Survey Finds Increasing Concern With Glyphosate Weed Resistance

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Farm Managers Say Weed Management Strategies Influence Land Valuation

Greensboro, N.C. (Jan. 21, 2004) - A survey of professional farm managers and rural appraisers finds increasing concerns about weed resistance to herbicides, particularly to glyphosate. As a result, farmers may increasingly find their cropping and weed control practices scrutinized when they are looking to rent more cropland.

To gauge the importance of weed resistance management practices, Syngenta Crop Protection commissioned a survey of members of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) in April 2003. The survey follows up a similar benchmark survey conducted in February 2002.

The study revealed that more than two-thirds of the responding professional farm managers and rural appraisers expect the importance of glyphosate-resistant weeds to increase in determining rental values and land appraisals, with more than 74 percent reporting that resistance management practices currently influence tenant selection for the farmland they rent.

In fact, these concerns are on the rise; 71 percent of the 2003 respondents said resistant weeds are important in determining farmland rental values, compared to 53 percent in 2002. Eighty percent said the presence of glyphosate-resistant weeds, specifically, was an important determining factor of rental value, compared to 58 percent in 2002. When asked about the impact weed pressure had on rental values, the 2003 respondents estimated that controlling specific weed pressure - including implementing proper glyphosate resistance management practices - can potentially preserve up to 16 percent of farmland value.

To that end, Syngenta has recommended "Best Weed Management Practices" for controlling glyphosate weed resistance. The "Best Practices,"
which include rotating crops and herbicide chemistries, and the full results from the 2003 ASFMRA survey can be located at www.weedresistance.com.

"This survey tells us that weed control management plans and practices
are vitally important to maintaining the value of cropland," said Corey Huck, Syngenta brand manager for Touchdown(R) glyphosate herbicides. "Roundup Ready(R) (RR(TM)) soybeans have become a critical production tool for maintaining cleaner, more productive fields. As concerns about glyphosate-resistant weeds rise in the U.S., it is increasingly clear that managing against glyphosate weed resistance is critical to maintaining the benefits of this important technology."

Nearly 60 percent of the farm managers surveyed say they now require practices to manage weed resistance, compared to 47 percent in 2002, and 67 percent say they expect to in the future. More than three-quarters of respondents said the use of weed resistance management practices influences tenant selection today, while 81 percent said practices to eliminate volunteer herbicide-tolerant crops (HTC) influence their decisions.

When asked about best management practices they require to help preserve the effectiveness of HTC technology, 86 percent said they require crop rotation with RR crops, 79 percent require chemical rotation and 37 percent require tankmixing.

An independent market research firm conducted the 2002 and 2003 surveys.

Contact:

Michael Rubin

Gibbs & Soell, Inc.
+1.212.697.2600

David Pinon

Syngenta
+1.336.632.7504