West Bend, Wisconsin
August 6, 2009

Dairyland Seed recently unveiled its plan to bring six new SmartStax™ hybrids to American farms in 2010 after SmartStax received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 20, 2009. Commercial introduction is on track for the 2010 U.S. crop season.

SmartStax is the industry’s most advanced, all–in–one corn trait platform that provides farmers the broadest spectrum of above-ground and below-ground insect control. It combines industry-leading corn traits from both Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto.

In addition to improved insect control, using SmartStax will allow producers to plant 5 percent refuge acres in most areas compared with the normal 20 percent for insect resistance management.

“We have heard many concerns about reduced yields on refuge acres and SmartStax will allow producers to maximize their yields by reducing those refuge acres by 75 percent,” said T.J. Strachota, Marketing Specialist for Dairyland Seed.

Dairyland Sales Leader Gary Leeper added, “Our hybrids will range from 86 to 110 day maturity. In addition to our Stealth grain hybrids we will be producing one HiD.F. silage hybrid.”

The key to the success of SmartStax is the strength of the genetics carrying the technologies.

“At Dairyland we had already expanded both our genetic offerings and our trait offerings for the 2010 planting season – all with a focus on yield improvement,” said Tom Strachota, General Manager for Dairyland. “We’re excited to have SmartStax traits into our most elite germplasm,”

SmartStax™ is the outcome of a cross-licensing agreement and a research collaboration agreement signed in 2007 between Dow AgroSciences LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and Monsanto Company.

Dairyland Seed began its seed business in 1907 and has built an established dealer network throughout the Upper Midwest, with international sales in more than 20 countries. The business experienced great success under the leadership of Orville and Marie Strachota, entering the field of plant breeding in 1977. Now a seed affiliate of Dow AgroSciences, the family leadership continues through son Tom and grandson T.J. Primary research locations are located in Clinton, Wisconsin; Gibson City, Illinois; Otterbein, Indiana; Gilbert, Iowa; and Sloughhouse, California, with plant breeding programs in hybrid corn, hybrid alfalfa and soybeans. Dairyland is headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin.

SmartStax ™ multi-event technology developed by Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto.
®™SmartStax and the SmartStax Logo are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC.

Website: http://www.dairylandseed.com

Published: August 6, 2009