Corteva Agriscience invests approximately USD$4 million a day into research and development to deliver pest and disease solutions around the world. The results are helping Australian and New Zealand farmers to successfully produce more food, more efficiently.
A world leader in crop protection products across all portfolios – herbicide, insecticide, fungicide and biologicals – Corteva has committed more than $9.5 billion to R&D since 2019. This represents eight per cent of the company’s total sales revenue.
With up to 40 per cent of global crop production currently lost to pests and disease, it’s an investment tightly focussed on finding new solutions for growers, said Dan Dixon, Corteva Agriscience ANZ Marketing Director.
“Our commitment to delivering effective products in all market segments has seen the development of ground-breaking solutions such as Verpixo® Adavelt® active, Intrepid Edge® and Reklemel® active, all of which offer new modes of action for persistent pests and diseases,” Mr Dixon said.
“We are also investing in nature-inspired biologicals, which are derived from living organisms like bacteria or plant extracts, to enhance crop health and manage pests more sustainably.
“With the acquisition of Stoller, one of the largest independent companies in the biologicals industry, and Symborg, an expert in microbiological technologies, Corteva has set a target of $1.6b in sales for biological solutions by 2030, underscoring our efforts to find the next generation of sustainable solutions for agriculture.”
Revolutionary nitrogen product boosts yields
The first product from the biologicals range available to Australian and New Zealand growers is the revolutionary Utrisha® N. This unique nutrient efficiency biostimulant that can boost yields in a wide range of crops, including wheat and canola, by providing a season-long source of supplemental nitrogen with one foliar application.
Utrisha N is derived from a naturally occurring bacteria, Methylobacterium symbioticum, that lives within the plant and converts atmospheric nitrogen to plant-available ammonium. This conversion process uses no plant energy, and one application lasts for a full growing season, with independent trials by Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) showing Utrisha N had a ‘significant influence’ on crop yield.
Managing nutrition efficiency through the application of a biological such as Utrisha N also contributes to potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from fertiliser losses.
Effective fungicide offers unique chemistry
Verpixo® Adavelt® active is a new chemistry effective against the costly diseases of botrytis and powdery mildew, gaining the approval of the Australian Wine Research Institute as a flexible, highly effective and safe fungicide.
Key to the success of Verpixo® Adavelt® active in wine and table grapes, strawberries and vegetables is its status as a Group 21 Mode of Action chemistry with no cross-resistance, making it a welcome tool to replace products losing efficacy or nearing phaseout.
Resistance management benefits are also one of the features of Intrepid Edge®, which has achieved fast, long-lasting control of chewing pests in pulse, maize and cotton crops.
Intrepid Edge® combines two modes of action from Group 5 and 18 insecticides, making it a key product in resistance management strategies for Helicoverpa spp., Fall armyworm and thrips, and was recently approved for aerial application in chickpeas and mung beans.
17,000+ patents boosted by experienced workforce
Corteva Agriscience currently holds over 17,000 patents and operates more than 120 R&D facilities, but the company’s strength lies not only in its range of world-leading products, but in the commitment of its 22,000 employees.
They include Brian Husband, Field Sciences Leader for Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, who began his career as a field scientist in New Zealand.
Mr Husband quotes the development of Verpixo® Adavelt® active as a highlight of his 35-year career with Corteva Agriscience.
“The work with Verpixo was some nice closure for me because it takes about 15 years to develop a product from discovery to getting it on the shelf, and there aren’t many people who experience the road from start to success in the marketplace,” Mr Husband said.
“Verpixo has delivered remarkable results in controlling multiple ascomycete diseases. It’s now well established in Australia and there are other products in the pipeline.
“I think that whether you're looking at synthetic chemistry or breakthrough alternatives like biologicals, they all play a part in meeting the ever-increasing demand for food production.
“Farmers are being asked to produce more with less, and yet crops are getting harder to grow. Corteva Agriscience is committed to delivering new innovation that will be critical to their success.”
This article was written by Corteva Agriscience for Seasons magazine.
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