Syngenta unveils Enogen tracer trait for corn crops

Syngenta recently introduced the Enogen Value Tracker, a tool for Enogen corn growers designed to simplify grain tracking.

The Enogen Value Tracker is a naturally derived, non-GMO purple tracer trait. It will be included in select bags of Enogen hybrids beginning this year. Over time, Syngenta plans to include the tool in all bags of Enogen seeds.

During the growing season, Enogen Value Tracker will account for up to 5 percent of the plants in a given Enogen field.

“Enogen corn is a win for the farmer, a win for the ethanol plant and a win for the consumer,” Marc Mummelthei, an Enogen grower in Waverly, Iowa, said. “Anything that increases what corn can do for our country is a good thing. The Enogen Value Tracker will reinforce good stewardship practices and help growers more easily manage border rows and visually track Enogen grain from harvest through delivery to the ethanol plant.”

Enogen growers must follow specific stewardship guidelines to receive a 40-cents-per-bushel premium.

Jack Bernens, head of marketing for Enogen at Syngenta, said the new stewardship innovation will help lower the risk of misdirecting Enogen grain.

“Since the introduction of Enogen corn enzyme technology in 2011, Syngenta has voluntarily implemented comprehensive stewardship protocols to mitigate potential commercial concerns about Enogen corn affecting unintended processes,” Bernens said. “The Enogen Value Tracker offers growers a way to help make this simple, effective protocol even easier.”