New Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System To Extend Weed Control and Maximize Yield

ST. LOUIS, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) today unveiled its new Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System, which is designed to provide farmers with more consistent, flexible control of weeds, especially tough-to-manage and glyphosate-resistant weeds to maximize crop yield potential.

Pending regulatory approvals, this advanced system is expected to be available to U.S. farmers for the 2014 growing season, consisting of an innovative new soybean trait solution and a next-generation herbicide formulation.

• Roundup Ready® 2 Xtend is Monsanto's newest Genuity® soybean trait that includes tolerance to dicamba.  This trait will also be stacked with the current Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybean trait technology, which offers farmers the highest yield opportunity with more beans per pod and more bushels per acre.  Roundup Ready 2 Xtend will be the industry's first biotech-stacked traits in soybeans, offering tolerance to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, once approved.  
• Roundup® Xtend is an enhanced dicamba and glyphosate herbicide premix that will enable farmers to manage weeds before planting and as an over-the-top-option during the season in conjunction with Roundup Ready Xtend crops.  With dual modes of action, this low-volatility formulation will give farmers additional choice for broad control of glyphosate-resistant and tough-to-control broadleaf weeds and extend application and planting flexibility, as well as the window for post-emergence applications.

The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System will be an integral component of Monsanto's Roundup Ready PLUS™ Weed Management Solutions platform.  Roundup Ready PLUS offers weed management recommendations that are developed in conjunction with leading academics, agronomists and other industry partners for control of tough weeds.  The recommendations focus on multiple modes of action, including the use of pre-emergence applied residual herbicides in combinations with Roundup® agricultural herbicides.  Roundup Ready PLUS also offers financial incentives to help farmers offset the cost of using qualifying residual herbicides. 

"Today, Roundup Ready PLUS™ provides farmers with solutions for effective weed control.  The Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System is designed to offer future solutions and choice within Roundup Ready PLUS. It represents another step forward in empowering farmers to optimize yield through effective and economical weed control," said Matt Helms, Monsanto's U.S. Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System Launch Lead.

"Monsanto's introduction of this new crop system will be another tool for a farmer's weed control program, both for those dealing with glyphosate-resistant weeds and those who are trying to minimize the risk of developing resistant weeds," said Johnny Dodson, a Halls, Tenn., farmer who is past president of the American Soybean Association.  "Dicamba is a mode of action that has not been available to soybean producers as an in-crop herbicide.  The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System will give them additional choice to help grow high-quality, clean, high-yielding crops."  

Once approved, the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System will be available in all Monsanto soybean brands, and broadly licensed to independent seed companies.  Although soybean farmers will have first access to Roundup Ready Xtend crops and Roundup Xtend herbicide, Monsanto also plans to have a follow-up introduction for cotton with Bollgard II® RR® Xtend with LibertyLink®. In addition to glyphosate tolerance, this Genuity® cotton product would provide growers with dicamba and glufosinate tolerance, pending regulatory approvals.   

Monsanto Company and BASF have been collaborating on the advancement of next generation low-volatility herbicide technology to be used in the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop Systems. 

For more information, farmers can visit www.RoundupReadyPLUS.com.

About Monsanto Company

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy. To learn more about our business and our commitments, please visit: www.monsanto.com.  Follow our business on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/MonsantoNews, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows at www.monsantoblog.com, or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

Certain statements contained in this release are "forward-looking statements," such as statements concerning the company's anticipated financial results, current and future product performance, regulatory approvals, business and financial plans and other non-historical facts. These statements are based on current expectations and currently available information. However, since these statements are based on factors that involve risks and uncertainties, the company's actual performance and results may differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among others: continued competition in seeds, traits and agricultural chemicals; the company's exposure to various contingencies, including those related to intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance and the speed with which approvals are received, and public acceptance of biotechnology products; the success of the company's research and development activities; the outcomes of major lawsuits and the previously-announced SEC investigation; the previously reported material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting; developments related to foreign currencies and economies; successful operation of recent acquisitions; fluctuations in commodity prices; compliance with regulations affecting our manufacturing; the accuracy of the company's estimates related to distribution inventory levels; the company's ability to fund its short-term financing needs and to obtain payment for the products that it sells; the effect of weather conditions, natural disasters and accidents on the agriculture business or the company's facilities; and other risks and factors detailed in the company's most recent Form 10-K Report to the SEC. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this release. The company disclaims any current intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements or any of the factors that may affect actual results.

The product concept information provided herein is for educational and technical purposes only. It is not promotion of or the offer of sale. This project is a part of Monsanto's research pipeline and has not been commercialized. Commercialization will be dependent on many factors including successful conclusion of the regulatory process. Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto's Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product 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. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Contact | John Combest (314) 694-6751

SOURCE Monsanto Company

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