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Monsanto Discovery Tour Highlights New Technologies, Yield-Enhancing Agronomic Practices at The 2008 Farm Progress Show

Boone, Iowa (Aug. 28, 2008) – Farmers attending the 2008 Farm Progress Show can preview the future of agriculture by participating in Monsanto’s unique Discovery Tour.

Guided tours of the Discovery Tour demonstration plots will highlight Monsanto’s corn and soybean breeding programs, exciting new biotechnology products and agronomic practices that can help farmers increase their productivity and yields.

“As a company 100 percent focused on agriculture, Monsanto invests nearly $800 million annually – or more than $2 million a day – to identify and develop new solutions to help keep farmers at the forefront of a competitive global market,” says Dr. Robb Fraley, Monsanto’s Chief Technology Officer. “Our Discovery Tour will provide the opportunity for Farm Progress attendees to see firsthand many of the innovative technologies Monsanto scientists are developing that reflect our commitment to them and to the future of agriculture.”

The Discovery Tour demonstration plots include:

  • Advances in corn and soybean breeding, focusing on Monsanto’s global germplasm base, marker-assisted breeding and trait integration process, in bringing new high-performing products to market.

  • Drought tolerant corn, which is designed to enhance yield stability under water limiting conditions.

  • New Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybeans, which offer the same flexible, dependable weed control as first-generation Roundup Ready® soybeans, but with higher yield potential. A controlled commercial release of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans is planned on 2 million acres for 2009.

  • YieldGard VT Triple PRO™, a new triple-stack technology which offers the first ever dual mode of action for above ground insect protection. It provides broad- spectrum control of target pests, including corn borer, fall armyworm and corn earworm, resulting in higher yield potential and improved grain quality. Its dual mode of action permits a refuge reduction from 50 percent to 20 percent in the South, and also offers the potential for a reduced refuge requirement in the northern Corn Belt. Pending appropriate import approvals, YieldGard VT Triple PRO is expected to be commercially available to U.S. farmers for planting in 2009.

  • SmartStax™, which will provide the industry’s best-performing corn trait package of above- and below-ground protection with herbicide tolerance and insect protection traits. Scheduled for introduction in 2010, pending regulatory approvals, it combines eight independent genes in multiple traits to provide season-long yield protection for above and below ground insect control and weed protection, while also maximizing productivity due to the potential for decreased refuge requirements.

  • A stress mitigation tent that demonstrates a corn plant’s ability to reduce the impact of environmental factors – such as weed, insect and dry weather stress – by incorporating biotech traits. As more stress-reducing traits are added, corn plants can achieve more yield potential.

  • Plant population plots demonstrating how corn hybrids with the latest genetics and biotech traits promote better plant health and standability, making it possible for farmers to successfully increase their seeding rates to realize higher yield and profit potential.

  • Soybean quality traits that enable farmers to support healthier diets for consumers, including Vistive™ III, which provides oil with low saturated fat, low trans fat and improved stability, and omega-3 soybeans, which produce oil with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, typically found in fish.

  • Dicamba tolerant soybeans, which offer an additional herbicide system for use on tough-to-control broadleaf weeds and as a resistance management tool.

Dr. Fraley notes that Monsanto’s drive for constant innovation is also rooted in the company’s strong commitment to sustainability. “Today, agriculture faces both tremendous challenges and amazing opportunities to meet the world’s growing demand for food, fiber and energy – while at the same time using fewer natural resources and reducing its overall impact on the environment. To do our part as a leader in the industry, Monsanto has pledged to help farmers produce more and conserve more,” he explains.

Many of the technologies on the Discovery Tour support Monsanto’s commitment to develop seeds by the year 2030 that will double average U.S. yields in corn, soybeans and cotton – while also conserving by one-third the key resources need to grow those crops.

Monsanto’s pipeline products, including SmartStax™, are not approved for sale or distribution. SmartStax has not been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Monsanto is not promoting or offering these products for sale. It is a violation of federal law to promote any unregistered use. Information about these products is provided for educational purposes only. Commercialization of products is dependent on multiple factors, including the successful conclusion of the regulatory process.

IMPORTANT: Grain Marketing and Seed Availability: YieldGard VT Triple PRO™ has received the necessary approvals in the United States, however, as of 07/30/08, approvals have not been received in certain major corn export markets. YieldGard VT Triple PRO will not be launched and seed will not be available until after import approvals are received in appropriate major corn export markets. When launched, YieldGard VT Triple PRO will bear the Market Choices mark, indicating the need to find a market for the crop that will not ship the grain or its processed products to Europe. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Other stewardship requirements may apply; consult with your seed representative for current stewardship information.

B.t. traited products may not be registered in all states. Check with your seed representative for the registration status in your state.

When Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans are made available for commercial release and use, they will be subject to Monsanto Company’s comprehensive stewardship plans consistent with its Stewardship Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean seed and any product of a Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean seed or crop can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted.

Always read and follow pesticide label directions, and follow grain marketing and insect resistance management requirements. Roundup Ready® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup agricultural herbicides. Roundup® agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not glyphosate tolerant. Roundup®, Roundup Ready®, YieldGard VT Triple PRO™, Vistive™ III, SmartStax™ and Roundup Ready 2 Yield® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. ©2008 Monsanto Company.