DuPont opens agro tech hub in Africa

TO HELP accelerate crop production, DuPont's newly expanded research facility in Delmas, South Africa, will focus on solutions to the region’s agronomic challenges such as pest and disease pressure, climate volatility and nutrient-depleted soils.

Designed to be the core of the DuPont Africa regional technology hub, it consists of the existing DuPont Pioneer and Pannar research facilities and testing locations throughout Africa.  The upgraded regional technology centre will help drive the seed research and development product pipelines for Pioneer and Pannar, capitalising on complementary germplasm pools and developing innovative solutions for customers of both brands.

“Agriculture has a vital role to play in the social and economic security of African countries,” said chair and CEO Ellen Kullman who inaugurated the site in March.  “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. We believe this technology center will be a catalyst for innovation and collaboration to help feed a growing population in Africa and around the world.”

DuPont Pioneer invested in this new centre in 2013 after acquiring South Africa-based Pannar seed.  The business is committed to investing R62 million (South African Rand) or about US$5.8 million in the South Africa centre by 2017.

The region’s first insectary

The new facility houses 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.  “We are proud to build this type of cutting-edge insect research facility for the benefit of Africa’s farmers.”

The centre will employ doubled haploids, ear photometry and the proprietary Pioneer Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT?) System, and other R&D technologies. Genetic breeding technologies such as marker-assisted seed selection will 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.