DuPont Launches Breakthrough Technology that Significantly Increases Soybean Yields

Proprietary Innovation Increases Yields up to 12 Percent

DuPont today announced it is commercializing soybean varieties developed using a technology that increases yields by as much as 12 percent per acre. DuPont seed business Pioneer Hi-Bred is introducing five varieties with the technology for 2008 planting, pending wide-area product advancement trial results.

This announcement officially launches one of the company’s three soybean yield traits from its pipeline to commercial status. It will be commercially known as Accelerated Yield Technology™ (AYT™). AYT™ uses proprietary molecular breeding techniques to rapidly scan and identify genes that increase yield and then incorporate them into elite soybean genetics.

“AYT™ allows us to take a giant step forward on our promise to deliver industry-leading improvements in soybeans. Our customers are seeing dramatic increases in Pioneer soybean variety yields that have never been seen in such a short period of time,” said William S. Niebur, vice president DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development. “This technology embodies our business philosophy to increase the productivity and profitability of our customers to help them meet the rising demand for food, feed, fuel and materials.”

Until now, molecular breeding techniques used by the seed industry have only produced single-gene defensive traits in commercial varieties. There are multiple genes in complex networks that determine the final yield level achieved. AYT™ builds upon DuPont industry-leading molecular breeding techniques by allowing researchers to simultaneously select multiple genes to significantly boost yields. AYT™ is not transgenic so soybeans developed from this process are not subject to additional regulatory approvals.

The first AYT™ varieties are higher yielding versions of the newest Pioneer elite soybean genetics. Pending final trial results this fall, Pioneer hopes to introduce an AYT™ version of Pioneer® brand 94M80, which set the world record soybean yield of 139 bushels per acre in 2006. New unique genetics are also being developed using AYT™ and other molecular breeding techniques.

“Full implementation of AYT™ combined with molecular breeding technologies will enable Pioneer to make a new class of soybeans that has unprecedented yield potential relative to anything we have ever seen,” Niebur said. “These technologies allow us to incorporate a complete package of offensive and defensive characteristics that could make 100-plus bushel soybean yields a common occurrence in the very near future.”