There is no one solution to crop production issues facing the agriculture, according to James C. Collins, Jr., vice president and general manager of DuPont Crop Protection.

Speaking at the 11th International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry - International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry (IUPAC-ICPC) in Kobe, Japan, Collins said both chemical and genetic solutions are essential to meeting agriculture’s future demands.

An example is the Optimum™ GAT™ trait from DuPont, which represents the next generation of weed control. It will help farmers control more weeds and weeds that have developed resistance to popular herbicides by combining a new biotech trait with new chemical weed control solutions.

According to Collins, several factors are impacting agriculture in 2006 and beyond:

·A complex global regulatory decision-making process;

·Product re-registration timelines;

·Uncertainties such as terrorism, price/availability of oil and water, natural disasters;

·Energy prices;

·Future commodity crop price levels;

·Government support for agriculture; and,

·Traits and geographic expansion for genetically modified crops.

“Bringing together science from many different disciplines is the key to overcoming those challenges,” Collins said. “That’s why DuPont is positioned across the food, feed, fuel, and materials value chain where it gains market insight to address customer needs and find the most sustainable solutions.”

Optimum™ GAT™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.