Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced  its decision to deregulate Monsanto's dicamba-tolerant trait technologies—Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans and Bollgard II^® XtendFlex™ cotton. USDA indicated that its decision will be published in the Federal Register in the near future. These weed management solutions will provide farmers with more consistent, flexible control of tough-to-manage broadleaf weeds.

"This announcement marks an important milestone for farmers around the world," said Robb Fraley, Ph.D., Monsanto's chief technology officer. "Weeds represent a key pest to agriculture operations around the world and limit crops of much-needed nutrients, sunlight and access to available water resources. We're excited to provide additional tools that can help improve efficiencies on farm and support farmers in bringing more food to harvest for consumers."

Monsanto has been working diligently over the last ten years to develop the Roundup Ready^® Xtend Crop System and bring it to market. "The dedication, effort and number of people that have touched this project has been extraordinary, and demonstrates our continued commitment to bring a range of agriculture solutions to farmers—including game-changing traits like Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton," Fraley added.

To prepare for commercialization and to further enhance growers' experience with the technology, Monsanto trained more than 7,500 growers, retail partners and stakeholders on weed management.

Commercial intentions will be announced in the near future.

For more information about the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, visit www.XtendCropSystem.com.