DuPont Receives Optimum® GAT® Soybean Trait Approval

DuPont has received U.S. regulatory approval of its proprietary herbicide tolerance trait, the Optimum® GAT® trait in soybeans -- bringing the company a step closer to further extending the performance advantage of its Pioneer® brand soybean seed.

“This milestone brings an innovative technology closer to farmers’ fields,” said Jim Borel, DuPont group vice president. “The Optimum® GAT® trait, combined with our industry-leading genetics and other complementary technologies, will help soybean farmers maximize yields and give them a new level of weed control flexibility. The U.S. regulatory approval of the Optimum® GAT® trait in soybeans is key to DuPont efforts to increase soybean yields by 40 percent over the next 10 years.”

DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred recently launched its new high-yielding Y Series soybean varieties for 2009. The entire line has demonstrated a five percent yield advantage against key competitor varieties with some varieties yielding six to ten percent better than competitors. These top-performing new varieties were developed with exclusive Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT™) and will serve as a strong platform for the Optimum® GAT® trait.