Corteva Opens First Regional Integrated R&D Center in Eschbach, Germany

Corteva Agriscience has opened its first combined crop protection and seed research laboratory in EMEA, helping drive innovation and deliver sustainable solutions for farmers.

With almost €6m of investment, the expansion of the R&D site in Eschbach, Germany, enables Corteva Agriscience to conduct state-of-the-art crop protection studies to help develop solutions which protect crops from pests and diseases.

In addition, the research center is energy-efficient with zero emissions from wastewater in line with Corteva Agriscience’s sustainability commitment.

The integrated site accommodates three R&D functions focused on seeds product development to create more stress tolerant and climate change resilient crops; molecular biology with a genotyping lab supporting seed purity testing; and crop protection discovery and development to meet sustainability objectives.

Bringing plant breeding and Crop Protection Field Sciences together also facilitates the development of new methods, such as digital trial evaluation with drones, remote sensing and the use of molecular biology to understand the susceptibility of plant diseases to new mode-of-actions.

Located in southwestern Germany at the border of France and Switzerland, the site is a key R&D location for the entire EMEA region and provides an excellent base to conduct field trials in almost all relevant European crops. It is fully incorporated in Corteva’s global lab network and is complementary to other laboratories in the U.S.

The Eschbach facility will also provide a boost for the local economy, not only through the move of European research programs to the site but also by employing more than 30 scientists and support staff, including experts for pest, disease and weed management.

Elliot Heffner, Corteva Agriscience Plant Breeding Leader, Europe, said: ″Our investment in the new Eschbach R&D center reflects our commitment to deliver innovative solutions to farmers that improve productivity and contribute to a resilient and sustainable global food system

″In keeping with our sustainability vision, we remain unwavering in our commitment to develop and deploy innovative and sustainable agricultural solutions for the greater good of our customers, consumers and the communities we serve.″

Andreas Huber, Corteva Agriscience Field Sciences Leader, EMEA, added: ″This new site will enable us to continue innovating, supporting farmers as they move to more sustainable practices.

″Corteva Agriscience is committed to protecting the environment while providing farmers with the products they need to protect their crops. With consumer demand growing for crop protection products of natural origin, Eschbach will also focus on biologicals and their efficacy against European pests and diseases.″