Kent Schulze, president and chief operating officer of AgriBioTech Inc. Friday announced that the company has appointed a former Mycogen Corp. scientist to direct and manage ABT's biotechnology laboratory.

Dr. Candace G. Poutre joins ABT as director of molecular and cell biology, reporting to Dr. Tom Rice, vice president and director of research.

Poutre will be responsible for building and managing ABT's biotechnology laboratory located on
the campus of the University of Rhode Island at Kingston.

She joins ABT from Mycogen (now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Co. where for the past four years she had been director of molecular biology and biochemistry, and held other important science research and management positions for the past 11+ years with various units of what evolved into Mycogen.

"We are pleased to announce that Dr. Poutre has joined ABT in this important role,'' said Rice.
"I look forward to working with her to take full advantage of the many biotechnology assets and
agreements we have completed in the past seven months. Our goal is to build a world-class
biotechnology unit that supports our long-term plan to lead the forage and turfgrass seed sector
into the next century.''

Poutre is a recognized industry leader in seed and plant biotechnology research and has had two
important patents issued in the field, as well as numerous publications. She earned her Ph.D. in
molecular genetics from the Department of Genetics and Development at Cornell University,
Ithaca, N.Y., in 1986.

Among other things, at Mycogen she led a successful discovery program for insect-resistant
genes in several crop plants, including corn, cotton, alfalfa, sunflower, soybean, wheat, sorghum
and rice. At Mycogen, she was also responsible for adequately resourcing and implementing the
transgenic plant product registration strategy.

Since June 1998, ABT has announced six important biotechnology alliances and/or agreements
that relate directly to the work that Poutre will do at the company:

• the Noble Foundation to gain for ABT exclusive worldwide rights and access in alfalfa to genes that may improve digestibility;
• Global Agro Inc. to gain for ABT worldwide rights, exclusive for all turfgrass and key forage grass species, to technology at Global Agro that appears to regulate plant growth and development;
• a Bt agreement with Mycogen to jointly develop and market insect-resistant alfalfa varieties using Mycogen Bt technology, and to proceed with priority negotiations on insect-resistant turfgrasses;
• a research license from Garst Seed Co. (part of the global Advanta seed group) for access to ``whiskers'' transformation technology for all forage and turfgrasses and an option, at ABT's discretion, for a commercialization license;
• The University of Rhode Island to lease space and establish an ABT molecular biology and
  transformation laboratory; and
• purchase of an equity position in Kimeragen, Inc. and an exclusive worldwide license to Kimeragen technology involving chimeraplasty for all forage and turfgrass species, subject to two previous nonexclusive licenses. In addition, the company has announced two other product research and development agreements.

AgriBioTech is a fully integrated full-service seed company specializing in the forage and
turfgrass seed sector, complete with research and development of proprietary seed varieties,
seed processing plants, and a national and international distribution and sales network.

The company has completed 33 acquisitions since Jan. 1, 1995, and is the largest forage and
cool-season turfgrass seed company in the world, with a current level of annualized net sales of
approximately $455 million, including the previously announced pending acquisitions of Moore
Seed Processors and Production Plus+, which have annualized net sales aggregating
approximately $15 million.

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