Dow AgroSciences expanded new research station site

Dow AgroSciences LLC and Mycogen Seeds have expanded and moved their current corn breeding field research station to a new location in Mt. Vernon, Ind. As announced last June, Dow AgroSciences purchased three acres of land located just west of the intersection of Lamont Road and Lower Mt. Vernon Road and has now completed construction of the new site.

The new Mt. Vernon research station site has expanded working and storage space to allow for continued growth.  The new facilities include an office and seed lab building as well as an equipment storage building.

“This growth project of our corn breeding field research station in Southern Indiana is just one of many projects we’re excited to complete as we continue to grow our branded seed business and our industry-leading traits, such as HERCULEX?  Insect Protection,” said Don Blackburn, North America Seeds and Traits Field Breeding and Development leader. “We expect our Seeds business to grow and are excited about the planned launch of SmartStax? in 2010 and our Dow AgroSciences Herbicide Tolerance (DHT) technology scheduled for launch in corn in 2012.”

The Mt. Vernon Field Station has three basic breeding programs:  conventional grain corn breeding, silage corn breeding, and a germplasm enhancement breeding program.  The breeding programs are effectively coupled with a hybrid testing program comprised of 65,000 yield trial plots in 2009 with plans for continued growth.