Effective weed control in cereals continues to be a challenge. In particular, Group 1 resistant wild oats have proven to be a stubborn problem. Introduced in 2024, Varro® FX represents a breakthrough in Group 1 resistant wild oat control for use in spring and winter wheat. Varro FX also delivers on cross-spectrum control of tough weeds like kochia, volunteer canola as well as green and yellow foxtail.
Kate Hadley, a Saskatoon-based Customer Solutions Lead with Bayer, shares some key insights about Varro FX. “Varro FX is the first Group 2 emulsifiable concentrate (EC) on the market in Western Canada. That’s a big change for Group 2 products,” she says. “It rinses out of the chem-handler and boom very easily. Growers have told us that they’re surprised by how easy it was to mix, and how well it flows through equipment.”
In fact, Varro FX herbicide can be the cornerstone of your integrated weed management strategy in cereals. Let’s take a closer look at how Varro FX can enhance weed control efficiency while supporting sustainable farming.
Varro FX contains multiple modes of action, combining Group 2 (thiencarbazone-methyl) and Group 4 (fluroxypyr) active ingredients for effective control of both grass and broadleaf weeds. This dual-action formulation targets resistant weeds like wild oats, kochia, and volunteer canola. By incorporating multiple modes of action, Varro FX helps manage herbicide resistance, which is essential for maintaining long-term weed control efficacy. That improved weed control increases your potential to maximize crop yield. At the same time, it can help reduce the weed seed bank, lowering weed pressure across years and crops.
If you think broadleaf weeds are also limiting your cereal yields, you can count on Varro FX as a tank-mix partner for a broadleaf weed control boost. The product can be mixed with a wide range of cereal broadleaf herbicides such as Buctril® M, Infinity®, Thumper®, MCPA ester, and 2,4-D ester. With broadleaf partners in the tank, you’ll have more application timing flexibility and weed management solutions based on your unique field conditions.
With Varro FX you won’t have to add a surfactant to your spray budget. The new formulation of Varro FX has you covered because a surfactant like AMS or NIS is not required.
Like other cereal herbicides you may have used, it’s important to apply the product under the right conditions. “If you’re dealing with a frost event or cold temperatures around spray timing, you need to wait until the crop and weeds are actively growing again before applying Varro FX” Hadley says. “Aim to apply the product starting at the 8-to-10-degrees Celsius temperature range for best efficacy.” Varro FX has a wide application window of the 1-to-6 leaf stage of the crop. But the earlier you can apply to actively growing crops and weed, the better off you’ll be.
With multiple modes of action, an easy mixing formulation and plenty of tank-mix partners, Varro FX can become the cornerstone of your integrated weed management strategy.
What to find out more about Varro FX and key elements of an integrated weed management strategy? Contact your local Bayer Crop Science expert or visit the chatbot tool at: ExpertControl.ca
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Tank mixtures: The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) Guidance Document, Tank Mix Labelling updated March 2023 (Guidance) provides that tank mixes are permitted where specifically identified on a product label or the labels of tank-mixed products contain general tank mix statements. The Guidance provides that registrants will have until 20 December 2024 to update their product labels as required, and users of products will have until 20 December 2024 to adjust their purchasing and production practices to align with the Guidance. The support of identified tank mixes is contingent on and subject to PMRA approvals and continued compliance with the Guidance including the specific inclusion of the tank mixes on applicable Bayer labels or permitted general tank mix label statements where and by when required.The applicable labeling for each product must be in the possession of the user at the time of application. Follow applicable use instructions, including application rates, precautions and restrictions of each product used in the permissible tank mixture. Bayer has not tested all permissible tank mix product formulations for compatibility or performance other than specifically listed by brand name. Always predetermine the compatibility of permissible tank mixtures by mixing small proportional quantities in advance. Bayer, Bayer Cross, Buctril®, Infinity®, Thumper® and Varro® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada. ©2025 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.