Indianapolis, Indiana and Mount
Olive, New Jersey
December 29, 2001
Canola growers in Canada and the
United States will benefit from a new technology offer as a
result of a global agreement announced today by
Dow AgroSciences and
BASF. This new technology will
allow growers to produce canola with value-added output traits
and non-GMO herbicide tolerance.
Under the terms of this agreement, Dow AgroSciences will develop
new Nexera canola varieties for the
CLEARFIELD* Production
System. Bred to be tolerant to the imidazolinone family of
herbicides, Dow AgroSciences CLEARFIELD canola will combine
NatreonÒ quality oil varieties with the only weed control
technology offering one-pass, extended control of
multiple-flushing weeds in-crop.
According to Dwight More, BASF, Global Marketing Manager for
CLEARFIELD Oilseeds, "This exciting agreement utilizes BASF's
expertise in herbicide-tolerant crops and weed control, and Dow
AgroSciences' expertise in breeding and marketing canola
varieties with high valued components. As a result, growers will
have access to new canola varieties that can provide improved
marketing opportunities, along with the extended weed control
benefits of the herbicides which are part of the CLEARFIELD
Production System." This agreement also supports BASF's strategy
of "adding value through growth and innovation".
The CLEARFIELD Production System for canola represents the
latest advances beyond SMART®
canola, including new seed varieties, new custom-designed
herbicides with extended weed control and new farm management
opportunities. BASF has tested herbicides from the imidazolinone
herbicide family and selected the best herbicides from that
family for CLEARFIELD canola in various canola production areas.
In the United States, Beyond™ herbicide, a new imazamox-based
herbicide, is the optimum herbicide selected by BASF from its
imidazolinone herbicide family for use with CLEARFIELD canola.
Beyond, which is not yet registered by the EPA, will offer
canola growers control of troublesome weeds including wild
mustard, pigeongrass and wild oats. In Canada, the products
designated for use with CLEARFIELD canola include OdysseyÒ and
PursuitÒ Ultra as well as the newly launched Absolute*, all of
which provide broad-spectrum weed control from planting to
flowering. These weed control options provide Canadian growers
control of multiple-flushing weeds such as wild mustard,
cleavers, chickweed and stinkweed. In addition, Absolute
provides excellent control of Canada Thistle.
Dow AgroSciences has the global rights to sublicense the
CLEARFIELD canola varieties developed through this research.
"The CLEARFIELD canola varieties resulting from this
collaboration between BASF and Dow
AgroSciences will be important additions to the Nexera varieties
being offered to our customers," says Joe Sobek, Business Leader
for Dow AgroSciences. "The first commercial varieties resulting
from this agreement will be available in 2004."
Nexera canola represents new technology that makes canola
better. Nexera varieties produce Natreon quality oil that is a
healthier and naturally stable alternative to partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils. The increased oxidative stability
and functionality of Natreon can allow the food industry to
reduce or eliminate the use of partially hydrogenated oils,
thereby reducing the amount of trans-fat in food products. The
reduction of trans-fat in diets is recommended by nutritionists
to help reduce coronary heart disease.
CLEARFIELD canola is one of the key crops in the CLEARFIELD
Production System that combines agronomically advanced seed
varieties with custom-designed imidazolinone herbicides with
extended weed control and superior farm management benefits.
All current CLEARFIELD canola varieties as well as those that
will be developed under this agreement are recognized as non-GMO
by international regulators.
Globally, BASF and its seed partners offer the broadest
portfolio of non-GMO herbicide-tolerant genetics available.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA is
a global leader in providing pest
management and biotechnology products that improve the quality
and quantity of the earth's food supply and contribute to the
safety, health, and quality of life of the world's growing
population. Dow AgroSciences has approximately 6,000 people in
over 50 countries dedicated to its business, and has worldwide
sales of approximately US $3 billion. Dow AgroSciences LLC is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.
The BASF Agricultural Products business in North America, Crop
Protection Product Department,
markets a range of innovative crop protection materials and
systems that enable growers to increase their cost-efficiency as
well as their crop yield potential. Its headquarters are in
Research Triangle Park, NC. It is a unit of the BASF Global
Agricultural Products Division, located in Mount Olive, NJ.
BASF is a transnational chemical company that aims to increase
and sustain its corporate value through growth and innovation.
The company's product range includes high-value chemicals,
plastics, colorants and pigments, dispersions, automotive and
industrial coatings, agricultural products and fine chemicals as
well as crude oil and natural gas. BASF's approach to
integration, known in German as "Verbund," is one of its
particular strengths, ensuring cost leadership and a unique
competitive advantage. With sales of about €36 billion (circa
$34 billion) in 2000 and over 90,000 employees, BASF is one of
the world's leading chemical companies. BASF acts in accordance
with the principles of Sustainable Development. BASF shares are
traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA),
Zurich (BAS), Paris (BA) and New York (BF). The company's
Internet address is www.basf.com.
Additional information regarding the CLEARFIELD Production
System can be found at
www.clearfieldsystem.com.
Beyond herbicide is not yet
registered by the EPA. Any sale of Beyond after registration
shall be solely on the basis of the EPA approved label, and any
claims regarding product safety and efficacy shall be addressed
solely by the label.
Absolute, CLEARFIELD, THE UNIQUE CLEARFIELD SYMBOL, Beyond,
Odyssey, Pursuit Ultra, and SMART are trademarks of BASF.
NEXERA and Natreon are trademarks of Dow AgroScience.
Company news release
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