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November 2017
DuPont recently completed the construction of the Africa Regional Technology Hub, a network of strategically placed research facilities and testing locations across the African continent to accelerate product development for farmers in Africa.
Part of this R100 million investment is a multi-crop drought research centre at Hoogekraal, near Potchefstroom. The Hoogekraal Research Centre is a multi-crop research facility for maize, sunflower and sorghum where research for DuPont Pioneer and Pannar is conducted with a special focus on drought tolerance.
Pannar Seed invited customers and prominent producers in the area to tour the Hoogekraal Technology Centre on Wednesday, 16 August. They wanted to show how they are making good on their promise, ‘Together we farm for the future’ by reinvesting in the producers’ future productivity – globally and locally. Their promise is to find scientific solutions at the centre to the same yield-constraining climate, pest and disease problems producers face on their farms.
The technology centre will leverage the proprietary molecular breeding technologies of DuPont and will build synergies in breeding and breeding technology deployment across maize, sunflower and sorghum in Africa. Newer technologies will increase in-country effort in advanced breeding along with phenotyping capacity (including ear and root photometry, modern planters and combines) and ongoing exploration of the use of dedicated managed stress environments. In his welcoming word, Mr John Odendaal (national marketing manager) said this facility will make it possible for Pannar to introduce improved hybrids to the market sooner. The improvement technologies help shorten crop breeding cycles and improve accuracy toward breeding targets, including improved drought tolerance, insect and disease tolerance, as well as improved yields with limited inputs.
Pannar team members shared their insights with visitors during the information sessions. Mr Nick Goble (business manager) gave an overview of the operations at the research centre. Hoogekraal Research Centre is one of 100 global research centres managed by 4 000 researchers in the DuPont group in 25 countries on six continents. DuPont has similar technology centres in the United States, Brazil, India and China as part of the company’s global research network.
The new centre in Delmas, which was officially opened on 23 May, will serve as the central hub of the African regional technology centre, which comprises a network of existing research facilities and testing locations across Africa. The network of research centres will enable collaboration between crop researchers, maximise resources and advance research locally and faster.
South African research data adds to the global DuPont data pool while the facilities in Delmas, Hoogekraal, Greytown and other locations in Africa also draw on the global DuPont expertise from colleagues in other parts of the world to ensure a better product for the producer.
Publication: November 2017
Section: Relevant
