Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont, and Monsanto Company announced today the completion of a licensing agreement for a new kind of insect control for corn crops in U.S. and Canada.

Corteva will receive a licence to "stack" its own targeted insect control chemicals with Monsanto's patented approach, "Corn Rootworm III." The combined insect control will target the corn rootworm, known as the "billion dollar bug" for its destructive impact.

"This collaboration demonstrates the commitment Corteva Agriscienceâ„¢ has to bringing greater choice to growers, helping them increase their productivity and profitability," said Tony Klemm, Global Corn Portfolio leader at Corteva Agriscience.

"Monsanto's broad licensing approach continues to put valuable, cost-effective tools into the hands of farmers when they need them most," said Calvin Treat, Monsanto's Global Soy and Corn Technology lead. "We view this agreement as an endorsement for the novel mode of action that Monsanto's Corn Rootworm III trait brings to farmers, as it builds on the current products planted today by adding a new RNAi mode of action that enhances effectiveness against one of the industry's most destructive insect pests.