PhytoGen Welcomes New Full-maturity Cotton Breeder to Research Team

Dr. Joe Johnson aims to develop high-quality, high-yielding cotton

Indianapolis, IN - June 16, 2009

Dow AgroSciences announces that Dr. Joe Johnson has joined its PhytoGen cottonseed research team as a full-season cotton breeder. The addition of Johnson signifies the company's commitment to improving the cotton industry and building the PhytoGen^® brand.

Johnson, who holds a doctorate in agronomy from Mississippi State University, will assume responsibility for the full-maturity variety development project for PhytoGen. He will now spearhead research and breeding of full-season cotton varieties best-suited for the Southern and Southeastern states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and southern Mississippi.

"My goal is to develop the highest-quality, highest-yielding varieties appropriate for this market," Johnson says. "I consider myself to be producer-oriented in developing cotton varieties. Coming from a farm background, I try to keep that in mind and work to create adaptable, performance-driven varieties."

Prior to starting at Dow AgroSciences, Johnson was cotton breeder and station manager for Bayer Cotton Seed International. Previously, Johnson worked for Monsanto in its Cotton Trait Development group and the USDA Agricultural Research Service, where he specialized in the genetics of yield components and fiber quality in cotton.

Johnson's hiring comes nearly a year after Dow AgroSciences purchased a 225-acre research station in Leland, Miss. That acquisition, along with the hiring of Johnson, broadens PhytoGen research and breeding programs to better serve cotton growers. Johnson's predecessor, Frank Bordelon, is transitioning to a newly created corn product development role at the station.

Johnson has resided in Leland for the past six years with his wife and two children and has grown to love the area. "PhytoGen offered me the opportunity to stay here and continue to work in cotton breeding," he says. "This is home now."

For more information about PhytoGen, visit www.PhytoGenYields.com.

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 world's 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.

For Editorial Information:

Amanda Powell
Bader Rutter & Associates
(770) 356-1480
apowell@bader-rutter.com

Brett Garrard
Dow AgroSciences LLC
(317) 337-4803
brett@dow.com