Syngenta's Touchdown Assurance Plan (TAP) reduces growers' financial risk and lets them make the best agronomic choices for their farm. They may purchase any brand of seed from the dealer they choose and the Touchdown Assurance Plan will protect their crop investment.

Syngenta Crop Protection, makers of Touchdown Total(TM), the state-of-the-art, highly concentrated potassium glyphosate, today announced new, expanded benefits under the Touchdown Assurance Plan (TAP). The new TAP provides comprehensive product warranties for growers who choose Touchdown Total for their Roundup Ready(R) [RR(TM)] weed control program.

Touchdown Total, with an easy-use rate of 24-ounces per acre, is registered for use in 2004 for over-the-top applications on RR soybeans, RR cotton and RR corn.

The Touchdown Assurance Plan covers all brands of RR soybeans, RR cotton and RR corn. The enhanced 2004 TAP provides three new benefits to help farmers protect their crop investment.

• Capped Cost Weed Control for No-Till RR Soybeans: No-till growers who raise RR soybeans can rest assured; their herbicide investment is protected against unexpected weed flushes.
• Weed Control Cost-share for Conventional-Till RR Soybeans: This benefit protects conventional-tillage growers who start with a clean field and choose to apply a residual herbicide, such as Dual MAGNUM(R) or Boundary(R); and follow with Touchdown Total as their exclusive glyphosate brand.
• Crop Safety Warranty: Touchdown Total is more than just a high performance glyphosate herbicide. Syngenta protects a grower's seed investment by offering the Touchdown Total Crop Safety Warranty for over-the-top applications in RR crops.

In addition, growers receive these other important new 2004 TAP benefits: a 30-minute rainfast warranty, Touchdown Total warranty, volunteer RR corn cost-share allowance, RR corn capped cost weed control program, YieldGard(R) corn borer value refund, replant burndown refund, including Gramoxone Max(TM) or Expert(R), trait investment refund, trait replant and trait crop loss refunds.

The Touchdown(R) brand herbicide portfolio has been expanded for the 2004 season, delivering a more extensive product offering to meet specific grower needs. Touchdown Total is the new, highly concentrated glyphosate herbicide with IQ Technology(TM) and carries the most comprehensive TAP warranties. Growers may also choose Touchdown IQ(TM), a more economical alternative formulation that carries a limited assurance coverage in the TAP package.

"It is increasingly important to provide herbicide and production risk assurance options for U.S. corn and soybean growers, especially when it comes to letting them make the right choice for their farm," said Corey Huck, Syngenta's brand manager for Touchdown. "Not only are we protecting their investment in the RR seed technology, but we're also giving growers more options to control problem weeds by allowing the use of other herbicides in addition to Touchdown, including pre-emergence herbicides and post-emergence tankmixes. In addition, TAP covers all brands of RR soybean and RR corn seed. These two features are unique to Syngenta's TAP offering."

The Northern Version TAP applies to growers in: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin and Wyoming (see sidebar for details).

Growers who use Touchdown Total as their exclusive glyphosate brand over RR crops are automatically enrolled in the Touchdown Assurance Plan. TAP reduces production risk in five important ways:

• 1. Trait technology protection: Upon qualifying for the Touchdown Assurance Plan, if more than 10 acres of RR soybean or RR corn are destroyed by unfavorable weather conditions within 60 days of planting, growers can qualify for a trait refund based upon the type of technology they plant.
   
• 2. Replant burndown replacement: If Touchdown Total, Touchdown IQ, Gramoxone Max or Expert* (registered for corn only) brand herbicides were applied as a burndown to the RR soybean or RR corn field(s) in which crop loss occurred, Syngenta will provide up to 17 ounces of Touchdown Total toward re-treatment on replanted acres. To qualify, the field(s) must require a burndown re-treatment prior to replanting of RR soybeans and RR corn.
   
• 3. RR volunteer corn: If you rotated to RR soybeans from RR corn in 2004 and discover a RR corn flush, you qualify for an approved Syngenta product, such as Fusion(R) or Fusilade(R) DX.
   
• 4. 30-Minute Rainfast warranty: Apply Touchdown Total and if your field requires re-treatment because of an unexpected rainfall 30 minutes or more after application, you qualify for a re-spray up to your initial use rate.
   
• 5. Touchdown Total Warranty: If you must make an application under less-than-ideal conditions, you will qualify for re-treatment up to your initial use rate, should an unexpected weed flush occur.

For more detailed information about terms and conditions of the 2004 Touchdown Assurance Plan, please contact your local crop protection retailer or Syngenta representative.

Areas covered by Northern Version TAP:

The 2004 Northern Version Touchdown Assurance Plan applies to the following states in their entirety: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

TAP applies to Virginia except those counties listed in parentheses: (Brunswick, Charlotte, Chesapeake, Chesapeake City, Colonial Heights, Danville, Dinwiddie, Emporia, Franklin City, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton City, Isle of Wight, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nansemond, Newport News, Norfolk, Nottoway, Petersburg, Pittsylvania, Portsmouth, Portsmouth City, Prince Edward, Prince George, Princess Ann, South Boston, Southampton, Suffolk, Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach).

TAP applies to Missouri except those counties listed in parentheses: (Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard, Wayne, Dunklin, New Madrid and Pemiscot.)

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2003 were approximately US$ 6.6 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).

Touchdown(R), Touchdown Total(TM), Touchdown IQ(TM), IQ Technology(TM), Boundary(R), Dual MAGNUM(R), Expert(R), Gramoxone Max(TM), Fusilade(R) DX and Fusion(R) are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.