Du Pont vice- president and general manager, Paul Schickler calls for advanced agricultural technologies to ensure demand for maize and soybean yields throughout the next decade are met

DuPont vice- president and general manager Paul Schickler has called on advanced agricultural technologies to ensure demand for maize and soybean yields throughout the next decade are met.

Speaking at the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum in February, Mr Schickler emphasised the importance of biotechnology in sustaining high-demand crops. “It is an incredible time for the agricultural economy as demand for food [has] increased,” he notes. “We expect the traits and technologies in our pipeline to help meet that demand by doubling the rate of genetic gain – targeting a 40% yield increase in our corn and soybean products over the next ten years.”

A 32% global growth in maize consumption over the last decade was noted, alongside a 59% global growth for soybeans. These figures were highlighted as motivators to examine future methods for increasing crop yields, with Mr Schickler emphasising the need for continued yield increases in order to keep pace with growing populations and incomes.

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Mr Schickler outlined a number of DuPont products targeted to further embrace yield increases, including Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT), designed to develop higher yields, and biotech products to tackle problems associated with key agronomic traits including drought tolerance and nitrogen use efficiency.

DuPont believes meeting soybean demand has origins for success in its AYT technologies, with Mr Schickler terming the company’s 2008 pipeline as the “strongest in history”, boasting yield genes and high oleic soybeans as key products.

A focus on maize yields was also highlighted as a substantial market for product development, with 23 new genetic platforms and 59 new hybrids announced by the company. Optimum AcreMax and a selection of drought- tolerant, increased yield and efficient nitrogen use products were outlined as developments.

Further DuPont products discussed included high-value agronomic traits, including drought tolerance products showing no negative yield impact in watered trials and 50 new drought leads in phase one evaluation, alongside four advanced drought leads poised to enter phase two decisions in 2008. Nitrogen efficiency also saw over 20 leads enter phase one evaluation, with the top seven leads showing a 10-25% yield increase in reduced nitrogen environments.

By Rebecca Debens

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