Court Confirms DuPont Ownership of Soybean Marker Technology
To help growers combat this pest, Pioneer has developed high-yielding SCN-resistant varieties in its product lineup through the use of molecular markers.
15/03/07 DuPont announced that its subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. has successfully concluded its patent infringement dispute with Genome and Agricultural Biotechnology (GAAB), LLC over in-plant protection against one of the most destructive pests in North American soybean fields.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Des Moines issued a consent judgment holding that Pioneer patents 5,491,081; 6,192,967; and 6,538,175 were valid and had been infringed by GAAB. The patents are for the process that uses molecular markers to select soybean varieties resistant to soybean cyst nematode (SCN).
"We have invested a great deal in using molecular markers to increase the defensive package of soybeans," said Dennis Byron, Pioneer vice president, Crop Product Development. "We are pleased the court upheld our right to recoup that investment and fund future development."
Soybean cyst nematode is responsible for $870 million in annual losses to growers in North America. To help growers combat this pest, Pioneer has developed high-yielding SCN-resistant varieties in its product lineup through the use of molecular markers.
"Marker-assisted selection is a critical tool for streamlining the development of soybean varieties that combine SCN resistance with superior performance," said Byron. "The technology enhances the precision and efficiency of identifying resistant varieties, which helps us speed product development and ultimately provides growers with more choices in combating these costly pests."
Pioneer has held intellectual property rights for its soybean markers since 1996. In addition to soybean cyst nematode resistance, the company holds intellectual property rights for the marker-assisted selection process to select soybean varieties with brown stem rot resistance and other valuable traits.
"We recognize the value of this science and technology. We have granted licenses to the technology and are open to working with other researchers and institutions so it can be utilized by others in the public and private sector," said Byron.
