ST. LOUIS (April 10, 2006) - Dairy farmers looking to increase their milk yield may want to consider incorporating Roundup Ready^® Alfalfa into their feeding programs. Several recent studies show that by eliminating weeds and providing superior crop safety, Roundup Ready Alfalfa produces an estimated yield advantage of about one-half ton more forage per acre more than alfalfa treated with conventional herbicide programs.

Research done at the University of Minnesota on seeding year yield and quality of Roundup Ready Alfalfa versus conventional alfalfa found a dramatic difference between the two. Based on their yield and quality data, Roundup Ready Alfalfa would produce an average of 8,204 pounds of milk per acre, compared with 7,568 pounds per acre for the conventional alfalfa - a difference of nearly 8 percent.

Similarly, trials in Nebraska found the first-cut relative feed value (RFV) of Roundup Ready Alfalfa treated with Roundup^® agricultural herbicide was 208 compared with an RFV of 171 for conventional alfalfa. Another set of field trials, in California and Oregon, also showed an impressive yield advantage with Roundup Ready Alfalfa of 0.64 ton per acre more alfalfa, which translates into an additional $115.20 for each acre grown.

Relative feed value and projected milk per acre estimates, based on proximate analysis measures of crude protein, fat, fiber and ash, were calculated with the University of Wisconsin Milk 2000 program.

"Roundup Ready Alfalfa works well for control of emerged weeds, and the application window is longer, with more effective control of many weeds than standard herbicides," notes Steve Orloff, Farm Adviser at the University of California - Davis. "It's exciting to have a tool like Roundup Ready Alfalfa to give us such effective broad-spectrum weed control."

Additional Monsanto field trials done in Live Oak, California, show Roundup Ready Alfalfa treated with Roundup agricultural herbicide producing an alfalfa yield of 2.76 tons per acre, compared with untreated alfalfa, which yielded just 1.65 tons per acre. Assuming a price of $120 per ton of hay, that translates into more than $133 additional dollars per acre for farmers using the Roundup Ready Alfalfa system.

"These results underscore the positive impact potential of Roundup Ready Alfalfa to dairy production, not to mention alfalfa growers" says Chris Peterson, Monsanto's Marketing Manager for Roundup Ready Alfalfa. "Growers can produce cleaner, higher-quality forage with the Roundup Ready Alfalfa system, so they get more alfalfa yield, which means more money in their pockets.

"Beyond the higher yields and greater profit potential, we're getting a lot of positive feedback from growers," Peterson adds. "Initial satisfaction surveys show that 9 out of 10 of farmers who planted Roundup Ready Alfalfa in trials last fall say they're satisfied or very satisfied with the technology."

Roundup Ready Alfalfa was developed by Monsanto in cooperation with Forage Genetics, Inc. Research shows that using Roundup agricultural herbicides with Roundup Ready Alfalfa allows improved management practices that lead to better-quality hay.

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. For more information on Monsanto, visit www.monsanto.com.

Forage Genetics, Inc. is a world leader in the development, production and marketing of value-added proprietary alfalfa germplasm and traits.

Roundup Ready Alfalfa is for sale and distribution by authorized seed companies or their dealers in the United States only. This seed may not be planted outside of the United States, or for the production of sprouts or seed. Any product produced from a Roundup Ready Alfalfa crop or seed, including hay and hay products, may only be used, processed, exported to or sold in countries where regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted.

Always read and follow pesticide label directions. Roundup Ready^® crops contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup^® agricultural herbicides. Roundup^® agricultural herbicides will kill crops that are not glyphosate tolerant. Roundup^® and Roundup Ready^® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. ^©2006 Monsanto Company.