DuPont to add Lumisena seed treatment to Lumigen Seed Sense portfolio

DuPont has announced plans to add the next member of the DuPont Lumigen seed sense portfolio. DuPont Lumisena fungicide seed treatment, pending U.S. EPA registration, will help deliver improved crop establishment and stand uniformity through Phytophthora control in soybeans and best-in-class downy mildew control for sunflower crops in the United States.

“Lumisena fungicide seed treatment will be the most advanced seed-applied technology to control Phytophthora in soybeans since the introduction of mefenoxam and metalaxyl,” said Mick Messman, director, DuPont Seed Treatment Enterprise. “Once registered, Lumisena is expected to help growers protect their crops through effective control against the oomycete pathogens that reduce soybean and sunflower production due to Phytophthora and downy mildew infection in developing crops.”

In university research trials, soybean seed treated with the active ingredient in Lumisena provided outstanding protection against Phytophthora compared with conventional seed treatment fungicides. In DuPont research trials across four growing seasons, seed protected with Lumisena had 32 percent reduced incidence of Phytophthora sojae versus untreated seed.

In sunflower university trials, seed treated with the active ingredient in Lumisena produced plants with significantly reduced incidence of downy mildew versus existing fungicide seed treatments. DuPont trials have shown seed treated with Lumisena had 76 to 96 percent less incidence of downy mildew compared to untreated seed, and 20 to 41 percent less incidence of downy mildew compared to conventional fungicide seed treatments. No cross-resistance to other seed-applied fungicides has been observed.

Oxathiapiprolin, the active ingredient in Lumisena, is a DuPont discovery that received the Agrow Award for Most Innovative Chemistry in 2012. It is another example of the dynamic DuPont R&D pipeline, which has received 20 Agrow Awards over the last eight years, including the Best R&D Pipeline award in 2013 and 2014.

“The true benefit in using Lumisena is in how it works,” said Messman. “In development trials, this remarkable product controlled oomycete infestation during multiple stages of the pathogen life cycle, resulting in healthier plants and greater crop efficiency.”

Lumisena is expected to have a favorable environmental profile, given its ability to deliver highly effective pathogen control at extremely low use rates.

“The Lumigen seed sense portfolio is growing to meet the demands of our customers around the world,” said Messman. “Upon registration, Lumisena will follow DuPont Lumiderm insecticide seed treatment for canola in Canada, DuPont Dermacor seed treatment products in the Brazilian soybean market, and DuPont Lumivia insecticide seed treatment for corn in the United States.”

The DuPont Integrated Seed Science Network, with state-of-the-art centers in Wilmington, Delaware, and Johnston, Iowa, is dedicated to testing industry-leading seed treatment formulations, matching seed treatments with genetics for integrated seed solutions, and exploring applications and seed-handling techniques to bring new tools to seed companies and growers.

“We are committed to sharing our knowledge and expertise to help the industry,” Messman added. “Working together to help farmers get more from every acre is fundamental to delivering on the need to provide enough food for our growing global population.”