Dupont opens regional technology centre in Delmas, South Africa

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Publish time: 28th March, 2014      Source: www.cnchemicals.com
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March 28, 2014

   


Dupont opens regional technology centre in Delmas, South Africa

   

   

   

   

   

Dupont opened a newly expanded research facility at Delmas, South Africa,which will serve as the core of the Dupont Africa regional technology centre, Dupont''s CEO Ellen Kullman said.

   

   

The technology centre is designed to help advance DuPont''s ongoing efforts to accelerate seed product development for Africa''s farmers and help them better manage key agronomic challenges, including pest and disease pressure, climate volatility and nutrient-depleted soils.

   

   

"Agriculture has a vital role to play in the social and economic security of African countries. We are harnessing DuPont''s global science capabilities and resources to create local solutions that improve productivity for farmers in South Africa and throughout the continent," said Kullman.

   

   

Delmas will serve as the central hub of the regional technology centre, which is comprised of a network of existing DuPont Pioneer and Pannar research facilities and testing locations throughout Africa. The Africa regional technology centre as a whole will help drive the seed research and development (R&D) product pipelines for DuPont Pioneer and Pannar, capitalising on complementary germplasm pools and developing innovative solutions for customers of both brands.

   

   

After acquiring South Africa-based Pannar seed, DuPont Pioneer began investing in this regional technology centre in 2013. The business remains committed to investing a total of ZAR62 million (US$5.8 million) in the South Africa centre by 2017.

   

   

DuPont noted that the Delmas facility includes Africa''s first private insectary, which will raise and house insects that pose challenges to local crop production.

   

   

"Having a local insectary is critical to the development of traits and solutions to combat yield-robbing pests," said DuPont Pioneer President Paul E. Schickler.

   

   

The Africa regional technology centre will employ leading R&D technologies, such as doubled haploids, ear photometry and the proprietary Pioneer Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT(TM)) System. It will also use genetic breeding technologies, including marker-assisted seed selection, to help shorten crop breeding cycles and improve accuracy toward breeding targets.

   

   

DuPont has similar technology centres in Brazil, India and China as part of the company''s global research network.