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Bayer CropScience signs research agreement with the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research


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Innovative technologies increase the oil yield of canola

Monheim – Bayer CropScience and the German Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) have entered into a research agreement to develop genetically modified, high-yielding canola hybrids. Bayer CropScience’s aim is to incorporate the innovations that are developed in Gatersleben close to Magdeburg into its InVigor® Canola seed business in North America, and to develop global oilseed rape products for markets in which there is high demand for healthy, high-quality oils.

“We are delighted to be working with a strong partner like the IPK to develop innovative solutions which will meet the growing industrial demand for vegetable oils,” said Dr. Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, Head of BioScience Research at Bayer CropScience. “This will open up new market opportunities for our customers. The company has already set new yield standards with InVigor® and intends to further expand its role as an innovation leader in Canola.”

“This collaboration with a global company like Bayer CropScience demonstrates that our research is also attracting international attention outside the scientific community,” commented Professor Andreas Graner, Managing Director of the IPK in Gatersleben. “The use of findings from basic research carried out at the IPK to breed improved agricultural crop plants is a major contribution towards safeguarding the food supply in the long term and providing renewable raw materials.”

Canola, a Canadian oilseed rape, is one of the most important crops for producing vegetable oils. Its oil is used in the food industry and as a raw material from which biodiesel can be obtained. The oil content of conventional Canola is around 45 percent. The cooperation partners believe that there is potential for increasing the oil content by means of plant biotechnology.

Bayer CropScience is the market leader in North America with its high-yield InVigor® hybrid canola varieties. The company plans to further grow its business in canola seed and improved traits, for example, by expanding regionally into new geographical markets and by boosting research and development spending in order to exploit future growth opportunities.

About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 5.8 billion (2007), is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 17,800 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.newsroom.bayercropscience.com

About the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research
The Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben is a non-university research centre funded by the federal and regional government. It is a member of the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, an association of 86 research institutions in Germany. The IPK in Gatersleben is an internationally renowned plant research center which works on problems in modern biology by focusing on crop plants. Basic and application-oriented, interdisciplinary research seeks to collect new knowledge and to find new technologies aimed at the extensive use of plant genetic resources for optimized nutrient production and more environmentally friendly agriculture. There are currently some 500 people from 20 countries working at the IPK. More information can be found on the IPK website at www.ipk-gatersleben.de

More information is available at www.bayercropscience.com


Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those described in Bayer’s published reports. These reports are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.



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