Alta Seeds, the premium brand of Advanta, a leading international supplier of proprietary crop genetics, will demonstrate the first herbicide tolerant sorghum hybrids in their 2014 trials in Hereford, Texas. The first grain sorghum hybrids with this trait will be introduced commercially by Alta Seeds in 2016. Herbicide tolerant grain sorghum will give growers greater ability to control yield-limiting grassy weeds, a key crop for areas with limited rainfall.

This advance in non-genetically modified (non-GMO) sorghum genetics was developed under a joint agreement of Advanta with DuPont Crop Protection to commercialize the DuPont™ Inzen™ Z herbicide-tolerance sorghum trait.

“Commercialization of herbicide tolerant sorghum will provide growers with numerous benefits,” says Steve Ligon, North America business director for Advanta. “Post-emergent grass control will allow for greater yields, profitability and convenience. We’re adding the Inzen™ Z herbicide-tolerance trait to our premium Alta Seeds hybrids to deliver a valuable combination of top-yielding sorghum genetics with the latest breeding advancements.”

“This partnership addresses an urgent market need,” says James Hay, regional director, North America, DuPont Crop Protection. “Today, annual grass weeds reduce U.S. sorghum yields by approximately 20 percent. The Inzen™ Z herbicide-tolerance trait offers the potential to stem those losses by providing more effective control of key grass weeds, including foxtail, barnyardgrass, crabgrass and Texas panicum, with convenient over-the-top Zest™ herbicide application.”

Advanta and DuPont Crop Protection are working closely with regulatory agencies and local seed and crop protection teams to develop a product stewardship plan for the new seed trait.