Pioneer Hi-Bred has received regulatory approval for a corn crop that provides insect resistance and decreases the need for refuge.
Optimum Intrasect is a stacked trait corn that offers growers dual mode insect protection through the combination of the Herculex I and Yield- Gard Corn Borer traits.
With most insect protection corn traits, there is a Canadian Food Inspection Agency requirement to set aside a 20 percent refuge area, in which the grower plants hybrids that do not contain an insect protection trait.
The goal is to delay the development of insect resistance to Bt corn by ensuring there is a big enough population of susceptible insects feeding on the non-Bt corn to mate with insects that could potentially be developing a Bt corn resistance, ensuring offspring are also susceptible.
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Because Optimum Intrasect contains two insect protection traits, there is less chance of creating a resistant population and less need for refuge. The CFIA has reduced the refuge requirement to five percent for Optimum Intrasect.
The benefit is they can increase the amount of Bt corn in their fields, which will give them a yield boost in years when they are facing infestations from the European corn borer and the corn rootworm.
“These products from Pioneer offer growers additional choices to help reduce refuge, maximize yields and preserve valuable Bt technology,” said Dave Harwood, technical services manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred Canada.
Hybrids with Optimum Intrasect provide protection against European corn borer, western bean cutworm and black cutworm.
The company plans to have wide-scale, on-farm demonstrations of the crop in Eastern Canada in 2011. The product will be commercially available this fall for planting in 2012.
Rachel Faust, technical marketing manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred, said the stacked trait was initially introduced in longer season varieties but the plan is to integrate it across the entire lineup.
She expects it will be available in shorter season varieties suitable for western Canadian conditions in a couple of years.
There are no known existing cases of resistant corn borers.
