USDA approves Syngenta's Agrisure® Duracade™ corn rootworm trait

Syngenta announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has fully deregulated Agrisure® DuracadeTM, enabling launch in the US for the 2014 planting season.

Agrisure Duracade expresses a unique protein to control corn rootworm. It has a different mode of action to Syngenta’s existing Agrisure® RW trait. When combined these traits provide unmatched insect control: USDA data show a tenfold reduction in Western corn rootworm beetle emergence and superior performance against all comparable traits.

Syngenta Chief Operating Officer, Davor Pisk, said: “This is the fourth introduction of a proprietary corn trait in the past six years, demonstrating our ability rapidly to deliver ground-breaking innovations to growers. The technology will be available at a time when insect resistance is a rising challenge. Its proven dual mode of action will be indispensable for the effective management of corn pests and will raise farm productivity.”

Agrisure Duracade enhances Syngenta’s leading corn insect control portfolio, which includes seed treatments and insecticides as well as traits. It will also be used to create convenient and effective refuge-in-a-bag solutions for corn rootworm control featuring two new trait stacks: Agrisure Duracade 5122 and Agrisure Duracade 5222.

Hybrid seeds containing Agrisure Duracade will be available for the 2014 season.