Dow AgroSciences and DuPont announced a cross-licensing agreement that enables the two companies to expand herbicide-tolerance options in the next decade. In the agreement, DAS will license non-exclusively its proprietary herbicide tolerant trait technology for soybeans to Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a DuPont business. In addition, Pioneer is licensing non-exclusively its proprietary Optimum GAT trait for soybeans to DAS. Both companies have given the other rights to stack additional traits with their respective technology. Financial details were not disclosed.
The DAS trait, which confers herbicide tolerance to the long-used 2,4-D, when combined with Optimum GAT would produce soybeans tolerant to three classes of herbicides.
DAS expects to submit herbicide tolerant trait technology data to U.S. regulatory agencies this year, with potential commercialization early in the next decade.
The Optimum GAT trait from Pioneer is already nearing commercialization with regulatory approvals and a 2011 introduction to the market, if anticipated approvals come from key importing countries.