Soybean growers could soon have five herbicide-tolerance options in a single trait stack as Bayer Crop Science prepares to introduce its new Vyconic technology. At Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ont., Bayer Crop Science agronomic solutions lead Adam Pfeffer joined RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin to discuss the technology, which Bayer expects to begin introducing in 2027, followed by a broader commercial launch in 2028, subject to regulatory approvals.
Vyconic combines tolerance to five herbicides: glyphosate, dicamba, glufosinate, 2,4-D, and mesotrione. The first three are currently available in Bayer’s XtendFlex soybean system, while tolerance to 2,4-D and mesotrione will add more herbicide options.
″That’s really the main thing with Vyconic — really flexible weed control and the ability control weeds that you have in your field,″ says Pfeffer. He notes that added flexibility could give growers more options for managing tough-to-control weeds and herbicide resistance while allowing them to select chemistry based on the weed spectrum in individual fields.
Bayer is also emphasizing what sits underneath the herbicide traits. The company says a new trait integration approach has allowed its breeding program to combine Vyconic with newer soybean genetics earlier in development. Bayer reports Vyconic varieties have demonstrated a yield increase of more than two bushels per acre.
Pfeffer says the first broad commercial introduction is expected to include varieties ranging from triple-zero maturity for Saskatchewan and Manitoba through Group 3 maturities for Eastern Canada.
″It really gets back to the basics of genetics, yield, and making sure you have the right agronomic bean for that acre,″ he says.
Before that happens, however, regulatory approvals still need to be completed. Pfeffer says Bayer is awaiting European stack approval and Chinese import approval, along with some crop protection regulatory work.
If those approvals are secured as anticipated, Bayer plans an initial commercial introduction in 2027 before increasing seed volumes and the number of available varieties in 2028. Vyconic will also be broadly licensed, meaning growers can expect to see the trait offered through multiple seed brands over the following seasons.
