The world needs more innovation, and Bayer delivers

Two men standing in a corn field.
Sub-Saharan Africa

We need to produce enough food for the growing world population while protecting natural resources. For this, our scientists are constantly looking for better solutions to produce more food per hectare with the same amount of resources. 

An estimated 12 million hectares of agricultural land is “lost” every year due to various reasons, most of all the expansion of towns and cities. Progress in yield per hectare has been made possible through the enhancement of breeding techniques and genomic research. 

 

In Africa, the adoption of certain seed and trait technology has had a slow start, but as science starts to show its worth, more countries from the continent are reassessing their options. A-maize-ing results have been reached in South Africa where modern crop protection solutions, hybrid seed technology and cutting-edge traits are widely accepted. This includes GMO technology for grain producers. 

 

Before being accepted into use, all products must adhere to the strict regulatory procedure to make sure it is safe for use in the food value chain. This includes products for fruit, vegetable, flower, small grains, oilseed and maize production. The successful harvests on both commercial and smallholder farmer levels are testament to the benefits of well researched and tested crop protection products, seeds and traits from the Bayer stable. 

 

These are the areas we focus on in the research and development phases to create tailored solutions for producers to have healthy plants that will produce high yield and quality harvests: 

  • Seeds and traits that will produce high yielding seeds. 
  • Seed treatment for effective protection from threats below ground and to access the maximum nutrients from the soil. 
  • Modern weed management solutions include new tools to address herbicide resistance. 
  • Pest management to avoid loss due to yield-robbing pests like Maize Stalk Borer and the Fall Armyworm. 
  • Disease management to prevent losses from disease. 

 

Before any products are commercialized, it is thoroughly tested in controlled environments as well as field trials. Adhering to every country’s regulations as well as Bayer’s own stringent quality and safety measures ensures safe and proven products. Our agronomists across Africa, keep a close eye on these developments to ensure the safe and effective use of products. 

 

The process includes thorough testing of the dosage levels, level of residues of active ingredients or metabolites in animals and plants as well as how a product metabolizes (breaks down) in nature.