DuPont CEO Applauds New Holland Corn Research Center for Excellence in Research

Center Scientist Developed Company's First Commercial Brown Mid-Rib Variety, Available in 2012

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Aug 10, 2011, 03:30 ET

NEW HOLLAND, Pa., Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont (NYSE: DD) business Pioneer Hi-Bred celebrated today the completion of a million dollar expansion project at its corn research center in New Holland, Pa. DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman attended the event and congratulated Pioneer on the expansion and emphasized that investments made in research and development are critical to meeting customer needs and ensuring food security.

"Research and development is the heart of DuPont," said Kullman. "Last year DuPont invested $1.7 billion in research and development, and 61 percent of this investment focused on increasing food production. DuPont's commitment to research is evident in the $1.2 million expansion we've seen here today."

The project consisted of a 9,600 square foot equipment storage and maintenance facility with a new corn dryer. The existing building was remodeled to provide new office space and an enhanced work area for employees. The center was established in the New Holland area in 1985 and moved to its current location in 1994. The center conducts research at 20 unique testing locations from Williamsport, Pa., to Salisbury, Md. Since 2004, plot rows have increased five-fold and the staff has tripled in size with the goal of delivering the right product on the right acre.

Today, the center has approximately 15 full-time employees and many seasonal employees. The center contracts with more than 20 grower cooperators who provide land for local product development and testing.

"It's an opportune time to be in agriculture and an exciting time to be part of Pioneer," said Paul E. Schickler, president – Pioneer Hi-Bred, who spoke at the event. "We are committed to finding innovative solutions to improve agriculture productivity and it is exciting to see that through this center expansion we are paving the way for even greater advancements in the future."

One of those advancements is a major innovation developed by New Holland scientist David Whitaker. His work on Pioneer's first commercial brown mid-rib (BMR) corn, a hybrid that offers improved silage digestibility, gives growers another option when selecting their silage and dairy nutrition products. This product will be commercially available for the 2012 planting season. In addition to BMR, scientists also are focused on delivering high yielding products with resistance to foliar and stalk diseases.

"The New Holland center has a deep history of research excellence, and is critical to our long-term success," said Schickler. "Our right product, right acre strategy is all inclusive, we are talking about innovation in the lab as well as in the field."

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 (www.dupont.com) is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 90 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food, building and construction, communications, and transportation.

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SOURCE DuPont