June 7, 2007

 

DuPont ready to address global demand for grain

 

 

Biotech giant DuPont says they are ready to meet the global demand for grain driven by a growing global population and increased biofuels use.

 

During the Merrill Lynch Agricultural Chemical Conference on June 5 in New York City,  DuPont Vice President for Crop Genetics Research & Development William S. Niebur said the company is helping increase productivity today through advanced plant breeding and biotechnology.

 

The trend for genetically-modified crop is a "powerful incentive around the world to rapidly adopt technologies to raise their production.

 

Niebur said DuPont seed business Pioneer Hi-Bred has increased its seed corn yield advantage by 50 percent and has significantly increased the number of products with yield enhancing biotech traits.

 

At the same time, Pioneer has more people working with farmers to increase yield by matching the best seed products to their specific fields and management practices. This way, farmers recognise biotech traits on the market and can now have better options to allow them to increase their quantities of better quality grain per acre, according to Niebur.

 

Niebur illustrates the Herculex® XTRA trait which controls the Western bean cutworm that has been increasingly troublesome pest in the heart of the US Corn Belt in recent years.

 

Heavy infestations of Western Bean Cutworm can cut yields by as much as 30 to 40 percent, he said.

 

Niebur highlighted its new trait that will be commercial within the next five years:

 

Optimum™ GAT™ herbicide resistance trait will give farmers new weed control options and help boost yields in soybeans. The trait also will be available in corn and a number of other crops in the near future.-Increased soybean yield through molecular marker technology and biotechnology advances.-Disease resistance for corn that will protect the corn plant from stalk rot.-Soybean oil that will reduce trans fats, creating an oil that is more stable under frying applications. This oil also can be used as a bio- based feedstock in industrial applications.

 

Niebur proudly states DuPont has already integrated a number of new technologies into its crop genetics research and development effort to reduce the time it takes to bring new ideas to its customers.

 

He said over 90 percent of its projects have advanced to the next stage in the past two years and over 44 percent of their current pipeline projects have advanced to the next phase of development.