Dow AgroSciences submits new soybean herbicide tolerance trait for USDA review

Dow AgroSciences new herbicide tolerant soybean event, the second product incorporating an exciting new family of herbicide tolerance traits has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the company announced. This new family of traits developed by Dow AgroSciences provides superior weed control by partnering with and improving leading weed control systems to offer growers unsurpassed flexibility, convenience, and value.

Submission of the soybean event for USDA review and deregulation puts the new Dow AgroSciences herbicide tolerant trait technology on schedule for its planned U.S. introduction. The soybean event submission follows closely behind the corn event submission which was made in August. This superior new weed control technology will be available in elite germplasm and stacked with industry leading traits, offering a single, powerful technology that growers can use across their entire operations.

"Growers will continue to farm the way they want with our new herbicide tolerant trait technology, but with improved weed control capabilities and performance,” said Tom Wiltrout, global seeds, traits and oils strategy leader for Dow AgroSciences. “This system is designed to provide broader-spectrum control of hard-to-control and glyphosate-resistant weeds.”

The Dow AgroSciences herbicide tolerance trait package for soybeans conveys tolerance to the broadleaf phenoxy auxin herbicide 2,4-D. This trait package will be stacked with other traits offering tolerance to glyphosate providing growers superior weed control with herbicide solutions they are familiar with and have grown to trust.

Dow AgroSciences new herbicide tolerant trait technology also provides greater flexibility in 2,4-D use, allowing planting immediately after application as compared to the delays required under current labeling. This technology also offers greater reliability and faster elimination of weed competition.

This USDA submission follows a recent announcement by Dow AgroSciences and DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred that they have entered into a commercial cross-licensing agreement that will enable the two companies to deliver expanded herbicide-tolerant soybean options to farmers in the next decade.

"Dow AgroSciences is licensing non-exclusively its proprietary herbicide tolerant trait technology for soybeans to Pioneer,” added Wiltrout. “Both companies have given the other rights to stack additional traits with their respective technology.”

Dow AgroSciences has a long history of developing advanced agricultural technologies, offering growers a greater choice of crop production products, such as the HERCULEX® family of insect protection traits for corn, new SmartStax™ corn hybrids to be launched in 2010, and the Technology for Traits™ portfolio of herbicides designed for use with enhanced agronomic traits.

About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the worlds growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.