Pioneer celebrates a century of innovation, delivering for farmers
Global seed leader in corn, soybeans, sorghum celebrates helping farmers deliver record-breaking yields
Pioneer, the flagship seed brand of Corteva, commemorates 100 years of innovation and global agricultural leadership at an event at the Corteva Global Seed Business Center in Johnston, Iowa.
Founded a century ago by former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace, Pioneer was the first to produce hybrid corn at scale—a development that contributed to average corn yields in the U.S. increasing by nearly 600 percent, changing American agriculture and the farm economy. That tradition continues: Pioneer is the No. 1 corn and soybean brand in the U.S. by market share and has record-breaking yield performance in corn, soybeans and dryland sorghum.
“Farming is the beating heart of this country, and we could not be prouder to have worked alongside farmers for the past century to feed and fuel it,” said Executive Vice President of Seed Business Judd O’Connor. “Innovation has always been part of the story of agriculture—from hybrid corn in 1926 to new hybrid wheat technology— and Pioneer, as its name suggests, has been at the leading edge of innovation. And with tools like gene editing on the horizon, we know that after the remarkable past century, Pioneer is only just getting started.”
Pioneer has led the industry for a century:
- First company to commercialize hybrid corn at scale.
- Home to one of the largest and deepest corn germplasm collections in the world.
- Seed sold in more than 70 countries, serving millions of farmers.
- World-record-setting corn hybrid, producing 623.84 bushels per acre (2023).
- World-record-setting soybean variety, producing 218.2856 bushels per acre (2024).
- Top-yielding dryland sorghum variety, producing 245.86 bushels per acre (2020).
As part of the 100-year celebration, David Wallace Douglas, grandson of Henry A. Wallace, donated $100,000 to fund more than 100,000 meals packed by Corteva employees to benefit the Food Bank of Iowa and food pantries across Indiana. Over the last 30 years, Pioneer and Corteva have invested nearly $2,000,000 in local organizations.
To learn more about the Pioneer 100-year anniversary, visit pioneer.com/100.
