By JIM RUTLEDGE

D.C. Correspondent

WILMINGTON, Del. — After several months of research and more than 500 choices, DowDuPont has selected Corteva Agriscience as the new brand name for its multibillion-dollar agricultural business.

This comes on the heels of the $130 billion merger of two American giants, the Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Corp., which is still a year away from finalizing the joining of the companies into three new divisions.

Pronounced “cor-teh-va,” the selection of the new brand name “brings together three businesses with deep connections and dedication to generations of farmers,” Chief Operating Officer James Collins said.

As part of the merger completed last August, the two companies have set up three trading companies: a Materials Science company, Specialty Productions company and now Corteva Agriscience.

DowDuPont spokesman Gregg M. Schmidt told Farm World the name was selected from 500 choices “because it sounds strong (hard beginning and ending consonants) and its meaning.” Corteva is derived from a combination of words meaning “heart” and “nature,” the company said.

Schmidt added, “Naming is not typically an easy process. There’s a tendency to go with names that are most understood or descriptive. But these are not the names that create the most value in the long run.”

DowDuPont CEO Ed Breen said, “Our selection of these company names is a major milestone in the process of creating three strong, independent companies, and each name reflects the unique strengths and value proposition of the company it will represent.”

Corteva Agriscience will be headquartered in Wilmington with key support functions based in Indianapolis. Johnston, Iowa, will serve as the firm’s Global Business Centers.

Midland, Mich., will be home for the other two divisions. DowDuPont says the companies will be separate entities by the beginning of June 2019.