The global agrochemical company behind controversial weed-killer glyphosate has unveiled plans to introduce a new class of herbicide in Australia.

Bayer says the product, icafolin-methyl, is the first new chemical specifically designed to kill sprouted weeds by attacking their leaves to hit the market in more than three decades.

The company has submitted applications for the product to regulators in the European Union, United States, Canada and Brazil, and will seek Australian approval next year, with a rollout expected in 2028.

Farmers battling herbicide resistance welcome the move, but environmental groups are not convinced the full risk is understood.

Cost of resistance

Since its introduction in Australia in 1974, glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, has become a critical t

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