BASF and Proseed Inc. announced today that they have signed a commercial agreement to provide growers with new hybrids of herbicide-tolerant CLEARFIELD* sunflower for use in the CLEARFIELD Production System.

The Clearfield Production System for sunflower will be available to growers in 2003, now that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has registered Beyond™ herbicide.

"The primary objective of this agreement is to develop CLEARFIELD sunflowers in elite commercial hybrids through traditional plant-breeding methods," said Bruce Cranfill, CLEARFIELD sunflower market manager for BASF.

The CLEARFIELD Production System for sunflowers is a unique production system comprised of non-GMO herbicide-tolerant sunflower hybrids and Beyond herbicide to manage pigeongrass/foxtail, wild oats, wild mustard, cocklebur and other tough grasses and broadleaf weeds that plague sunflower growers.

"By partnering with Proseed, we have the opportunity to incorporate the outstanding CLEARFIELD* technology into some of the best sunflower hybrids available to growers," Cranfill said. "The CLEARFIELD Production System for sunflower with Beyond^™ herbicide will be a very strong option for growers. Beyond is the only post-emergence herbicide that controls a wide range of both broadleaf and grass weeds in sunflowers."

Proseed, based in Harvey, N.D., is a privately held company specializing in the research, development and marketing of sunflower hybrids and other crop seeds such as canola, corn, and soybeans. Keith Peltier, president/general manager of Proseed, said the company could offer its first CLEARFIELD sunflower hybrids as early as 2004.

"Through this agreement with BASF, we will give growers the opportunity to further increase the value of their crop by combining top-performing sunflower hybrids with superior weed control," Peltier said. "The CLEARFIELD Production System for sunflower will provide growers with superior weed control options versus what they have today."

Thousands of growers have taken advantage of the benefits of the CLEARFIELD Production System in corn, wheat, canola and rice – broad-spectrum, residual weed control that helps growers maximize yield and may decrease the need for tank mixing and repeat applications, Cranfill noted.

As a result of the BASF/Proseed agreement, these same opportunities soon will be available for sunflower growers who buy their seed from Proseed, he added.

Other key components resulting from the agreement are:

• Seed will become available in several sunflower hybrids from Proseed, with significant quantities in 2004.
• A broad range of CLEARFIELD* sunflower hybrids that are commercially competitive throughout key sunflower production areas in the United States will be developed; and
• This development program also may result in licensed sunflower products adaptable to other sunflower-growing regions worldwide.

CLEARFIELD sunflower is one of the key crops in the CLEARFIELD Production System, which combines agronomically advanced seed varieties and hybrids with custom-designed imidazolinone herbicides, resulting in extended weed control and superior farm management benefits.

Other CLEARFIELD Production Systems in the United States include:

• CLEARFIELD wheat and CLEARFIELD canola with BeyondÔ ;
• CLEARFIELD rice with NewpathÔ herbicide; and
• CLEARFIELD corn with LightningÒ herbicide.

CLEARFIELD* sunflower is recognized as non-GMO by international regulators. Globally, BASF and its seed partners offer the broadest portfolio of non-GMO herbicide-tolerant genetics available.

With sales of EUR 3 billion in 2002, BASF’s Agricultural Products division, headquartered in Mount Olive, New Jersey, USA, is a leading supplier and marketer of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Based on its broad experience in R&D, manufacturing, marketing and sales, the vision of BASF’s Agricultural Products division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company, offering its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. Its distinctive approach to integration, known in German as "Verbund," is its strength. It enables BASF to achieve cost leadership and gives the company a competitive advantage. BASF conducts its business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2002, BASF had sales of EUR 32 billion (circa USD 34 billion) and over 89,000 employees worldwide. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com. 

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