Bayer CropScience

In 2007, €637 million, or 25 percent of the Bayer Group’s research and development budget, was spent in the CropScience subgroup.

Major areas of focus include not only conventional crop protection but also plant biotechnology. The main aim of research and development work in plant biotechnology is to improve the agronomic characteristics and quality of crop plants. The technologies employed in this area comprise all the tools required to improve important crops such as cotton, canola and rice for producers and industry partners – from the identification of a target gene to the development of a plant.

Topical examples of active ingredients to emerge from research at Bayer CropScience are:

flubendiamide (lead brand: Belt®): insecticide with a new mechanism of action that protects against all major types of caterpillar
spirotetramat (lead brand: Movento®): systemic insecticide for the control of a wide range of sucking insects
pyrasulfotole (lead brand: Huskie™): herbicide effective against a large number of broad-leaved weeds
tembotrione (lead brand: Laudis®): herbicide to control a broad spectrum of weeds, including resistant varieties, in corn.