Monsanto's R&D Pipeline Set to Deliver Valuable Products to Farmers Well Into N...( ST. LOUIS Jan. 8 /- Substantial p...)

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Substantial progress and momentum behind its research-and-development (R&D) pipeline has Monsanto (NYSE: MON) poised to deliver several new blockbuster products to farmers by 2012, company leaders will tell investors today. The remarks will come as part of a series of presentations on the company's R&D pipeline in New York and Boston.

"It's rewarding to see such innovation in the pipeline right now," said Steve Padgette, vice president of biotechnology for Monsanto. "This is the most progress I've seen in my 23 years at the company. Our data demonstrates these cutting-edge innovations can deliver new value to farmers well into the next decade."

As part of the presentations, scheduled over the next two days, Padgette will discuss the progress and momentum behind a number of key projects in the R&D pipeline. Key highlights include:
-- YieldGard VT PRO, one of the primary components of SmartStax

technology, is primed to offer farmers a broader spectrum of insect

control and improved durability when compared with the company's

first-generation corn borer offering. The second-generation corn borer

technology is in Phase IV of the company's R&D pipeline and currently

awaiting regulatory approvals.

-- YieldGard Rootworm III is designed to provide two modes of action for

improved spectrum control and enhanced durability against the corn

rootworm pest. The technology incorporates cutting-edge RNA

interference (RNAi) technology and novel protein identification. RNAi

is a mechanism used naturally by cells to regulate gene expression. By

harnessing this natural machinery, RNAi technology c
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