Des Moines, Iowa
July 13, 2009
Corn growers facing the challenge
of drought conditions now will have even better options for
improving their yields.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is boosting corn yields
under drought conditions through multiple, synergistic paths -
including conventional breeding, molecular-enhanced breeding and
selection, and transgenic approaches.
Leveraging the results of this strategy, Pioneer plans to
introduce its first drought-tolerant corn hybrids developed with
Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT™) as early as 2010, pending
product performance in on-farm drought-stressed trials.
These new hybrids, known as Drought I on the Pioneer Research
and Development pipeline, contain native corn drought-tolerance
genes that have been identified through marker-assisted
selection and advanced into elite genetics using the tools of
AYT. These corn hybrids will be marketed in dryland and
limited-irrigation growing environments of the western Corn Belt
where yield expectations typically are lower due to lack of
adequate rainfall and available water. Drought I corn hybrids
will be developed using native drought-tolerance traits,
therefore they will not require regulatory approvals for
commercialization or export.
"This is a huge step-change in a corn plant's ability to yield
with less water," says Jeff Schussler, Pioneer senior research
manager. "Two main factors in improving drought tolerance are a
plant's resource capture and its resource utilization. Through
our multifaceted research, we have identified genes that allow
the corn plant to significantly improve in both areas - the
plant's ability to capture more resources such as water,
sunlight and nutrients and to allow for better utilization - in
other words, improving the plant's effectiveness in using
resources."
Yield improvement targets for Drought I corn hybrids are 5 to 10
percent better than leader hybrids currently available in these
limited-water environments, says Schussler. Hybrids with
improved drought-stress tolerance also may enable farmers to
expand their corn acres by planting them in more arid conditions
that typically only support the production of wheat, cotton or
sorghum.
Leadership in drought research
Based on historical data, about one-third of the North American
corn crop has yield reductions due to water limitations every
growing season. According to current market conditions, it's
estimated U.S. farmers are losing about $5 billion in potential
yield each year and on a global scale, growers are losing $13
billion annually.
"Pioneer drought-tolerant traits will help stabilize grower
income with higher yields and have the potential to reduce
irrigation costs when water deficits occur," says Schussler.
Pioneer is the industry leader in the research and development
of drought-tolerant corn hybrids with efforts stretching back to
the 1950s. The tools the company is employing to improve drought
stress include: managed stress research locations in North and
South America, FAST Corn, AYT and six North American corn
research centers with dedicated drought programs.
The company has been focusing research efforts around drought
tolerance since the opening of its York, Neb., research center
in 1958. Breeding efforts in York and locations such as Garden
City, Kan., LaSalle, Colo., Brookings, S.D., and Plainview,
Texas, have enabled Pioneer to establish market leadership in
dryland and limited-irrigation growing areas of the western Corn
Belt. In addition, establishment of managed stress environments
such as Woodland, Calif., and Viluco, Chile in South America,
have allowed for year-round testing.
"Pioneer researchers and corn breeders understand the importance
of planting the right product on the right acre to maximize
yields on a farm-by-farm basis and know that solutions are not
one-size-fits-all," says Schussler.
Many commercial Pioneer hybrids already have strong
drought-stress tolerance thanks to 50-plus years of R&D focused
on improving yields under drought, says Schussler. Research
results from a study conducted earlier this decade demonstrated
that plant breeders had doubled yields of Pioneer corn hybrids
grown under drought stress between the 1970s and 1990s. Pioneer
has refined, developed and promoted alternative corn production
systems such as Early Corn Early, which originated in southeast
Kansas in the early 1980s, and Ecofallow to enable corn growers
in arid regions or where the soil profile overlaying bedrock is
very thin to maximize corn yields with limited available water.
"Pioneer's targeted drought-breeding programs focus on
aggressive testing where higher levels of drought stress occur,"
says Schussler. "This provides the greatest improvement under
the most severe drought conditions and the greatest return for
growers."
Drought research pipeline
"Drought is a complex trait and one that is tied directly to
corn yield, which in itself has many contributing factors," says
Schussler. "Our research focuses on aspects such as improving
root systems or increasing the plant's ability for silks to
emerge during drought stress. We have to modify the corn plant's
natural conservative tendencies and instead, produce more grain
per inch of water. Research has allowed us to strike a balance
between energy for an improved root system while avoiding a
potential negative impact on the development and yield above
ground," he adds.
The Pioneer Research pipeline continues to bring forth
improvements for growers in water-challenged areas of the Corn
Belt. On the horizon are Drought II drought-tolerant hybrids,
which will combine native tolerance with transgenes to deliver
higher yields across all environments. The first of a series,
Drought II trait packages will be commercialized within five to
seven years (2014 to 2016). Pioneer research trials of Drought
II hybrids in 2008 yielded up to 16 percent more than their
elite conventional isolines under drought stress and expressed
an 8 percent yield increase across all environments in three
years of trials.
Droughts I and II are initial launches from a robust Pioneer R&D
program that will continue to leverage internal and external
drought-tolerance trait leads to enhance corn yields under
drought stress conditions. A number of transgenic constructs are
in discovery and phase I of the pipeline and are expected to be
released within the next decade.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading
source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers
and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des
Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics
in nearly 70 countries.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded
in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable
solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for
people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont
offers a wide range of innovative products and services for
markets including agriculture and food; building and
construction; communications; and transportation.
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For additional information about our company or our products,
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