- New active ingredient controls weeds in corn
- Bayer CropScience's Tembotrione given first regulatory approval
- Bayer CropScience launches herbicide Laudis® in Austria, its first market

Bayer CropScience has received the first regulatory approval for its innovative active ingredient tembotrione. The company recently received the official registration certificate from the responsible authority in Austria. This means that the corn herbicide Laudis® can be delivered in time for the spring season 2007. Marketing authorization is expected in further European countries in the course of the year.

Laudis® contains two innovative components in a high-quality, ready-to-use formulation. The new active substance tembotrione from the triketone chemical family is a leaf-active substance that eliminates the protection of chlorophyll against UV light in weeds. An added safener component enables the corn plant to metabolize the active substance and maintain the carotinoid layer that protects it against UV light. The safener isoxadifen provides high corn compatibility combined with a balanced, high-value formulation. Providing broad-spectrum control of weed species, Laudis® also offers a rapid action and a high degree of environmental compatibility. The ready-to-use formulation provides the farmer with an additional advantage, as other adjuvants are not necessary.

In Austria, Bayer CropScience will offer Laudis® and a combi-pack sold as Laudis® Plus (tembotrione + terbutylazine). This combination provides control of almost all relevant weeds in corn under Austrian climatic conditions, and will give Austrian corn growers an exciting new choice for weed control.

Tembotrione is the first of ten promising projects currently at a late stage of development to reach the market. In addition to the other nine projects - two insecticides, three fungicides and four herbicides - the well-filled Bayer CropScience research and development pipeline also contains a further six projects at an early stage of development. The resulting products are scheduled to reach the market from 2011.