Bayer CropScience and DuPont announce canola trait licensing agreement

Bayer CropScience and DuPont announced that they have entered into a global licensing agreement for a canola herbicide tolerance trait. Bayer has licensed its proprietary herbicide tolerance technology, LibertyLink®, to DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred for use in canola (Brassica napus) hybrids. Pioneer will provide Bayer access to certain proprietary juncea (Brassica juncea) genetics. Financial details were not disclosed.

"As a result of the agreement, growers will have a broader choice of LibertyLink canola hybrids and the option to use the successful Bayer herbicide, Liberty®, in their weed management program,” said Joachim Schneider, head of the BioScience Business Unit of Bayer CropScience.

"In addition to expanding the Pioneer® brand canola lineup for our customers, the addition of Liberty herbicide tolerance will contribute to sustainable crop protection by rotating herbicides with different modes of action,” said Ian Grant, Pioneer business director for Canada.

Canola is a form of rapeseed grown primarily in Canada, the United States and Australia on about 10 million hectares (24 million acres) while juncea is primarily grown on 7 million hectares (17 million acres) in India and has adaptation possibilities in other geographies.

"The access to juncea germplasm will strengthen our long-term global Brassica oilseeds breeding program by expanding our portfolio and providing additional choices to growers,” said Schneider. Hybrid products bred from this germplasm would have the potential to provide excellent yield and agronomic qualities like drought-, heat-, and disease-tolerance.