Syngenta in North America today announced that it received import approval from Korean regulatory authorities for the Agrisure Viptera 3110 and 3220 trait stacks, which offer corn growers control of above-ground lepidopteran insects including European corn borer and corn earworm.

The Agrisure Viptera trait was approved by Korea in October 2010. This approval allows the importation of U.S. corn grown from hybrids with the Agrisure Viptera 3110 and 3220 trait stacks for food and feed use within Korea.

Korea joins standing approvals in the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Taiwan

"The Agrisure Viptera 3110 and 3220 trait stacks enable corn growers to realize greater yield potential through control of a broad-spectrum of above-ground insects," said David Morgan, president of Syngenta Seeds, Inc.

In Syngenta trials in 2010, hybrids with the Agrisure Viptera trait delivered an average yield advantage of 7.3 bushels per acre under ear-feeding insect pressure vs. hybrids without Agrisure Viptera technology1. The Agrisure Viptera 3110 and 3220 trait stacks deliver control of above-ground insects for growers who do not need to manage for corn rootworm.

In addition to the Agrisure Viptera trait, the Agrisure Viptera 3110 trait stack contains the Agrisure CB/LL trait, which has been helping to protect corn from European corn borer for more than 10 years and provides glufosinate tolerance and the Agrisure GT trait for glyphosate tolerance.

In addition to these traits, Agrisure Viptera 3220 trait stack contains the Herculex I trait for corn borer protection.

Syngenta has received import approval for the Agrisure Viptera 3110 and 3220 trait stacks from regulatory authorities in the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Taiwan, and cultivation approval in the United States and Canada. The Agrisure Viptera 3110 and 3220 trait stacks already have received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. EPA and Canada have also approved the Agrisure Viptera 3220 E-Z Refuge trait stack, which is an integrated, single-bag refuge version of the Agrisure Viptera 3220 trait stack.

Agrisure Viptera technology is available in hybrids from the Syngenta seed brands of Garst, Golden Harvest and NK and is also being made available through licensing agreements with more than 150 local and independently owned seed companies.

For more information about the Agrisure family of traits, visit www.agrisuretraits.com.