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Bayer's CropKey brings AI to crop protection
The president of Bayer CropScience North America says artificial intelligence is opening new doors in crop protection.
Brian Naber said his company, CropKey, is using data science to design precise new pest treatments.
“Where we’re moving is from screening to design,” he says, “so we can literally now, through AI, design pesticide products that are specific to the target pest and nothing else.”
Naver told Brownfield that it was accelerating product research.
“By actually moving into modeling that predicts what these genes are going to perform in the infield, it will greatly accelerate the genetic advances we can make.”
Kropkey's approach led to the development of icaforin, the first new herbicide mode of action in 30 years, he said, with the first expected to be launched in Brazil in 2028.
Klopkey has already discovered more than 30 potential new molecular targets and is validating more than 10 targets as new mechanisms of action in early studies, Naber said.
CropKey designed fungicides and insecticides are also in development.
Bayer unveiled CropKey at its 2024 Innovation Update in Chicago earlier this year.
