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Bayer Unveils Icafolin and Conventro: New Herbicide Technologies Target Resistant Weeds and Support Sustainable Farming
In a recent conversation with Brownfield, Jody Gander, Technical Product Manager for Crop Protection at Bayer, shared exciting updates about new herbicide chemistries in development — some of the most groundbreaking in decades.
Leading the charge is Icafolin, the first new active ingredient for post-emergence herbicides in over 30 years. Icafolin works in a completely different way than traditional herbicides, offering a novel mode of action that targets herbicide-resistant weeds while supporting sustainable practices like no-till farming. Once applied, weeds essentially “freeze” in the field — no longer competing for water, nutrients, or sunlight — but they remain structurally intact, acting as a mulch to retain soil moisture and reduce erosion. With foliar and residual activity, Icafolin is being developed for use in a wide range of crops including soybeans, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, tree nuts, fruits, and citrus. Though still a few years from market — with availability expected around 2028–2029 — this product could dramatically reshape weed control strategies across U.S. agriculture, particularly in the southern states where burndown ahead of corn and soybean planting is critical.
Also in Bayer’s pipeline is Conventro, a Group 12 herbicide containing the active ingredient diflufenican — a product already proven in Europe but new to the U.S. market. Designed for preemergence and burndown use in corn and soybeans, Conventro targets some of the most difficult and resistant weeds farmers face, including waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. With EPA approval anticipated by 2026, Conventro offers a much-needed new mode of action for U.S. growers looking to expand their weed control toolbox. Gander emphasized that these new solutions give farmers more flexibility and better options to combat resistance while aligning with regenerative practices that support long-term soil health.
With Icafolin and Conventro on the horizon, Bayer is positioning itself to deliver much-needed innovation to support modern weed control and sustainable farming systems.
Conversation with Jody Gander, Technical Product Manager for Crop Protection at Bayer:
where is the litigation for the glyphosate in our food supply weve been eating for 20 years.