To help track the spread of Asian soybean rust, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., is working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to track confirmed cases of rust, as identified by Pioneer agronomists and archived in the Pioneer Field Information eXchange (PFIX) system. Growers can either go to the public USDA website http://www.usda.gov/soybeanrust or the Pioneer GrowingPoint(SM) website http://www.pioneer.com/growingpoint to view maps tracking the spread of rust.

"We're excited to see PFIX in action and watch as this system helps track the spread of rust," said Tom Hall, Pioneer technical applications manager.

"With nearly 200 agronomists using the PFIX system, the information gathered will be invaluable in tracking the spread of the disease and helping growers prepare for its potential arrival in their soybean fields."

The PFIX system was designed to capture field observations using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) handheld computer. Agronomists input information collected during service calls and create a geo-referenced archive
of observations. In the last two years, PFIX has helped Pioneer agronomists monitor the movement of many insects and pests, including soybean aphids in 2003. This will be the first time the information will be shared publicly with growers.

Data from the PFIX system is fed into the USDA soybean rust database. In addition to working with Pioneer, USDA is working with many other groups -- including state departments of agriculture, universities and other industry groups -- to develop the surveillance, reporting, prediction and management network for rust.

On the USDA website, growers can view maps showing rust observations, disease management and scouting information. The maps are interactive and show county level information. The information shown on the USDA website is controlled by state soybean specialists, who provide commentaries, web links and edit the map content. The specialists have access to a restricted site where they can see a complete set of observation and disease forecast maps.

In this way, all monitoring and disease forecast information is checked by a state specialist before being seen by the public.

"Thanks to our partnership with USDA, growers will be able to go to a public site, which is updated daily, to see where rust has been identified," said Bill Dolezal, Pioneer research fellow - plant pathology. "Combining
Pioneer data, with the data from other contributors, gives more reliability to the rust tracking program. We share this information to help growers be better prepared for this economically important plant pest. We continue to look for opportunities to partner with our USDA and state agricultural colleagues in monitoring new or emerging plant pests."

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines,
Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics, crop protection solutions and quality crop systems to customers in nearly 70 countries.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

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