DuPont Reports Strong 2011 North America Harvest Results

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont announced strong seed product performance results for the 2011 North America harvest.  Farmers planting seed from DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred experienced another year of consistent corn and soybean yields across North America.  Yield data report and comparison details are available <HERE>.

"Pioneer customers are reporting solid harvest performance across North America this harvest," said Paul E. Schickler, president, Pioneer Hi-Bred.  "Those results are strong testimony to our 'right product, right acre' approach to the marketplace.

"In addition to providing seed products with exceptional genetics and agronomics, we are uniquely positioned to deliver trusted advice and important services to our customers.  Our understanding of their operations enables us to help them manage the growing complexity of farming while increasing their productivity and profitability, Schickler added.  "We have to innovate every year to win the right to serve our customers.  Early 2012 sales progress tells us our momentum continues to be strong."

Corn Innovations Lead in Integrated Refuge and Drought Tolerance

In a year of challenging growing conditions, Pioneer® brand corn seed leader products continued to demonstrate strong yields when compared to competitor products.  In more than 60,000 comparisons of on-farm trials across the United States and Canada, Pioneer had an approximate 2.6 bushel per acre (bu/ac) advantage on average.*

The 2011 season highlighted strong Optimum® AcreMax® 1 (AM1) product performance and convenience.  Across all maturities, AM1 yielded 1.3 bu/ac more than competitor refuge-in-a-bag products in approximately 150 comparisons.*  Growers experienced the convenience of AM1 first-hand on the more than 4 million acres planted.

The Optimum® AcreMax® family of products continues to gain momentum. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Optimum® AcreMax® and Optimum® AcreMax® Xtra insect protection products in August.

Optimum® AcreMax® is the industry's first U.S. approval of a single-bag integrated refuge product that targets only above-ground insects.  Both Optimum® AcreMax® and Optimum® AcreMax® Xtra products integrate all of a Corn Belt grower's refuge needs into single-bag convenience.  Large area on-farm trials confirmed these products had equivalent performance compared to their Herculex® 1 and Herculex® XTRA counterparts across growing environments.  These products are available in 16 hybrid platforms across a broad range of maturities for 2012 planting.

"Growers increase their productivity and convenience when they plant Pioneer® brand products," said Schickler.  "The early success of Optimum® AcreMax® 1 tells us growers are eager to simplify their refuge management with an integrated solution and trust Pioneer to deliver the products to do so."

A new generation of drought-tolerant corn hybrids, Pioneer's Optimum® AQUAmax™ products delivered 6.1 bu/ac advantage on average across all yield levels and growing environments in over 8,000 comparisons on-farm trials across the United States.*

"Optimum® AQUAmax™ products pollinated well during extreme heat and water stress, and then proved their stability through strong yields this fall," said Schickler.  "Based on 2011 performance, growers can expect continued yield potential, stability and strong agronomics as we ramp up in 2012."

Optimum® AQUAmax™ products will expand their reach in the 2012 season across the Corn Belt with increased volumes.  These hybrids contain a collection of native corn traits developed with the proprietary tools of the Accelerated Yield Technology® (AYT) system that helps maximize water access and utilization to deliver top-end yield potential under normal growing conditions and improved yield stability under drought stress.

Soybean Products Continue to be Brand-of-Choice

The top 10 Pioneer® brand soybean products by sales volume showed a 1.4 bu/ac yield advantage on average compared to all competitive varieties.  These results came from more than 2,300 comparisons throughout North America.*  

While 2011 season can be characterized as a low soybean disease year, customers look to Pioneer® brand soybeans to deliver strong agronomic performance and protection against pests such as soybean cyst nematode, sudden death syndrome, Phytophthora root rot, white mold and iron chlorosis in addition to consistently solid yields.  Pioneer has been making significant investments in the local development and testing of soybean varieties to deliver products that perform in these environments.

For 2012, Pioneer has added 33 new soybean products to its lineup to provide growers improved traits and yield-boosting qualities.  New Pioneer® brand soybean products range from Group 00 through mid-Group V.  New varieties with resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and brown stem rot lead the soybean product lineup.

"Farmers continue to demonstrate their confidence in Pioneer® brand products by their purchase decisions," said Schickler.  "When farmers purchase seed from Pioneer, they get more than yield – they also receive management suggestions and a suite of services to help ensure their productivity.  We are honored to be part of their farming operations and work with them to help ensure their seed investments provide them with a strong return."

Pioneer Hi-Bred (www.pioneer.com), a DuPont business headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries.  Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere.  Science with Service Delivering Success™.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.  For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:  This news release contains forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections.  All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements.  Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions.  These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by DuPont, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those stated.  These factors include, but are not limited to changes in the laws, regulations, policies and economic conditions, including inflation, interest and foreign currency exchange rates, of countries in which the company does business; competitive pressures; successful integration of structural changes, including restructuring plans, acquisitions, divestitures and alliances; cost of raw materials, research and development of new products, including regulatory approval and market acceptance; seasonality of sales of agricultural products; and severe weather events that cause business interruptions, including plant and power outages, or disruptions in supplier and customer operations. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments or new information.

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Pioneer®, Optimum®, AcreMax® and Science with Service Delivering Success™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Herculex® 1 and Herculex® XTRA are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC.

* Source: 2011 Pioneer on-farm trial database extracted Nov. 8, 2011

SOURCE DuPont