Corteva Agriscience Takes Action to Equip Corn Farmers Across India with the Knowledge and Tools of Integrated Pest Management to Protect Crops
HYDERABAD, India, June 24, 2019 — Corteva Agriscience (NYSE: CTVA) today introduced a new insect control solution to India’s corn farmers, following the decision by the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to approve Spinetoram 11.7% SC to protect corn crops against damage from fall armyworm infestation. Spinetoram 11.7% SC is marketed in India as Delegate® insecticide.
“With the approval of Delegate® insecticide for application in corn, Corteva will be able to offer farmers across India a sustainable and high-performing product which effectively protects their crops from this newest agricultural threat, as part of an ‘Integrated Pest Management’ approach. Our focus now is to make sure that this solution is available quickly to those who need it the most,” said Subbarao Kolli Ph.D., Managing Director, South Asia, Corteva Agriscience.
“The damaging spread of the fall armyworm is already having a direct impact on food security and creating significant economic losses, not only for farmers and consumers but also for the poultry feed industry, which relies on corn grains to meet the public demand for poultry meat and eggs,” he said.
Delegate® is a broad-spectrum insecticide used to control crop-damaging insects. It is effective against target insects at a very low use rate, with a margin of safety toward beneficial insects. The active ingredient, Spinetoram, was accepted for review and registration under the Reduced Risk Pesticide Program by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and was designated by the EPA as the 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge winner for the Designing Greener Chemicals Award[1]. It also received the Agrow Award for ‘Best New Crop Protection Product’ in 2010.
Fall armyworm, a pest native to the Americas that feeds preferably on corn[2], was initially reported in Karnataka in 2018, before spreading to 14 states including Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
Corn is cultivated in approximately 55 million hectares in the entire Asia Pacific region[3]. After rice and wheat, corn is the third largest cultivated food crop in India[4] with approximately 9 million hectares under cultivation across the country[5].
Corteva Agriscience will conduct a series of training programs across the country to educate farmers about fall armyworm and its damage symptoms. Training will also cover better agronomic practices and the implementation of Integrated Pest Management, which combines scouting, monitoring and targeted treatment to protect crop health. The use of Delegate® insecticide along with the principles of Integrated Pest Management can help to provide effective, uniform and long-lasting control of the pest and manage the development of insect resistance.
“Sadly, it is not just farmers in India who are facing the devastating impact of this fast-spreading pest. As more countries in Asia Pacific are faced with the damage that the fall armyworm brings, Corteva Agriscience teams across the region are working tirelessly with all stakeholders in the industry to ensure that farmers are equipped with the knowledge and technology they need to protect their corn crops by intervening early and addressing the threat quickly.” Kolli said.
With access to much-needed tools to help the fight against the fall armyworm threat, farmers in India are now able to join the community of fellow farmers in Sri Lanka and Thailand, where local agriculture authorities have also recommended the use of Spinetoram to combat the threat. Spinetoram is already in use on corn in countries including USA, Brazil, Columbia, Bolivia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where farmers have managed to control the impact from the pest through early intervention.
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience provides farmers around the world with the most complete input portfolio in the industry to enable them to maximize yield and profitability — including some of the most recognized brands in agriculture: Pioneer®, Granular®, Brevant™ seeds, as well as award-winning Crop Protection products — while bringing new products to market through its robust pipeline of active chemistry and technologies. The company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
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About fall armyworm
The fall armyworm (FAW), or Spodoptera frugiperda, is an insect that is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. In the absence of natural control or good management, it can cause significant damage to crops. It prefers maize but can feed on more than 80 additional species of crops, including rice, sorghum, millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton. FAW was first detected in Central and Western Africa in early 2016 and has quickly spread across virtually all of Sub-Saharan Africa. In July 2018 it was confirmed in India and Yemen. Because of trade and the moth's strong flying ability, it has the potential to spread further. Farmers will need great support through Integrated Pest Management to sustainability manage FAW in their cropping systems. More information can be found at www.fao.org/fall-armyworm.
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6/24/2019
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Contact
May Meere
Corteva Agriscience
+65 9366 2351
Ampy Corpus / Helen Sullivan / Nicole Ang
Spurwing Communications
+65 6340 7287
[1] http://www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry/presidential-green-chemistry-challenge-winners
[2] FAO, http://www.fao.org/fall-armyworm/en/
[3] CABI, https://blog.invasive-species.org/2018/08/30/where-next-for-fall-armyworm/
[4] Maize in India, India Maize Summit, http://ficci.in/spdocument/20386/India-Maize-2014_v2.pdf
[5] Production Performance Of Maize In India : Approaching An Inflection Point, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266734402_PRODUCTION_PERFORMANCE_OF_MAIZE_IN_INDIA_APPROACHING_AN_INFLECTION_POINT