U.S. Agriculture

Dow AgroSciences Receives Two FinOvation Awards

Indianapolis, IN - February 11, 2009

Two Dow AgroSciences products - SmartStax™ and INSTINCT™ nitrogen stabilizer - have received 2009 FinOvation Awards. Presented by Farm Industry News magazine, FinOvation Awards are based on the reader response to new products featured in the magazine or on the Web site during the past year. In 2008, SmartStax ranked first and INSTINCT ranked third among the 10 FinOvation Award winners.

SmartStax, a new corn trait combination that is expected to be available for 2010 planting, is being jointly developed in a collaboration between Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto. Built to take corn yields to the next level, SmartStax will combine the Bt events from HERCULEX® Insect Protection and YieldGard® to offer multiple modes of action for above- and below-ground insect control. The result will be the broadest spectrum in-plant insect control along with refuge requirements that are expected to be much smaller than those required for current Bt products.

"It's exciting to win this award as we're gearing up for the full-scale launch of SmartStax," says Brent Stauffacher, product manager for Dow AgroSciences. "The fact that growers expressed such an overwhelming interest in SmartStax technology reinforces the mission of Dow AgroSciences to provide growers with the latest technology to protect their yields and benefit their operations."

INSTINCT nitrogen stabilizer is a new nitrogen management tool for use with urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and manure. The product works by delaying the conversion of nitrogen from the ammonium form to the nitrate form and helps reduce nitrogen loss due to leaching and denitrification. INSTINCT is currently registered for use in Iowa under a Section 24(c) Special Local Need Registration. U.S. EPA registration of the product is expected in late 2009.

"The fact that INSTINCT won a 2009 FinOvation Award before the product is on the shelves shows that growers understand the importance of nitrogen management and are eager for new tools to help them protect fertilizer investments," says Andrew Simeonidis, Dow AgroSciences product manager.

Dow AgroSciences has received three FinOvation Awards in the past two years. In addition to SmartStax and INSTINCT, Dow AgroSciences also received a 2008 FinOvation Award for SureStart® herbicide, a foundation herbicide that helps maximize yields in Roundup Ready® corn.

For 30 years, Farm Industry News has presented FinOvation Awards, formerly known as Readers' Choice Awards, to products in multiple agricultural categories, including crop chemicals, machinery, seed technology, transportation, shop equipment and livestock.

®™HERCULEX, INSTINCT and SureStart are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC
®™SmartStax, YieldGard and Roundup Ready are trademarks of Monsanto Company. SmartStax is not yet registered for sale or use. U.S. EPA registration of SmartStax is anticipated by 2010. This is not an offer for sale.
INSTINCT nitrogen stabilizer has not yet received U.S. EPA registration, which is anticipated in 2009. This is not an offer for sale. INSTINCT is registered under the FIFRA section 24(c) only for sale and use in the state of Iowa.
SureStart is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state.
Always read and follow label directions.

HERCULEX Insect Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred.


For Editorial Information:

Kylee Swyers
Dow AgroSciences LLC
(317) 337-4776
kjswyers@dow.com