A duo of researchers has found that farmers growing hybrid rice often exhibit a significantly higher economic return than those planting conventional rice varieties.

Bayer CropScience Inc. (Philippines) has launched Arize Bigante Plus, its most disease tolerant hybrid rice variety to date.

Launched during the 1st Hybrid Rice Congress in Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Arize Bigante is also the company’s most tolerant variety to bacterial leaf blight.

• Acquisition to reinforce leading position in global rice market
• Expanded toolbox for development of integrated rice offers
• RNAi technology for new biological insect control solutions

Devgen nv (Euronext Brussels: DEVG), the agro-biotech company that shapes the field of hybrid rice in India and Southeast Asia and innovates in crop protection technologies, today provides a business update and its financial results for the first half of 2012.