With China’s recent import approval of the Enlist trait for soybeans and corn, Corteva Agriscience had planned to launch Enlist E3 soybeans and Qrome corn for the 2019 season. But those plans may be slowed as the company awaits import approval from the Philipines.
Enlist E3 soybeans, jointly developed by Dow AgroSciences and MS Technologies, were to be offered in Brazil, Canada and the United States across all Corteva seed brands, according to an earlier news release. The company still plans to move forward with the Canadian launch since that country doesn’t export mean soybeans to the Philipines.
Corteva also plans to broadly license Enlist E3 soybean technology.
Introductory quantities of Qrome corn products will be available in the Pioneer brand for 2019 planting across expanded geographies in the U.S. Corn Belt. They had been tested on a limited basis in 2017 and 2018.
For the 2020 growing season, Qrome products are planned across a wide range of genetic platforms and maturities in Corteva seed brands.
Both the Enlist E3 beans and Qrome corn have been bred using genetic modification to tolerate over-the-top applications of 2,4-D, glyphosate and glufosinate.
Qrome corn also has triple stacked Bt traits to control corn rootworms and foliar-feeding Lepidoptera worms.
Corteva has paired them both with 2,4-D choline, a low-volatility formulation of the 2,4-D herbicide.
Enlist Duo is a premix of 2,4-D choline and glyphosate whereas Enlist One is a stand-alone formulation of 2,4-D choline. It can be tankmixed with qualified glufosinate products.
Enlist E3 soybeans are already approved for cultivation in the United States, Canada and Brazil. Qrome products are approved for cultivation in the United States and Canada.
But many seed companies are hesitant to sell Enlist E3 soybeans into commercial channels until all import approvals are obtained. Otherwise, if some of these new traits are comingled with export shipments, it could jeopardize trade with countries where they’re not yet approved.
Both Enlist E3 soybeans and grain produced from Qrome corn have received import authorization in many importing countries, most recently in China.
For additional information about the status of regulatory authorizations, visit http://www.biotradestatus.com/.