DuPont made history this week when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted approval for the first “refuge in the bag” with commercial registration of Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 insect protection for Pioneer® brand corn hybrids.
“This decision is not only a regulatory milestone, but also great news for corn growers,” said Paul E. Schickler, president — Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. “Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 products will offer growers increased convenience, reduced refuge and an additional tool for maximizing field-by-field productivity. We are demonstrating the product in farmers’ fields this year to show its value and support the 2011 ramp up.”
To help deter corn pests from developing resistance to biotech traits, the U.S. EPA requires growers to plant some corn without a specific insect protection trait to serve as a “refuge.” The process of planning and planting a traditional separate insect refuge is time consuming, and refuge corn is at risk for damage and yield loss. Optimum® AcreMax™ 1 insect protection reduces the traditional 20 percent corn rootworm refuge by half and puts it in the seed bag, eliminating the need for separate rootworm refuge while increasing the ease and flexibility of planting the corn borer refuge.
Agwired’s Joanna Schroeder interviewed Pioneer’s Bill Belzer about the product last year as they were awaiting approval. “What this technology does is allow growers to be able to plant more in-plant traits in more acres leading to higher yields,” he says, which is a win-win situation.