ST. LOUIS – Pickling cucumber growers will soon have a new defense against the devastating Downy mildew disease. During the Pickle Packers International annual meeting, Seminis^® announced the launch of DM Defense^TM, a line of Downy mildew resistant pickling cucumber seed for the 2016 growing season.

“There’s a lot of grower excitement around DM Defense^TM hybrids, especially because the control options for Downy mildew for pickling cucumbers currently is restricted to the use of fungicides,” explained Seminis^® cucurbit breeding lead Nischit Shetty. “When present, Downy mildew can cause extensive foliar damage on leaves of infected plants and there can be a substantial reduction in fruit yield depending on the stage at which plants are infected and the extent of damage.”

Pickling cucumber growers can expect intermediate levels of resistance* to Downy mildew from DM Defense^TM hybrids. This is a step above current industry offerings which are all susceptible to the disease.

Third party testing revealed that DM Defense^TM hybrids showed less susceptibility to Downy mildew infection, resulting in higher yield potential under untreated conditions as compared to the susceptible checks. In addition, DM Defense^TM pickles provide growers the potential for a more flexible spray schedule as a result of the Downy mildew resistance.

“While DM Defense^TM hybrids help provide yield protection when field or weather conditions do not allow timely fungicide applications, scouting and use of fungicide with multiple modes of action will be needed to achieve highest yield potential,” explained Shetty. “Young plants (<5 leaf stage) are vulnerable and need to be protected by fungicide if there is a high risk of infection in the area.”

Initially, Seminis^® plans to launch two hybrids under the DM Defense^TM brand for the 2016 planting season with more products to follow. Products sold under the DM Defense^TM brand will possess the outstanding growing potential and quality growers have grown to expect from Seminis^® products.

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About Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Division
It’s Monsanto’s commitment to bring a broad range of agricultural solutions to help nourish our growing world. We’re passionate about developing new vegetable seed varieties that farmers around the world can grow into quality, nutritious produce that contributes to a balanced plate. Our R&D teams work to develop seeds that make growing vegetables easier for farmers while also meeting the demands from everyone in the produce chain — including retailers, food service and consumers. We hope that by developing products with excellent sensory appeal, people will enjoy eating more vegetables and reap the nutritional benefits that come along with increased consumption. Monsanto’s Vegetable Seeds Division is represented through Seminis^® and De Ruiter^® seed brands. For more information about Seminis^®, visit www.seminis-us.com

*IR = Intermediate Resistance
The ability of a plant variety to restrict the growth and development of the specified pest or pathogen, but may exhibit greater range of symptoms compared to varieties with high resistance. Intermediate Resistant plant varieties will show less severe symptoms or damage than susceptible plant varieties when grown under similar environmental conditions and/or pest or pathogen pressure.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS.

Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.

Monsanto and Vine Design^® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC. Seminis^® and DM Defense^TM are trademarks of Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc. De Ruiter^® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Invest B.V. ©2015 Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc.