Pioneer® brand hybrids with Herculex XTRA Protection significantly better than competitors in field trials for second straight year

DES MOINES, Iowa, August 20, 2007 - Research conducted by the University of Illinois shows that Pioneer® brand corn hybrids with Herculex® XTRA traits were significantly better at protecting corn roots than hybrids with the YieldGard® VT Triple trait under very high rootworm pressure.

In University of Illinois trials in 2006 and 2007, Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait showed consistent, excellent protection against corn rootworm.

“The University of Illinois research results confirm that, in Pioneer hybrids, Herculex XTRA is The Better BtTM” DuPont Vice President and General Manager and President of Pioneer Dean Oestreich says. “Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait provide proven, excellent protection to corn roots. Growers can plant hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait and feel confident that this will protect corn roots, regardless of the level of rootworm pressure.”

The University of Illinois results match other studies conducted this season by Pioneer Agronomy Sciences across 16 locations throughout the Corn Belt, showing Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait consistently provide excellent rootworm control in all pressure levels better than or equal to other in-plant corn rootworm traits.

In addition, these studies show that the Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait provide consistent results in protecting corn roots from rootworm damage regardless of rootworm pressure under a range of growing conditions. This complements studies done in previous years showing consistent, excellent protection from the Herculex XTRA trait against corn rootworms.

The University of Illinois trials, released in its newsletter dated Friday, August 17, 2007, evaluated a variety of corn rootworm management technologies including in-plant biotech traits, insecticide seed treatments, and granular and liquid insecticides. All were compared to unprotected checks. Test results were released from Monmouth, DeKalb and Urbana, Ill.

In the Urbana, Ill., location, Pioneer hybrids with Herculex XTRA insect protection provided superior protection to DeKalb® brand hybrids with the YieldGard® VT Triple trait. Pioneer® hybrid 33T59 with the Herculex® XTRA trait had a root rating of 0.49, significantly better than the DeKalb product DKC61-69 with the YieldGard VT Triple trait that rated 0.84. The check hybrids had root ratings as high as 2.86, showing very high corn rootworm infestation. Evaluations were based on a 0-3 root node injury scale.

In 2007 Pioneer trials, Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait also showed a significant difference between it and competitors in high corn rootworm pressure situations. In a study in Readlyn, Iowa, root ratings for Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait were 0.34, while DeKalb hybrids with the YieldGard Plus trait were 0.80 and Northrup King® hybrids with the Syngenta Agrisure® RW trait were 1.47. The check corn hybrids at the Readlyn site averaged 2.65, indicating high pressure.

In the remaining Pioneer trials, Pioneer hybrids with the Herculex XTRA trait showed consistent and excellent results.

Herculex® XTRA protection is a combination of Herculex® RW and Herculex® I traits for the broadest in-plant insect protection in the industry. In addition to defending the plant by controlling western, northern and Mexican corn rootworm, Herculex XTRA helps protect against European and southwestern corn borer, western bean cutworm, black cutworm and fall armyworm.

“Pioneer customers can be assured that the traits and the high yielding genetics offered in Pioneer products have been tested across a broad range of geographies and under a variety of growing conditions,” Oestreich says. “The Pioneer focus is to bring the greatest value to each acre of land with the latest technologies and greatest choices, year after year after year.”

A summary of the University of Illinois report is at: www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=838.

For more information on results of the Pioneer field studies, ask your local Pioneer sales professional.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world’s leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

ST. LOUIS, Mo., Aug. 20, 2007 - Corn rootworms are among the most damaging insects that farmers must battle, and drought conditions in parts of the Corn Belt this season, such as Indiana and Ohio, can exacerbate the impact of this pest.

Under normal conditions, with adequate rainfall, corn plants can withstand a certain amount of rootworm feeding, according to Clint Pilcher, Monsanto Corn Insect Traits Technology Development Manager. But in severely dry conditions, he explained, damaged roots make it more difficult to absorb limited subsoil moisture and nutrients, compromising plant health and yield potential.

“With plenty of moisture, a corn plant can compensate for some feeding, but without adequate moisture, it is less able to recover,” Pilcher said.

Pilcher noted that corn hybrids with Monsanto’s new YieldGard VT(tm) technology are performing well this season, even under severely dry conditions. Root digs in dry regions show that the YieldGard VT roots are well protected, supporting more efficient uptake of moisture than conventional corn hybrids.

“We are seeing several cases in Indiana and Ohio and parts of eastern Illinois where YieldGard VT Triple(tm) plants are 12 to 18 inches taller than corn protected with soil insecticides,” he said. Pilcher noted that dry weather poses a risk even when rootworm pressure is lighter than normal levels. “In dry areas, it doesn’t take extreme pressure to observe differences in plant performance,” he says.

Pilcher noted that similar results are being seen in 22 stress mitigation plots that Monsanto is monitoring this season across the Corn Belt. To keep out moisture, tents have been erected over the plots which have also been infested with rootworms to determine how YieldGard VT and conventional hybrids respond to insect pressure under dry conditions. At mid-season, YieldGard VT Triple plants were taller and healthier than corn plants with insecticides or no protection.

Pilcher encourages farmers to conduct digs to assess the level of rootworm feeding in their corn fields and if necessary to consider management options, such as in-plant insect protection, for next season.

YieldGard VT technology provides growers with improved consistency, even better insect control and higher yield potential than the first generation of YieldGard® products. YieldGard VT Triple products, planted by about 2,000 farmers across the Corn Belt this season, combine YieldGard VT Rootworm and Roundup Ready® 2 technology with YieldGard Corn Borer.

Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - August 15, 2007 — Syngenta announces the
availability of Agrisure(r) 3000GT, the latest addition to the Agrisure
brand of high-performance corn traits, for the 2008 planting season.
Agrisure 3000GT is a quad stack that protects the corn crop against both
corn borer and corn rootworm while providing exceptional tolerance to
in-season applications of both glyphosate and LIBERTY(r) herbicides.

Agrisure traits feature the insect control and herbicide tolerance
growers need to protect the full genetic potential of their hybrids.
Agrisure 3000GT combines the powerful, proven glyphosate tolerance of
Agrisure GT with the superior insect resistance provided by Agrisure
CB/LL/RW, which has demonstrated a 42 bu/A yield advantage over the
untreated isoline in field trials. With built-in tolerance to glyphosate
and LIBERTY herbicides, growers also enjoy a trait solution for either
glyphosate- or glufosinate-tolerant volunteers in corn-on-corn
rotations.

“Agrisure 3000GT gives growers more freedom than ever before to maximize
yields and capitalize on higher grain prices and new market
opportunities,” says Tracy Mader, Agrisure brand manager, Syngenta
Seeds. “Additionally, growers can have confidence that the advanced
trait insertion process used by Syngenta protects the existing yield
potential of the hybrid.”

Syngenta maintains the genetic integrity of the hybrid by integrating
trait genes such as Agrisure 3000GT directly into elite seed lines. The
result is a rapid, efficient transfer of the desired DNA into new
hybrids for outstanding insect control and herbicide tolerance without
compromising the performance of the hybrid.

“Growers can plant this quad stack knowing that they have built-in
insect protection and herbicide tolerance, and a hybrid that is still
going to perform to its highest potential,” Mader adds. “Plus, with
their purchase of Agrisure corn traits, growers are eligible for
AgriEdge(r) Corn programs.”

AgriEdge Corn programs help increase productivity by minimizing
yield-limiting factors throughout the season. Industry-leading crop loss
and replant assurances help minimize risk while the industry’s most
comprehensive portfolio of seeds, services and crop protection products
helps to maximize yield.

“AgriEdge lets growers enjoy unmatched flexibility,” says Rex Wichert,
AgriEdge corn business manager, Syngenta. “If a grower plants a hybrid
containing Agrisure 3000GT, but does not use the GT or LL trait,
Syngenta reimburses the grower for the full value of the unused trait.
This feature allows growers flexibility in focusing on yield potential
and only paying for the technology they use.”

Syngenta introduced Agrisure biotech traits for corn in 2005 with the
launch of Agrisure GT. The Agrisure traits lineup has grown
substantially and now includes Agrisure GT, Agrisure LL, Agrisure CB/LL
(season-long corn borer control), Agrisure GT/CB/LL, Agrisure RW and
Agrisure GT/RW. Today, Agrisure traits are available in elite genetics
from Garst(r), Golden Harvest(r), NK(r) and more than 150 other seed
brands.

Agrisure 3000GT has full U.S. government approvals for planting in the
U.S. Syngenta is seeking full regulatory approval in Japan, as well as
other major export markets of U.S. corn and corn products. In 2007,
pending key export approvals, Syngenta developed a program to make
Agrisure RW technology available to those growers who submitted a plan
to direct their grain to domestic markets, such as on-farm livestock
feeding, domestic feedlots, and ethanol plants that are not exporting
distiller’s dry grains (DDGs).

For more information on Agrisure 3000GT, Agrisure traits and AgriEdge
programs, please visit us on the Web at www.agrisuretraits.com

Product Provides Fast, Effective Burndown and Cleaner Fields at Planting Time

Philadelphia, July 25, 2007 — A new option for quick burndown of winter annuals and other tough broadleaf weeds in multiple cropping systems is now available from FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC). Rage™ D-Tech herbicide has received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in a variety of crops for fast, consistent burndown of a broad spectrum of weeds.

Rage D-Tech is an economical option for consistent control of winter annuals, including marestail, henbit, dandelion, shepherdspurse and mustards; and other broadleaf weeds, including bindweed, waterhemp, lambsquarters, velvetleaf, ragweed and smartweed. The product is labeled for use in no-till treatments in soybeans, corn, and sorghum, plus in-crop use in corn, sorghum, pasture and range grasses, and small grains, including wheat, barley, oats and rye, and as a harvest aid.

“Rage D-Tech is an integral part of a burndown program that prepares fields for planting a season ahead of time to help growers increase yields and get more for their money,” says Aaron Locker, Rage D-Tech product manager for FMC Agricultural Products. “It’s highly effective and works fast. Growers can actually see the results just a few hours after application.”

Figure 1 shows the efficacy of Rage D-Tech on burndown of kochia and puncturevine, in a trial conducted by Kansas State University. These control measurements were taken just four days after treatment. Figure 2 compares usage rates of Rage D-Tech and 2,4-D and related percent control of taller weeds just six days after treatment, in a trial conducted at the University of Nebraska. The fast-acting herbicide allows growers to plant earlier in the following season to get the most out of every acre. Two modes of action work together for complete burndown of tough, fall broadleaf weeds that will allow growers to plant into cleaner fields the following spring season.

Researchers in the Midwest and Delta regions have identified certain varieties of broadleaf weeds as glyphosate-resistant, including waterhemp, ragweed and marestail. Rage D-Tech is a viable option for growers to control these problem weeds and help maintain a clean field throughout the growing season, as shown in Figure 3.

For control of small weeds six inches tall or less, apply Rage D-Tech at a rate of 0.5 pt/A. Applied with a residual soybean herbicide in the fall, this combination provides outstanding burndown plus residual control allowing growers to spread out their work load while achieving effective weed control in a Roundup ReadyÒ soybean system. To control taller weeds such as heavy henbit, marestail, dandelion and kochia, apply Rage D-Tech at a rate of 0.75 pt/A. For in-crop applications in corn, sorghum, range grasses, and small grains, use 0.5 - 1.0 pt/A of Rage D-Tech to achieve maximum desiccation of weeds ranging in height from eight to 12 inches or taller.

Rage D-Tech is an excellent tank-mix partner, providing fast burndown of both broadleaves and grasses to save time and money. University extension representatives recommend using a combination of glyphosate and other herbicides to combat problem weeds and establish an effective weed management program. Rage D-Tech can easily transition into a rotational cropping system as part of an overall long-term management program in corn and soybeans.

For more information about products in the corn and soybean portfolio from FMC, please visit cropsolutions.fmc.com.

INDIANAPOLIS — July 30, 2007 — The biggest piece of news at the largest farm show in the Midwest could likely come at the corner of 10th Progress Street and Central Progress Avenue. That’s where
Dow AgroSciences will reveal for the first time and announce details of an exciting, new family of herbicide tolerance traits during the Farm Progress Show on Aug. 28 through 30 in Decatur, Ill.

Known currently as Dow AgroSciences Herbicide Tolerance (DHT), this innovative technology will improve and enhance the performance of glyphosate and glufosinate cropping systems, says Dan Kittle, vice president of Research & Development at Dow AgroSciences.

“DHT traits will enable the use of additional broad-spectrum herbicides with differing modes of action in both the burndown and postemergence application timings,” Kittle says. “These technologies will provide solutions to improve the control of hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds, reduce selection pressure for glyphosate resistance and help to sustain the use of the glyphosate tolerance cropping system in crops like corn, soybeans and cotton.”

Visitors to the Dow AgroSciences tent at Lot 1030 will be able to get a backstage, up-close look at corn containing DHT technology in field plots. They also will get more details of the chemistries that can be
applied postemergence over the top of crops containing DHT.

“One of the most exciting things about this new technology is that it will provide tolerance to multiple families of chemistry,” says Ben Kaehler, Traits & Germplasm Licensing business leader for
Dow AgroSciences. “DHT will complement today’s existing herbicide tolerance traits to deliver improved weed control above and beyond that obtained with glyphosate or glufosinate alone.”

Besides DHT, visitors will see several new herbicides being launched by the company through its new Technology for Traits™ portfolio of products designed for use in herbicide-tolerant crops:

- SureStart™ herbicide is a broad-spectrum, soil-applied herbicide that has been designed and labeled for use only in herbicide-tolerant corn, such as Roundup Ready® corn.
- Durango® DMA® herbicide contains a new third-generation glyphosate salt that delivers ease of handling and consistent, proven, broad-spectrum weed control.
- Sonic™ herbicide contains two unique modes of action for broad-spectrum foundation control of broadleaf weeds in Roundup Ready soybeans.

Also on display in Dow AgroSciences field plots will be the latest hybrids from Mycogen Seeds, including both grain corn and Silage-Specific™ hybrids; HERCULEX® XTRA Insect Protection technology; and the company’s industry-leading healthier oils lineup.

Data Shows This Next-Generation Technology Will Deliver A 7 To 11 Percent Yield Advantage For Soybean Farmers

ST. LOUIS (July 31, 2007) - Roundup RReady2Yield(tm) soybean, a next generation of Roundup Ready® soybean with an improved yield benefit, has completed the regulatory process in the United States and Canada, Monsanto Company announced today. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have all granted approvals, completing the final step in each country’s regulatory process. These approvals mark an important step forward bringing this next-generation technology one step closer to farmers’ fields.

Although approvals to plant the improved soybean seeds have been granted, Monsanto, in keeping with its stewardship pledge, does not intend to commercialize the product until key soybean importing countries with functioning regulatory systems have granted import approvals. Monsanto has submitted regulatory filings and is currently awaiting approvals from key soybean export markets. The company anticipates a commercial launch prior to the end of the decade, once appropriate import authorizations are obtained.

“We are always looking for new products that provide value and benefit to growers, and we eagerly anticipate bringing a substantial yield benefit to the Roundup Ready system that growers have embraced over the past 11 years,” said Ernesto Fajardo, Vice President of U.S. Crop Production for Monsanto. “In addition to the simple, dependable, flexible and reliable weed control and crop safety benefits provided by the Roundup Ready system, growers will be able to improve their bottom line by producing more bushels per acre.”

Three years of field comparisons have demonstrated that Roundup RReady2Yield soybeans show a 7 to 11 percent yield advantage over a comparable first-generation Roundup Ready line. In addition, data collected during the first year of large-scale breeding comparisons representing more than 15,000 lines and hundreds of genetic backgrounds showed performance of Roundup RReady2Yield soybean lines within the 7 to 11 percent range of increase over comparable Roundup Ready lines in the same development phase. This improved product produces the same protein that has allowed soybean growers to use Roundup® agricultural herbicides over the top of their Roundup Ready soybeans and will continue to provide the simple, dependable and flexible weed control and crop safety that growers expect from Monsanto’s Roundup Ready system.

Roundup RReady2Yield soybeans represent an important base from which Monsanto will introduce its portfolio of next-generation technologies in soybeans - including dicamba tolerant and intrinsic yield soybeans. Monsanto’s research in both breeding and biotechnology, including technologies like Roundup RReady2Yield, highlights one way the company is supporting U.S. farmers as they meet the world’s growing demand for food, feed and fuel.

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Over the last two decades, Monsanto scientists have focused on researching and delivering meaningful products to our farmer customers and the broader soybean value chain. Monsanto invests more than $700 million annually to identify and develop new solutions for growers. For more information, please visit http://www.monsanto.com.

Request nutrient profile when evaluating potential value of product
DES MOINES, Iowa, August 1, 2007 - The rapid expansion of the ethanol industry has greatly increased the volume of distiller’s grains available for livestock feed. Nutritionists with Pioneer Hi-Bred suggest feeding distiller’s grains for high protein and fat values, but keeping a close eye on sulfur and phosphorous content in grain.

“The industry is reporting that 75 percent to 80 percent of the distiller co-products are fed to dairy and beef cattle,” says Steve Soderlund, Pioneer beef nutrition manager. “When evaluating the potential value of these products, make sure you request a nutrient profile from the plant. Consider how these products complement your existing feeding program.”

Soderlund adds that one of the biggest factors in determining the nutrient content of the distiller co-products is the grain source used by the ethanol plant.

“In comparison to corn, if the plant is using sorghum as a primary grain source, expect to see higher protein levels, but a lower fat level,” says Soderlund.

Feeding distiller’s grains

University beef cattle feeding trials have found the energy values of distiller’s grain can be as much as 9 percent better than corn. Soderlund says this is due primarily to the fat content in the product which is 2.25 to 2.5 times the caloric density of starch. Most distiller’s grains contain between 10 percent to 12 percent fat and 24 percent to 30 percent protein.

“Including distiller’s grains at 15 percent to 20 percent of the dry matter in a beef finishing ration generally will meet the protein requirements and contribute to the energy needs of the cattle,” says Soderlund. “In forage-based diets for beef cows, distiller’s grains can be used as a source of supplemental protein and energy. The amount fed depends on the desired performance and nutrient content of the forage.”

Be aware of two potential mineral concerns, sulfur and phosphorus, when feeding distiller’s grains to feedlot cattle. Keep sulfur content to less than 0.4 percent of the dry matter intake from all sources, including water. Polioencephlemalacia - a disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle - can result from elevated sulfur levels. In addition, phosphorous levels should be monitored. The phosphorous content typically will be three times higher in distiller grains than in corn grain.

“Unless very high levels of calcium are supplemented, an unfavorable calcium-to-phosphorous ratio may develop,” says Soderlund. “Urinary calculi - water belly - can develop in feedlot steers under these conditions. Keep the calcium-to-phosphorous ratio between 1-1 to 1.5-1.”

Distiller’s grains will be used primarily as a protein and fat source in dairy rations, which generally limits its inclusion rate to less than 10 percent of the diet. However, university tests have shown that distiller grains can be fed at up to 20 percent of the ration when feeding higher forage levels.

“Dairy producers need to pay close attention to the amount of effective fiber in the diet,” notes Soderlund. “Even though distiller grains contain a relatively high level of neutral detergent fiber, the fiber is very fine and will not maintain good rumination.”

Traditional ethanol co-products

There are several different distiller feed products produced by the ethanol industry. The highest-volume product is distiller’s grains, which primarily contains unfermented grain residues - protein, fiber and fat. The remaining fraction is called thin stillage which contains yeast cells, soluble nutrients and very small corn particles.

“Most large distilleries have the capability to dry their distiller’s grains - DDG,” says Soderlund. “The thin stillage is concentrated to a molasses-like consistency to form condensed distiller’s solubles (CDS). The CDS product can be sold directly to liquid feed manufacturers or dried and placed back on the DDG to produce distiller’s grains plus soluble (DDGS).”

While the majority of distiller’s grain produced in the upper Midwest is sold as DDGS, a high percentage produced in the High Plains is fed as wet distiller’s grain (WDG) locally - reducing energy costs associated with drying. WDG needs to be fed within four to five days before warm weather causes significant spoilage.

Future co-products

Pioneer is developing genetics that not only yield higher ethanol but also produce co-products with higher nutritional value. Strategies to improve the amino acid profile, lower fiber content, lower phosphorus content and improve fatty acid profiles are all being explored.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world’s leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

Trimble, along with Kunau Implement of DeWitt, Iowa, celebrated the 120 millionth acre (48 millionth hectare) of Trimble AgGPS® RTK network coverage in North America at the Kunau GPS field day August 2. Left to right: Kunau customers Mart Connell and Chris Bowman, Trimble Prairie Regional Manager Matt Hesse, Kunau GPS Specialist Rodney Bratthauer and Todd Kunau, sales manager of the Case-IH dealership. Kunau Implement owns and operates the SIGNAL RTK network in eastern Iowa.

An RTK network is a series of RTK (Real Time Kinematic) base stations and repeaters that broadcast continuous GPS correction signals for automated steering with +/- 1-inch repeatable accuracy. In North America, more than 40 such networks are equipped with Trimble AgGPS RTK systems. An individual 100 foot (31 meter) tower such as the one above covers an average of 100,000-120,000 acres (40,000-48,000 hectares). Most RTK networks are owned and operated by independent agricultural retailers.