Innovating together for sustainable growth

The Australian agricultural market is one of the most environmentally and economically challenged markets in the world. It requires constant innovation and Bayer CropScience is one of the few global crop protection companies continuing to invest heavily in local research and development activities.

We look for partners who also have a strong commitment to innovation. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

Rob Hall, General Manager – BioScience, Bayer CropScience, explains, “Our partnership with the CSIRO in agriculture spans 15 years. Together, we aim to deliver innovation to Australian and international agriculture, to boost its sustainability and to provide growers everywhere with solutions that enable them to cope with the changing face of agriculture.”

One example of this partnership in action is a long-term alliance to develop and improve advanced cotton germoplasm. These premium varieties, known as FiberMax®, are sold around the world. They include varieties with herbicide tolerance and insect protection technologies that are in high demand.

Building on our partnership, Bayer CropScience and the CSIRO have also formalised a long-term agreement that aims to develop cereal varieties with higher yield, more efficient nutrient utilisation and tolerance against abiotic stress such as drought, thus helping to safeguard food production worldwide.

Another joint project aims to assess the sustainability of new generation crops. Jeremy Burdon, Chief, CSIRO Plant Industry, says “The models developed will be based on the Australian environment and will directly measure the impact and benefit of new generation crops in Australia.”