DuPont announces new, complete solutions to maximize soybean yields

• DuPont™ FeXapan™ herbicide plus VaporGrip™ Technology available for use with Pioneer® brand soybeans with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology to combat resistant and tough-to-control weeds
• DuPont™ Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment available to battle Phytophthora, the No. 1 yield-limiting soybean disease
• Technologies available in new high-yielding Pioneer® brand A-Series soybean varieties

Last Friday, DuPont announced commercial plans for two new DuPont Crop Protection products that complement new high-yielding Pioneer® brand A-Series soybean varieties from DuPont Pioneer.

DuPont™ FeXapan™ herbicide plus VaporGrip™ Technology will be available to growers for the 2017 use season with Pioneer® brand soybeans with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology to combat resistant and tough to control weeds. DuPont™ Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment will be available on Pioneer® brand soybeans for 2018 to help growers battle Phytophthora, the most prevalent yield-limiting soybean disease in the United States.

“When it comes to soybean performance, Pioneer is once again leading the industry,” said Steve Reno, DuPont Pioneer vice president, business director – U.S. and Canada. “We’ve invested in proprietary research approaches and local testing to more than double the rate of genetic gain of our soybean research pipeline, while continuing to ensure a leading defensive trait package.”

In December 2016, Pioneer announced its highest-yielding class of soybeans in company history: new Pioneer® brand A-Series varieties developed with proprietary Accelerated Yield Technology 4.0. For the 2017 growing season, Pioneer introduced 54 new A-Series varieties. The class averaged a 2.3-bushels-per-acre yield advantage against 10,000 competitive checks in 2016 Pioneer IMPACT™ plot tests at more than 400 locations¹. The new A-Series lineup includes choices in herbicide trait options and more than 30 varieties with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology. These 30 varieties span a maturity range from 00.2 to 7.2, offering growers a wide range of options to fit local needs.

“Soybean growers have an urgent need for updated herbicide solutions that help them fight the shifting weed populations they see in their fields,” said Timothy P. Glenn, president, DuPont Crop Protection. “Competitive weeds and the rapid encroachment of herbicide-resistant weed populations are limiting yield and grower profitability. DuPont is expanding its portfolio of herbicides to better handle regional weed concerns and local environmental conditions.”

Combining elite Pioneer soybean genetics developed and tested across North America with much-needed additional herbicide modes of action and industry-leading seed treatment will help growers choose the products that best fit their local needs and increase return on their crop input investment.

FeXapan™ employs a new formulation of dicamba that offers low volatility, which helps minimize off-target movement when used according to label guidelines.

FeXapan™ herbicide plus VaporGrip™ Technology effectively controls herbicide-resistant weeds, including kochia, marestail, waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, as part of a complete weed-control program that includes preemergence and postemergence herbicide applications with multiple herbicide modes of action, as well as crop rotation and cultural practices that manage weed growth and weed seed production. Find best practices for FeXapan™ use, plus approved tank-mix partners for FeXapan™ and state registrations at FeXapan.dupont.com.

Protecting soybean varieties in the first vulnerable weeks after planting is critical for reaching yield potential. A new seed treatment, DuPont™ Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment, will help growers battle Phytophthora. Compared with metalaxyl, the previous industry standard for addressing Phytophthora, soybeans treated with Lumisena™ produced an average yield advantage of 1.7 bushels per acre due to significantly better stand development in harsh environments. These trials conducted under stressful growing conditions showed an additional 2,500 soybean plants per acre compared with seed treated with metalaxyl.

“Lumisena™ provides the best protection against Phytophthora for healthier soybean stands and higher yield potential,” said Reno. “Wet, cool conditions common during the early part of the growing season can increase incidence of the disease, making it critical for seed to have the best protection available. Lumisena™ is the perfect complement to boost protection of Pioneer brand varieties that have tolerance and genetic resistance to Phytophthora.”

Growers who take advantage of these soybean innovations can also reach their business goals with the DuPont™ TruChoice® rewards program, which offers local agronomy expertise, individualized crop production solutions and financial rewards to help maximize economic return on every acre.