The list of institutions developing CLEARFIELD* wheat varieties continues to grow.

BASF and the Idaho Research Foundation, Inc., the University of Idaho.s commercialization agent, announced today that they have signed a commercial agreement to provide growers with new varieties of herbicide-tolerant CLEARFIELD wheat. The new varieties will be used with the CLEARFIELD Production System for wheat, which was launched in 2002.

The objective of the agreement is to develop various commercial elite varieties of CLEARFIELD wheat through the use of traditional plant-breeding methods, said Bruce Cranfill, BASF market manager for CLEARFIELD wheat.

CLEARFIELD is a unique production system comprised of herbicide-tolerant seed varieties, Beyond. herbicide to manage problem weeds and a stewardship agreement with growers to ensure system sustainability.

Beyond provides wheat growers control of jointed goatgrass, cheat grass, feral rye and other tough grasses, as well as many broadleaf weeds.

.This new agreement with the Idaho Research Foundation continues our efforts to provide the best CLEARFIELD* varieties to growers in the Pacific Northwest,. Cranfill said, noting that BASF and Oregon State University announced a similar development agreement earlier this spring. .We are indebted to the University of Idaho for its involvement in this effort . and we believe that many, many people in the Pacific Northwest wheat industry will realize the benefits very soon..

.Wheat growers stand to benefit from this technology that combines IDO587 with Beyond. herbicide from BASF by allowing them to better use their time, labor and production cost options,. said Alison Nowakowski, IRF.s assistant director. .The foundation is pleased to be a part of the process bringing it to them.

ID0587, a backcross derivative of the Stephens variety, is the first CLEARFIELD wheat variety developed by the University of Idaho. The herbicide-tolerant variety will be released this fall to certified seed producers in the Pacific Northwest.

As with all other CLEARFIELD varieties, growers who plant ID0587 will be required to purchase certified seed each year and follow good stewardship practices. ID0587 has similar characteristics to Stephens, with similar yield advantages and disease and winter hardiness limitations.

ith the new agreement in place, BASF now has commercial CLEARFIELD* wheat agreements with Oregon State University, Colorado Wheat Research Foundation, General Mills, Western Plant Breeders, AgriPro Wheat and the Idaho Research Foundation, Inc.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company, offering its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, coatings systems, dispersions, agricultural products and fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. BASF is an industry leader in sustainable development, including environmental protection, safety and health, and social responsibility. BASF had 2001 sales of $29 billion and employs more than 90,000 people worldwide. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in New York (BF), Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), Paris (BA) and Zurich (BAS). BASF Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. In North America, 2001 sales were $6.9 billion and the company employs approximately 14,000 people. For more information or to subscribe to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

With sales of Euro 3.5 billion in 2001, 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.