The Science Behind the Products

Bayer is an inventor company that has been guided by the spirit of scientific research ever since it was established over 140 years ago and intends to continue in this tradition of innovation in the future. High levels of investment in research and development alone do not form the basis for success at Bayer. Another important cornerstone is creativity. Bayer's inventors are driven by one ambition: to create new ideas.

Werner Heisenberg, physicist and Nobel prize-winner, could have been talking about the milestones of research at Bayer when he said, "Science is made by man." These achievements may have been the work of individuals, but one thing is clear: behind every new development there stands a whole team of scientists. As a company with a great tradition of innovation, Bayer and its highly qualified employees intend to continue setting standards in research-intensive fields in the future.

Research

The first steps toward a new product

Bayer CropScience uses highly innovative approaches to product development. Our promising products in the pipeline are designed to meet the requirement of homeowners, shareholders and other stakeholders.

Miniaturization - a quantum leap

With miniaturized greenhouse test methods, Bayer CropScience can now test several hundred thousand new compounds each year.

The long search for successful candidates

Bayer CropScience's research strategy is to focus on mechanisms of action. Our researchers use genome research to identify potential target sites for novel herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.

Development

From discovery to registration

The responsibility of Development starts with the field testing of promising active ingredients. The effect of a new active substance against pests is then tested on a variety of crops in different amounts and different formulations.

Our agronomists and formulation chemists suggest optimum formulations for the new active substance, investigating, for example, whether the substance should take the form of granules or a solution. The formulation has to make sure that the active ingredient is distributed properly and reaches its site of action regardless of external conditions such as rain, heat or cold.

Human health and the environment

Our toxicologists, residue chemists and operator and consumer safety specialists investigate the effects of a single dose or prolonged intake of the substance on various organisms. They have to confirm that the product does not adversely affect human health, making sure that there are no long-term risks or hazardous residues in food or feed.

For every product in development, our ecotoxicologists and environmental fate scientists investigate its influence on native flora and fauna as well as its biodegradability in soil, water and air. They also monitor products that are already on the market. Bayer's primary concern is the safety of the product.

The commercial product

After all of our scientists have contributed their share, all the test results are collected by regulatory managers in a dossier and submitted to the relevant authorities for registration approval.

It can take up to two years before a decision on the registration of a product is made while the whole process from synthesis to launch usually takes between eight and ten years.

Once a new active ingredient has been registered only then are we permitted to produce and sell the product. Then, we offer active support in product life cycle management and product stewardship.