New advances for Enlist traits in corn and soybeans

Corteva Agriscience announced today new advancements in its portfolio of above-ground pest control products in corn. PowerCore Enlist corn is a comprehensive trait package designed for season-long insect protection and weed control and will be introduced as an integrated refuge offering: PowerCore Enlist Refuge Advanced (RA) corn.

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Additionally, when commercially available, new PowerCore Ultra Enlist corn is expected to deliver an extra mode of action for geographies that need added protection and also will be available with integrated refuge as PowerCore Ultra Enlist Refuge Advanced corn.

"We’re excited to bring forward advancements in our PowerCore trait technology, designed to help farmers more effectively manage above-ground insect pressure while leveraging the Enlist corn trait for the ultimate weed management flexibility,” says Judd O’Connor, president of North America commercial business at Corteva Agriscience.

PowerCore Enlist corn, as both structured refuge and integrated Refuge Advanced options, is stacked with three modes of action for enhanced control over the toughest above-ground pests, including susceptible European corn borer, fall armyworm, southwestern corn borer and corn earworm.

When commercially available, the new PowerCore Ultra Enlist corn will bring an additional mode of action for acres in geographies that need extra protection from higher pressure of above-ground pests like fall armyworm and western bean cutworm.

Timeline in the United States

• 2023: Expanded access to PowerCore Enlist Refuge Advanced (RA) corn for farmers
• 2024: Expanded access to PowerCore Ultra Enlist corn and PowerCore Ultra Enlist Refuge Advanced corn available for farmers
• Mid-decade: Advancement of a broader set of genetic backgrounds, making more maturities available
• Mid- to late-decade: PowerCore Enlist Refuge Advanced corn and PowerCore Ultra Enlist Refuged Advanced corn will become the lead offerings from Corteva for above-ground pest acres

PowerCore Enlist Refuge Advanced corn technology is expected to be available in products across all Corteva seed brands. Corteva also plans to make the PowerCore Enlist trait broadly available to independent seed companies.

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PowerCore Enlist corn will be available in a diverse lineup of high yield potential genetics across a wide range of maturities in both integrated refuge (Refuge Advanced) and structured refuge options.

The Enlist corn trait allows for the ultimate weed management flexibility with tolerance to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate, glufosinate, and FOP herbicides. Enlist herbicides feature near-zero volatility and reduced potential for physical drift when applied according to label instructions, with no calendar cutoff dates or time-of-day restrictions. In addition, a wide application window — to 30” corn (48” corn if applied using drop nozzles) — enables the use of Enlist herbicides to control late-season broadleaf weeds.

A-Series Enlist E3 Soybeans

The availability of the first-ever varieties of Pioneer brand A-Series Enlist E3 soybeans in 2022 helped to bolster farmer adoption of this important herbicide trait technology. These highly anticipated varieties, exclusive to Pioneer, combine the genetics of Pioneer brand A-Series soybeans with Enlist technology, among the most advanced new trait technologies in soybeans.

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Don Gehrls, Pioneer Soybean Marketing Lead, says farmers have been asking for a performance boost in Enlist E3 soybeans for years. In 2021, A-Series soybeans delivered a three bushels-per-acre yield advantage against all competitors.

"With fresh challenges every season, farmers need the most consistent performance available,” Gehrls said. “That doesn’t just mean racehorse yields, but also better agronomic performance in key areas like standability and defensive traits to help protect yield from soybean diseases such as white mold and sudden death syndrome."

In all, 28 varieties of A-Series Enlist E3 soybeans were available in limited quantities this season, across a range of maturities. Larger-scale availability is expected across even more maturities to meet farmer demand for 2023 planting. 

"We’re seeing a rapid adoption of Enlist E3 soybeans, and farmer interest in 2022 has really exceeded our expectations,” Gehrls said. “With wider availability of A-Series Enlist E3 soybeans next season and the recent re-registration of Enlist herbicides, we’re confident that trend will continue."

Earlier this year, the EPA granted amended registrations for Enlist One and Enlist Duo herbicides for seven years through Jan. 11, 2029, giving farmers certainty in system availability for the foreseeable future.