Page 89 - Innovation Delaware 2019

INNOVATION BY SECTOR
BERT TANNER
system that uses laser light to map the shape and structure of plants as well as sensors to measure physiological aspects of the plants, such as how efficiently they convert sunlight to energy.
At Delaware State University’s College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, research focus areas include pest management, investigating sustainable cash crops, and ameliorating water contamination caused by large- scale animal operations.
The FMC Corp., which now operates DuPont’s former Stine Research Center, has introduced a new crop protection product for soybeans, corn, peanuts, wheat and sugar beets in time for the 2019 growing season. It is called Lucento, a fungicide that provides long-lasting preventive and curative properties for a wide spectrum of foliar diseases.
Merck Animal Health, which has manufacturing and research facilities in Millsboro, recently introduced Innovax- ND-IBD in the U.S. after a successful launch in Europe. The vaccine protects against three highly transmittable diseases in poultry — infectious bursal disease, Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease.
The Innovax line has a distinct advantage over previous vaccines,
which had to infect chickens with a controlled dose of a virus to get an immune response. “That takes a lot of energy for the birds,” says Scott Patey, an associate director at Merck Animal Health. Innovax uses only a protein from the portion of the virus that causes the infection, triggering an immune response without an infection, he says. Another advantage from a poultry farmer’s perspective is that Innovax can be used to inoculate chicks before they hatch, whereas live vaccines may require a booster shot on live chickens — a daunting logistical challenge, says Patey.
In 2018, poultry company Allen Harim made a major commitment to
its future in Delaware, opening a new corporate headquarters near Millsboro. The company has also invested in clean energy. In fact, in 2018, Allen Harim used savings from a newly installed solar project to launch a college scholarship for children of employees and contract growers.
Perdue Farms, another major presence in Delaware’s poultry industry, has been an industry leader in the antibiotic-free movement. It also was recently recognized for its leadership
in gender diversity by 2020 Women on Boards, a national organization working to boost female representation on corporate boards. Five of Perdue’s nine board members are women. ID
Additional reporting by Pam George
POULTRY COMPANIES THRIVE IN
DELAWARE
MAJOR COMPANIES LAUNCH
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS
INNOVATION DELAWARE 87
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE/KATHY F. ATKINSON