Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. is planning a significant expansion of its research space in Central Iowa, which would also mean hiring 160 additional employees.

The Johnston-based company seed has requested $1 million from the Grow Iowa Values Fund toward the projects, which have a combined investment cost of $17.4 million. Pioneer, a subsidiary of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., is also considering DuPont’s Delaware headquarters for the expansion, or existing leased greenhouse space in Richmond, Calif.

The largest part of the expansion is a planned $9.5 million renovation and expansion of the Krug Building at Pioneer’s Johnston campus to accommodate growth in its corn research and development activities. The company also plans a 25,000-square-foot expansion to the Reid laboratory building in Johnston, as well as expansions at its Ankeny and Dallas Center facilities. Each of the projects would be completed by 2012.

“The reason for this expansion is the increasing demand for Pioneer products around the world,” said Bridget Anderson, a company spokeswoman. Pioneer currently employs approximately 2,600 people statewide, including about 2,000 in Central Iowa.

Though it’s looking at alternative locations, the company’s preference is to expand in Iowa, Anderson said. “We do appreciate how the Iowa Department of Economic Development makes it possible to continue developing in Iowa,” she said. “We do look to stay in Iowa and continuing to expand here.”

In 2007 DuPont committed an additional $100 million to expanding its seed business, primarily through its Pioneer subsidiary. The company, which has received previous state economic development incentives, added 62 research positions in Johnston two years ago and last year expanded its FAST (Functional Analysis System for Traits) Corn Greenhouse there.

Last month, Pioneer President Paul Schickler said he expects the company to increase both its top- and bottom-line results by more than 15 percent in 2009, along with compounded annual earnings in DuPont’s agriculture and nutrition division by more than 15 percent annually through 2013.

The Iowa Economic Development Board’s due diligence committee will review the project this afternoon, and the full board is scheduled to vote on the funding request Thursday.