A powerful new solution for resistant grass weeds in cereals and other crops
FMC Corporation, a leading global agricultural sciences company, announced an agreement with Bayer to commercialize products containing Isoflex™ active in the European Union (EU) and Great Britain. The partnership will expand access to FMC’s breakthrough weed control technology, offering European growers a powerful new solution for resistant grass weeds in cereals and other crops.
Isoflex™ active, classified by the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) as a Group 13 herbicide, received registration in Great Britain in 2024. Pending regulatory decisions, EU registration is anticipated in 2025. The novel herbicide provides lasting control of key grass weeds, including those resistant to other herbicides, addressing a critical need in European agriculture.
“This agreement will allow FMC to expand market access in the European Union and Great Britain, which has an estimated 30 million planted hectares of winter cereals, reaching new growers and distributors with our novel Isoflex™ active ingredient,” said Ronaldo Pereira, FMC president. “We believe that Isoflex™ active will serve as a vital new rotational tool for European growers looking to control resistant weeds, especially grass weeds.”
Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will bring products containing Isoflex™ active to the winter cereals and oilseed rape markets in the European Union and Great Britain. FMC plans to commercialize its own formulations powered by Isoflex™ active in the winter cereals, corn, oilseed rape and potato markets, while Bayer will submit registrations and commercialize mixtures containing Isoflex™ active for use in winter cereals and distribute a formulation developed by FMC for use in oilseed rape. Bayer will jointly promote the Isoflex™ active brand when referencing their mixtures and formulated product brands.
“In the face of climate change and pressure on food systems, farmers need effective tools to control weeds,” said Frank Terhorst, executive vice president of strategy and sustainability at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Herbicides like Isoflex™ active play an important part in that, to eventually contribute to food security. We are happy to make use of synergies with FMC to achieve this goal.”
The European launches will build on FMC’s successful global rollout of products powered by Isoflex™ active, which have already been registered and commercialized in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Pakistan, Uruguay and India. Product launches are anticipated in Great Britain later this year and in the EU in 2027, pending regulatory decisions. Products containing Isoflex™ active have exhibited pre-plant, pre-emergence and early post-emergence selectivity in major crops across the globe, including canola, cereals, oilseed rape and pulses.
