Bayer's biotechnology increased Brazilian soybean production by 21.2 million tons

In the ten years since its launch in Brazil, Bayer's transgenic soybean line has increased soybean production by 21.2 million tons. 

The lineage began with the so-called Roundup Ready, developed by the American company Monsanto, whose major innovation was resistance to the herbicide glyphosate.

The next step was the arrival of the second generation during the 2013/2014 season, named Intacta soybeans, which incorporated BT technology—a genetic modification for caterpillar control. In the 2021/2022 season, the Intacta family gained a new biotechnology: Intacta2 Xtend. 

With a novel concept for the crop, it offered protection against caterpillars through three different proteins that act simultaneously to protect against the main caterpillars affecting soybean crops. It also enhanced weed control with plants tolerant to glyphosate (post-emergent) and dicamba (pre-emergent). Hundreds of farmers reported yields above 100 sacks per hectare in 2023/2024, something unimaginable ten years ago.

André Pessoa, president of Agroconsult, reported that in the 2023/2024 season, BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) soybeans are already present in 86% of Brazilian crops. According to a study by this consultancy, using the technology brought more stability in pest and disease control, ultimately generating productivity gains. 

According to Agroconsult, in ten years of Bayer's biotechnology, BRL72.3 billion was saved in pesticides. A total of 834,000 tons of agrochemicals were no longer applied to soybean crops, equivalent to 60% of the volume used in the last harvest. The study indicates Intacta reduced the need for planted areas by 6.3 million hectares to harvest the current crop.

Celebrations

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its biotechnology, Bayer gathered key players from the productive sector, authorities, and representatives from the main entities of the Brazilian agricultural sector in Brasília, the capital of Brazil.

"The evolution of soybean cultivation is one of the greatest success stories of the Brazilian economy, and none of this would have been possible without the joint dedication of farmers, marketers, researchers, cultivar developers, seed producers, and key players in the soybean market," said Márcio Santos, CEO of Bayer in Brazil.

"The sector's revolution resulted from a pioneering and risky co-creation endeavor led by a great team of innovators that brought new options to enable and expand soybean cultivation in Brazil," he said.

According to Santos, without the initial step taken by a group of people convinced that it would be feasible to create a biotechnology business for soybeans in Brazil—something nonexistent in the vast majority of other countries that also cultivate this grain—Intacta biotechnology would not have arrived ten years ago.

"There were several stages: we went from the launch of the Roundup herbicide, which enabled no-till farming, to creating a business environment conducive to investment, then the complex arrival of the first biotechnology in Brazil, Roundup Ready soybeans, until the launch of Intacta in 2013/14—the first biotechnology developed and commercially launched in our country," the executive said.

According to Geraldo Berger, vice president of scientific affairs for Latin America in Bayer's agricultural division, the business environment created before the launch of Intacta also allowed new companies to invest in this seed market.

"This provided Brazilian farmers with more management options for their crops, creating a promising market for all value chain segments. The seed production sector, for example, grew seven times (700%) compared to an area increase of less than 4% per year in these ten years of Intacta," Berger said.

"In agriculture, it is essential always to evolve, keep up with changes, find quick answers to challenges, and preserve the benefits to farmers. Over the past decades, innovation has significantly contributed to the productivity gains of Brazilian soybean farmers, resulting in a prominent place in the international market," said the vice president of scientific affairs.

"All the development of platforms like Intacta2 Xtend involved a co-creation effort with the entire chain, from the producer to academia," says Fernando Prudente, director of Soybean and Cotton Business at Bayer.

"This included everything from training and capacity-building initiatives for professionals working in the field to generate more knowledge about best practices to the direct involvement of scientists and experts who contributed to propelling Brazilian soybean farming to a new level," he said.

For Prudente, agriculture should no longer focus on single and isolated tools but rather on connected agricultural systems that intelligently combine seeds, biotechnology, crop protection, and digital solutions to benefit farmers and the environment. "Pioneering and long-term commitment to the future of Brazilian agriculture has driven the sector's evolution in recent years," the director said in conclusion.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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