April 20, 2011
Bayer CropScience and DuPont announce canola trait licensing agreement
Bayer CropScience and DuPont announced that they have entered into a global licensing agreement for a canola herbicide tolerance trait.
Bayer has licensed its proprietary herbicide tolerance technology, LibertyLink®, to DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred for use in canola (Brassica napus) hybrids. Pioneer will provide Bayer access to certain proprietary juncea (Brassica juncea) genetics. Financial details were not disclosed.
Canola is a form of rapeseed grown primarily in Canada, the US and Australia on about 10 million hectares (24 million acres) while juncea is primarily grown on seven million hectares (17 million acres) in India and has adaptation possibilities in other geographies.
"The access to juncea germplasm will strengthen our long-term global Brassica oilseeds breeding programme by expanding our portfolio and providing additional choices to growers," said Schneider. Hybrid products bred from this germplasm would have the potential to provide excellent yield and agronomic qualities like drought-, heat-, and disease-tolerance.
