybeans by 2027, despite the complexities of regulatory processes in different regions.

In the meantime, Bayer will continue to work on the development of proprietary herbicide formulations to optimize its weed management offerings.