Pioneer, the flagship seed brand of Corteva, commemorated 100 years of innovation and global agricultural leadership Wednesday 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 became the first company to produce hybrid corn at scale, a groundbreaking innovation that contributed to average corn yields in the United States increasing by nearly 600%. The development revolutionized American agriculture and transformed the farm economy.
Today, Pioneer maintains its leadership position as the No. 1 corn and soybean brand in the United States by market share. The company holds world records for yield performance across multiple crops, including 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 Judd O’Connor, executive vice president of seed business. “Innovation has always been part of the story of agriculture — from hybrid corn in 1926 to new hybrid wheat technology today.”
Pioneer’s century of achievements includes establishing one of the world’s largest and deepest corn germplasm collections. The company now sells seed in more than 70 countries, serving millions of farmers worldwide.
Recent record-breaking varieties include a corn hybrid that produced 623.84 bushels per acre in 2023, a soybean variety yielding 218.2856 bushels per acre in 2024, and a dryland sorghum variety that achieved 245.86 bushels per acre in 2020.
As part of the centennial celebration, David Wallace Douglas, grandson of founder Henry A. Wallace, donated $100,000 to fund more than 100,000 meals packed by Corteva employees. The meals will benefit the Food Bank of Iowa and food pantries across Indiana.
