The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued registrations for two insect protection products that promise to ease farmers’ burdens in trying to meet the agency’s non-Bt corn refuge requirements.

DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred has received approval for Optimum AcreMax and Optimum AcreMax Xtra insect protection products in corn. Optimum AcreMax marks the industry’s first U.S. approval of a single-bag, integrated refuge product that targets only above-ground insects.

“We are excited to offer corn growers the broadest lineup of simplified, integrated refuge products in the industry,” said Paul E. Schickler, president of Pioneer. “Optimum AcreMax and Optimum AcreMax Xtra products from Pioneer will not only help growers maximize corn yields but preserve valuable in-plant insect protection for the future.”

Optimum AcreMax products integrate 95% of a trusted, high-yielding Pioneer brand hybrid containing Herculex I insect protection combined with YieldGard Corn Borer insect protection and 5% of a similar non-Bt herbicide tolerant hybrid to serve as the integrated corn borer refuge. (Refuge requirements remain higher in the South.)

Optimum AcreMax Xtra products integrate 90% of a trusted, high-yielding Pioneer brand hybrid containing Herculex Xtra insect protection combined with YieldGard Corn Borer insect protection and 10% of a similar non-Bt herbicide tolerant hybrid to serve as the integrated corn borer and corn rootworm refuge. Optimum AcreMax and Optimum AcreMax Xtra products offer built-in refuge compliance in the Corn Belt.

Pioneer will conduct a commercial launch of Optimum AcreMax and Optimum AcreMax Xtra products across multiple hybrid platforms for the 2012 selling season.

“Our business approach is to work closely with growers to understand their individual needs and help maximize productivity by placing the right product on each acre,” said Schickler. “Optimum AcreMax and Optimum AcreMax Xtra products further expand our offerings of new insect protection control solutions to benefit U.S. corn growers and deliver on that commitment.”

Pioneer’s complete line of simplified refuge products consists of:

For more information, go to www.pioneer.com.