Guelph, Ontario
July 18, 2005
Canada’s fastest growing corn brand and the leading soybean
brand have been combined into the
DEKALB®
brand.
Effective immediately, the
First Line® seed brand and all current First Line varieties
will be shifted to the DEKALB brand.
“The DEKALB brand has seen
tremendous growth over the past five years and we believe
the time is right to move our industry leading First Line
soybean varieties to DEKALB to create one powerful brand
that will offer growers their best choice for both corn and
soybean seed products and technology.” says Jamie Rickard,
Marketing Manager for DEKALB brand products.
DEKALB corn sales achieved
considerable growth again in 2004/05 as more and more
growers continue to discover the benefits of its high
yielding genetics and innovative technology. The DEKALB
product line-up includes stacked trait hybrids that combine
the weed control benefits of the Roundup Ready(R) trait and
the pest control benefits of the YieldGard(R) trait. “Much
of this growth has been linked to the excellent field
performance of our hybrids and the commitment of our
dealers. We feel that by incorporating the First Line
varieties into the DEKALB brand we will be able to provide
the best seed and technology offer for growers,” says
Rickard.
With a single brand, sales
programs will be further integrated to provide growers the
maximum benefits of purchasing both DEKALB corn and
soybeans. Operational efficiencies will allow dealers to
serve growers better.
Growers will also see more focused communications around the
benefits of DEKALB products and how they can provide value.
Growers will no longer see the
First Line red ribbon logo on field signs, but the brand’s
commitment to soybean innovation and developing excellent
soybean varieties for Ontario growers will continue under
the DEKALB brand.
“Our research tells us that
many growers were committed to First Line products because
First Line was committed to soybeans. That soybean focus
will continue with DEKALB,” says Rickard. Six new DEKALB
soybean varieties will be introduced for 2006. These
varieties were developed by the same research team led by
Alejandro Hernandez which has been developing new and
innovative First Line varieties, including industry leading
Roundup Ready varieties, for many years.
Monsanto will also
maintain a strong commitment to local testing in Ontario to
develop high yielding DEKALB varieties that perform across a
wide range of growing conditions. DEKALB soybean breeding
efforts will continue to be fuelled by Monsanto’s commitment
to research and development. Monsanto spends about $1.5
million a day on seed and biotechnology research.
The names of current First
Line varieties will not be changed when moved to the DEKALB
brand. New varieties introduced by the DEKALB brand will be
named according to the current naming system. The first two
numbers indicate the CHU maturity, the last two numbers are
a series identifier, and an “R” indicates a Roundup Ready
trait.
The First Line Express®
innovative bulk seed delivery system will continue under the
name DEKALB Express(SM).
DEKALB and DEKALB Design
are trademarks of DEKALB Genetics
Corporation, Monsanto Canada Inc. licensee.
First Line, First Line Express, YieldGard, Roundup Ready,
Monsanto and the Vine Design are trademarks of Monsanto
Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada Inc. licensee.
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