At the intersection of low-carbon fuels and practical farm economics, Bayer’s newgold seed brand is being developed, offering an opportunity for farmers to make additional income from their existing acres.
By inserting high-oil, low-carbon intensity crops such as camelina and canola into idle/fallow acres or wheat rotations, growers can tap into a new income stream that feeds the fast-growing biomass-based diesel market.
The new opportunities are backed by defined grain contracts, downstream demand, and long-term R&D investment, according to Chad Bilby, Bayer biofuel crops innovation and commercial lead.
Bilby says Bayer’s biofuel crops portfolio is currently centered on three crops:
1. Camelina (spring and winter): Under the newgold brand, initial focus for 2026 is in the northern Great Plains (southern Saskatchewan, southeast Alberta, eastern Montana, western North Dakota), with potential expansion as the program and value chain build out.
2. Winter canola: Also under newgold, the crop is targeted for commercial planting starting in September 2027 in the southern Great Plains (Kansas, Oklahoma, northern Texas) within wheat rotation systems.
3. CoverCress: This offering is a joint venture between Bayer, Chevron and Bunge and has been in place for several years. CoverCress is an oilseed targeted to corn-soybean farmers in the Midwest and used to produce low-carbon intensity oil for renewable fuels and high-protein meal for animal feed.
“All these crops that we’re focused on are geared for the biomass-based diesel segment of biofuels,” Bilby says. “When you look at biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel… a lot of the higher horsepower engines where electric vehicles are not going to play a role are really seeking a path to get access to biofuels,” he adds.
Seed to Market: Closed-Loop System and Value-Chain Alignment
Newgold is being built on the recognition by Bayer that agronomy alone doesn’t make a new crop successful for farmers — marketing certainty is needed.
Because many specialty oilseeds, such as camelina, don’t have a standard commodity market behind them already, Bayer is structuring a closed-loop, contract-based system from the outset.
“Some of these crops aren’t a commodity trade, so something like camelina or CoverCress, you don’t have a market for those crops,” Bilby explains. “There will be a grain contract in place that will establish the pricing and delivery options… farmers will have that grain contract available. And then in the case of a camelina or winter canola, we will then sell the seed to the farmer against that contract to fulfill the contract.”
In parallel, Bayer is working across the entire value chain to align agronomy, grain flow and processing capacity.
“We’re collaborating closely with value chain partners,” Bilby says. “So as crush and renewable fuel capacity comes online, [farmers will] have a locally relevant crop and clear contracting options, kind of a seamless path from seed to market,” he says. “This is going to help ensure that agronomic fit, and that grain logistics and crush demand start to scale together.”
On the distribution side, newgold will tap into Bayer’s existing retail networks but says it won’t be locked into any single channel. Bilby notes that Bayer will leverage relationships and brands like DEKALB, WestBred, and others, but the newgold label gives the company the freedom to choose the best local partners.
More formal announcements around the Bayer newgold brand and opportunities are expected in the coming weeks. Farmers can learn more of the various program details by contacting their local Bayer representative.
