It is nearly time to plant corn in the Southeast. Syngenta is tailoring its research to help producers overcome challenges they’ll likely face in 2021.
Insect Management
Insect resistance is why Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera trait is so critical to corn producers in Georgia and Alabama. With an environment conducive to hot, humid temperatures during the summer, corn farmers need an extra tool in the toolbox to protect against pest pressure every year.
Agrisure Viptera supplies that protection, says Drew Showalter, Syngenta strategic marketing manager for corn.
“Viptera brings the best above-ground insect protection in the marketplace bar none. Our focus within our portfolio for the south and east is to ensure that we’ve got Viptera in our hybrids so that when a farmer in the south or southeast is planting a hybrid … that they’ve got the backing of AgriSure Viptera,” Showalter said.
“We’ve made it a priority to have it in our portfolio for the south. With the insect resistance and pest pressure that the south faces, it’s a differentiator for us. That would be the No. 1 priority for us, is to continue to ensure that we’ve got a leadership position with Viptera within our portfolio but also ensure that we’ve got the products that are going to meet growers’ needs just like for the central and east or west.”
Trait Conversion Accelerator
Another advancement from Syngenta is the Trait Conversion Accelerator, a $30 million corn breeding facility in Nampa, Idaho. It is home to the Syngenta R&D (Research and Development) and seed production site where a majority of Syngenta North American corn trait conversion work takes place.
“The other major investment that is going to continue to aid our southern portfolio is our $30-plus million investment that we made in our Nampa Idaho Trait Conversion Accelerator. It’s a state-of-the-art facility that brings our trait introgression under glass and into a controlled environment that is going to help expedite traits into our genetics so that we can get our best genetics into the hands of our customers sooner,” Showalter said.
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