<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">DuPont Pioneer has developed maize line 4114 (DP-&Oslash;&Oslash;4114-3) as a &ldquo;molecular stack&rdquo; equivalent of the &ldquo;breeding stack&rdquo; containing the combined traits from maize lines 1507 (DAS-&Oslash;15&Oslash;7-1) and 59122 (DAS-59122-7). Maize line 4114 expresses the same insect-resistance and herbicide-tolerance traits as present in currently commercialized hybrids containing 1507 x 59122, which are marketed under the trade name Herculex&reg; XTRA. Just like Herculex&reg; XTRA hybrids, 4114 maize expresses the Cry1F protein, conferring resistance to certain lepidopteran insect pests (e.g., European corn borer), the Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 proteins, which together form an active binary insecticidal protein conferring resistance to corn rootworm, and the PAT enzyme, which inactivates glufosinate herbicide via acetylation.<br>><br>Unlike the 1507 x 59122 breeding stack, where the DNA insertions carrying traits derived from events 1507 and 59122, respectively, are located at two unlinked genetic loci, the genes encoding the Cry1F, Cry34Ab1, Cry35Ab1, and PAT proteins in 4114 maize are present at a single locus. This allows event 4114 to be bred more efficiently into new product offerings and to serve as a more efficient platform for the production of larger stack combinations through conventional breeding. Efficient breeding of multiple traits is becoming more important as growers demand more complex products, including multiple modes of action for insect control and herbicide-tolerance.</span></p><br>