ST. LOUIS, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Building off of a strong 2007 season, Monsanto's (NYSE: MON) business is poised to create technology and commercial platforms that will enable the company to sustain its leadership and growth beyond the end of the decade, senior management will tell investors today.

Monsanto's remarks will be delivered as part of the company's second annual summer field event for investors, which begins today and continues tomorrow. This year's event will be held at the Farm Progress Show, one of the world's largest outdoor farm shows, in Decatur, Ill. The event will include a special behind-the-scenes tour of the company's exhibit at the show as well as presentations by senior management.

Monsanto's exhibition at this year's Farm Progress Show will feature a complete on-site research-and-development (R&D) technology showcase including in-the-field displays of the company's key R&D pipeline technologies for the farm. Monsanto planted the live test plots earlier this year so that farmers and investors could see each of the projects in a field setting.

"We have the most successful R&D program in the ag industry, and it's poised to deliver value to farmers for years to come," Robb Fraley, Monsanto's chief technology officer, said. "No one in our industry has invested in the farmer the way we have or for as long as we have, and this investment has enabled us to deliver continuous innovation to the farm."

"In just one acre at the Farm Progress Show, we've assembled the brightest projects and best commercial opportunities that are poised to redefine farming for the next decade," Fraley said.

Monsanto's exhibit at the show will include new technologies and innovative approaches like:

  -- Roundup RReady2Yield soybeans: This new soybean technology recently
     completed U.S. and Canadian regulatory approvals and is now one step
     closer to commercial availability.  It represents the soybean
     industry's first new trait technology developed in more than a decade.
     Three years of field comparisons have demonstrated that the technology
     can deliver a yield advantage of 7 to 11 percent over its
     first-generation Roundup Ready counterpart.
  -- Drought tolerant corn: This technology is one of the centerpieces of
     Monsanto's R&D pipeline and its yield and stress technology
     collaboration with BASF. In the second year of South American testing,
     the drought-tolerant technology consistently delivered yield
     improvements compared with controls under water-stressed conditions,
     with yield advantages of up to 12 bushels per acre.
  -- Monsanto's library of corn, soybean and cotton germplasm: Monsanto has
     seen strong adoption of its corn and soybean seed brands, contributing
     to growth in its national corn seed business of between 4-5 percentage
     points this year. The company also expects that its national soybean
     brand, Asgrow, has realized share growth of more than 1 percent this
     year. Monsanto is currently using advanced breeding tools to more
     efficiently select for the best base germplasm, which will enable the
     company to continue delivering enhancements in these three crops in the
     coming seasons.

As part of the technology showcase tour, Fraley and the technology leadership team will discuss how projects the company is working on will help support farmers as they work to address the challenges facing global agriculture.

In a presentation on emerging trends in agriculture, Monsanto's Carl Casale, executive vice president for North American commercial business, will describe the changing global landscape for the production of corn, soybeans and cotton. With mounting global demand and constraints on key variables like land availability, Casale will discuss how there's an ever increasing emphasis on the productivity per acre.

"Today, we're seeing trends toward a demand-driven agricultural economy, where productivity per acre becomes an increasingly important factor in every crop," Casale said. "No company in the industry will be better positioned to meet these emerging trends than Monsanto -- and it all begins with our robust R&D program."

"We're focused on producing the best technology to maximize profit and productivity for the farmer, and because of that, we're poised for growth regardless of cyclical swings in commodity prices or shifts in crop plantings," Casale said.

Investor Event Materials

Materials related to this investor briefing are available on the company's web site at http://www.monsanto.com/. These materials include:

  -- A comprehensive guide that provides an overview of the company's
     technology showcase and featured projects, as well as background
     information, status updates and commercial opportunities for each of
     these projects. A copy of the field guide is available at:

http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/investor/financial/presentations.asp.

-- Presentations by Monsanto's executive team will also be available on

Monsanto's website at:

http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/investor/financial/presentations.asp.

About Monsanto's Exhibit at Farm Progress Show

In addition to the investor event materials, Monsanto has also posted information related to its presence at this week's Farm Progress Show. Interested parties can access this information on the company's web site at http://www.monsanto.com/. These materials include:

  -- Blog: The Peek Over The Fence blog provides a week-by-week tour of how
     the technology showcase has evolved from an empty one-acre plot to a
     lush display of Monsanto's R&D projects.
  -- Time-lapse videos: Time-lapse videos chronicle the growth cycle of
     Monsanto's drought-tolerant corn and third-generation soybean
     technology for dicamba-tolerance.
  -- Farmer interviews: This section includes comments from farmers at the
     show and gauges their impressions on the company's technology showcase.
  -- Podcasts: This section includes comments from Monsanto officials on the
     showcase and the company's investment in new technologies for the farm.
  -- Press kit: The press kit section includes the latest business and
     product news as it is released at the show.


  About Monsanto

Monsanto is an agriculture company. The company is a leading provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto is committed to investing in products that can make a difference for its farmer customers and the land they farm. The company uses plant breeding, plant biotechnology and other applications of modern science to support its commitment to agriculture and the farmers that feed, clothe and fuel our growing world. For more information on Monsanto, see http://www.monsanto.com/.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this release are "forward-looking statements," such as statements concerning the company's anticipated financial results, current and future product performance, regulatory approvals, business and financial plans and other non-historical facts. These statements are based on current expectations and currently available information. However, since these statements are based on factors that involve risks and uncertainties, the company's actual performance and results may differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among others: continued competition in seeds, traits and agricultural chemicals; the company's exposure to various contingencies, including those related to intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance and the speed with which approvals are received, and public acceptance of biotechnology products; the success of the company's research and development activities; the outcomes of major lawsuits, including proceedings related to Solutia Inc.; developments related to foreign currencies and economies; successful completion and operation of recent acquisitions; fluctuations in commodity prices; compliance with regulations affecting our manufacturing; the accuracy of the company's estimates related to distribution inventory levels; the company's ability to fund its short-term financing needs and to obtain payment for the products that it sells; the effect of weather conditions, natural disasters and accidents on the agriculture business or the company's facilities; and other risks and factors detailed in the company's most recent periodic report to the SEC. Undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of the date of this release. The company disclaims any current intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements or any of the factors that may affect actual results.

SOURCE: Monsanto

CONTACT: Lee Quarles of Monsanto, +1-314-694-2330

Web site: http://www.monsanto.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/114341.html