Mycogen Corporation, an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences LLC, has been granted U.S. patent rights to glyphosate resistance in cotton (United States Patent Number 6,753,463), according to an announcement issued by the U.S. Patent Office, June 22, 2004. Both Mycogen and Dow AgroSciences are wholly-owned subsidiaries of The Dow Chemical Company.

"The issuance of this significant patent demonstrates that Dow was the first to invent glyphosate-tolerant cotton," said Pete Siggelko, Dow AgroSciences vice president for Plant Genetics and Biotechnology.

The recently-granted patent application was originally filed with the U.S. Patent Office in 1987. The patent will be in effect until 2021.

"This action further strengthens our cotton patent portfolio, which was augmented last year when we received four additional patents relating to transgenic cotton," said Dan Kittle, Dow AgroSciences vice president for Research and Development. (Note: In 2003, Dow AgroSciences was issued U.S. Patents 6,660,914, 6,620,990, 6,573,437, and 6,624,344 - all of them relating to methods and composition of matter claims to transgenic cotton.)

"These recently issued patents demonstrate our significant long-standing commitment to the cotton market and our desire to create value for growers by developing innovative technology," Siggelko said, "and we now look forward to working with those companies interested in commercializing glyphosate-resistant cotton technology."

According to Cropnosis, an independent market research and consulting firm, in the year 2002, 71 percent of U.S. cotton acres planted (about 10 million acres) were glyphosate-resistant.

"We have a strong portfolio of cotton products," Siggelko added, "including Tracer® Naturalyte® insect control, Lorsban® insecticides, Treflan® and Glyphomax® herbicides, and Dithane® fungicides. And we have exciting new products in development, including a new insect-resistant cotton to be marketed as WideStrike*."

Dow AgroSciences sells PhytoGen(TM) brand cottonseed through a joint venture between its affiliate, Mycogen Seeds, and J.G. Boswell.

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a global leader in providing pest management, agricultural seed and biotechnology products that improve the quality and quantity of the earth's food supply and contribute to the health and quality of life of the world's growing population. Dow AgroSciences has approximately 5700 people in more than 50 countries dedicated to its business, and has worldwide sales of US $3 billion. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.

®Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC
(TM) PhytoGen is a Trademark of PhytoGen Seed Company, LLC