DuPont’s seed breeding firm Pioneer Hi-Bred plans to have new soybean varieties in 2008 selected for higher yield potential using a new breeding process.
The patented molecular breeding process, which Pioneer calls Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT), uses molecular markers to track and select soy seed lines for native genetics with higher yield potential.
The company says the process is non-transgenic, thus avoiding the regulatory hurdles set for genetically modified (GM) crops, but still allows researchers to quickly and efficiently “design” varieties with yield-enhancing genetics.
AYT varieties, which will be marketed with an AYT logo, are to be available in a “limited number” of products in 2008, the company said.
Pioneer also has new GM soy varieties in the works, including its Optimum GAT trait for improved glyphosate tolerance, due out in 2009, alongside GM varieties also selected for increased yield.
