Rising to new heights: new solutions and systems power Raxil’s future in Canada

In Canada, Raxil is more than an average seed treatment: it’s a hero product, trusted by farmers for a quarter of a century.

We covered the highlights of Raxil’s 25-year history, and how it sets the brand up for even greater things, in a previous article. One question remains: What’s next for Raxil?

Here, we’ll explore Bayer’s plans to take Raxil further in the coming years, starting with a new solution: Raxil Rise.

Raxil Rise received registration in 2025 and is now commercially available in Canada for the first time. Like Raxil Pro, it’s an all-cereal seed treatment incorporating tebuconazole, prothioconazole and metalaxyl. But it also adds a fourth active: penflufen. The result? Enhanced strength of the broad spectrum of diseases controlled, including Fusarium, and enhanced control of Raxil’s core disease spectrum, including true loose smut and bunt for barley growers.

“Our work is never finished, and we’re always engaging with growers and getting their feedback on what they would like to see Raxil offer,” says Ashley Smith, product manager, SeedGrowth. “That’s what led to the development of Raxil Rise. For Canada’s cereal growers, it’s clear what it delivers: even broader spectrum strength against yield-robbing diseases, and even more peace of mind, with another tool added to their toolbox.”

Raxil Rise offers its new features without compromising on the well-known attributes that make Raxil what it is: comprehensive all-cereal performance, a consistent application rate, and outstanding ease of use, with excellent coverage and flowability. “You could say it sets the new standard for cereal fungicidal seed treatments,” adds Ashley.

Comparison trial image from Saskatoon, June 2025. Left side is inoculated with Fusarium; the difference between the Raxil Rise-treated and untreated plots is immediately clear. 

Side by side, you can see Raxil Rise’s enhanced color

There is more in SeedGrowth Canada’s pipeline. Development is underway on a solution to help crops withstand extreme weather conditions. And the technology behind Raxil Rise has come to pulses, too, in the form of EverGol Rise.

Behind the scenes, there’s a fundamental shift underway: we are not just analyzing what we innovate to produce, but how we innovate. Bayer is increasingly adopting crop-level system approaches – which means we don’t just think in terms of seed treatments, but ask how every agronomic and digital technology can combine to produce the best results.

“The goal is not to specialize, but to ask what growers need from start to finish, across all portfolios – and then to be there with the answers and expertise they need,” says Ashley. “Our promise is to be partners in growth – and we do that by cultivating season-long relationships and working under a full-system vision. That enables us to bring a coordinated offering, where growers don’t have to consider every ‘ingredient’ in their protection plan separately, but can make more intuitive decisions and free up time for what’s important.

“Agricultural inputs can be increasingly complex, but the message to growers remains simple: We’re here for you.”

While these integrated systems don’t rely on any single technology, it’s clear that seed treatments will have a significant role to play in them. Raxil is an excellent example, with the brand constantly growing its contribution to the integrated grower toolbox through enhanced strength of broad-spectrum control and additional establishment benefits. In the future, we may even see tailored solutions delivering Raxil in conjunction with other chemical and biological solutions – further optimizing the convenience and efficacy for growers.

“Grower trust is essential to everything we do,” says Ashley. “Just look at Raxil, which built up trust over 25 years. But we don’t take it for granted – we need to keep repaying that trust by adding new possibilities to the protective toolbox growers have available.

“That doesn’t happen automatically: it happens through constant investment in R&D and quality control, and through grower engagement to ensure that our development pipeline is directly oriented towards addressing challenges that growers are really experiencing.

“We can never stand still. But when I look at our scientific knowledge and capabilities, and the talented team around me in SeedGrowth, I feel optimistic that we’ll keep delivering impactful innovations and supporting systems. That’s how we help give cereal production a bright future!”