German agribusiness giant Bayer has announced the launch of a new soybean product, Intacta 5+, targeting farmers in Brazil, the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybeans. The company aims to continue advancing the use of genetically engineered seeds in South America with this latest innovation.
Commercial varieties of Intacta 5+ are expected to be available for the 2027/28 crop season, subject to regulatory approvals and business decisions in Brazil and internationally. The new seed technology is notable for being the first in Brazil to offer tolerance to five herbicides—mesotrione, dicamba, glyphosate, glufosinate, and 2,4-D—while also providing protection against certain caterpillar pests that can damage soybean plants.
Brazilian farmers have widely adopted genetically modified seeds over the past decades, a trend credited with significant yield growth across multiple crops. According to a November 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Brazil is the world’s second-largest producer of biotech crops after the United States. For the 2024/25 season, the report projected 68.5 million hectares (169.3 million acres) of genetically engineered crops in Brazil, with adoption rates reaching 99% for soybeans and cotton and 95% for corn.
Marcio Santos, CEO of Bayer’s crop division in Brazil, described the Intacta 5+ seeds as “an important genetic advancement that will help farmers face current and future agricultural challenges.”
Bayer’s Intacta technology has already played a major role in boosting Brazilian soybean production, contributing an estimated 21.2 million metric tons over the past decade, according to agribusiness consultancy Agroconsult. The introduction of Intacta 5+ is expected to strengthen Brazil’s crop resilience and further support yield growth for farmers navigating evolving agricultural challenges.
