DuPont Meets Regulatory Milestones for Optimum™ GAT™ Trait in Corn

Company Stays on Track for 2010 Commercial Introduction of Next-Generation Herbicide Tolerance Trait in Corn

DES MOINES, Iowa,- DuPont today announced that it has completed regulatory submissions for its Optimum™ GAT™ trait in corn to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The company also announced it is on track to complete its submission to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency later this year.

“We are excited about the strong progress we are making to bring the Optimum GAT trait closer to market,” said Erik Fyrwald, group vice president - DuPont Agriculture & Nutrition. “After completing U.S. regulatory submissions for the trait in soybeans in 2006, we are now meeting our regulatory milestones for the trait in corn. This keeps us on track for commercial introduction of the Optimum GAT trait in soybeans in 2009 and in corn in 2010.”

The Optimum GAT trait will give growers a new and better choice in glyphosate-tolerant corn seed that maximizes yield potential, improves crop safety and expands weed control options. According to the U.S.D.A., of the 157 million acres of corn and soybeans planted in the U.S., 52 percent of corn acres and 91 percent of soybean acres are herbicide resistant.

“Industry-leading Pioneer corn genetics with the Optimum GAT trait will provide farmers a new choice to maximize yield and productivity while allowing new weed control options. As world demand for corn production continues to grow, flexibility and increased productivity for growers becomes even more important,” said Fyrwald.

In addition to maximizing growers’ yield potential and providing unsurpassed glyphosate tolerance, this next-generation herbicide-tolerant trait was created to provide farmers with new weed control options. This includes the ability to incorporate complementary ALS herbicides offered by DuPont Crop Protection into a glyphosate program, giving growers longer lasting, broader spectrum weed control under more conditions than ever before.

The Optimum GAT trait is a proprietary trait with herbicide tolerance that DuPont plans to commercialize first in soybeans by 2009, pending regulatory approval. The company completed U.S. regulatory submissions for approval of the trait in soybeans in 2006. DuPont also plans to commercialize the trait in other crops.

The Optimum GAT trait is the first-ever agricultural trait developed through proprietary DuPont gene shuffling technology.

The Optimum GAT trait is licensed to Syngenta for use in corn and soybeans. It will also be cross-licensed through GreenLeaf Genetics, a joint venture between Syngenta Seeds and Pioneer to out-license genetics and seed technology to other U.S. and Canadian seed companies.