Syngenta, Pioneer Announce Touchdown®, Quilt® Promotion

Pioneer TruChoice® financing to include Touchdown Total® and Touchdown HiTech® herbicides plus Quilt® fungicide

Greensboro, N.C., and Des Moines, IA, October 23, 2007 - Syngenta Crop Protection and Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, today announced an agreement to promote glyphosate-based Touchdown® herbicides, Quilt® fungicide, and Pioneer® brand corn hybrids and soybean varieties for the 2008 growing season.

The program is national in scope and applies to Touchdown Total® and Touchdown HiTech® non-selective herbicides, as well as Quilt fungicide for corn. All three Syngenta Crop Protection products are eligible for financing through the TruChoice® Opportunity Program from Pioneer. The TruChoice Opportunity Program is an extension of the deferred payment financing program from Pioneer for qualified crop protection products.

In addition, growers planting Pioneer seed products and using these Syngenta products will be eligible for financial incentives. Growers using Quilt fungicide and either Touchdown Total or Touchdown HiTech on their Pioneer corn acres are eligible for a Corn Offer on these products. Pioneer soybean customers using either Touchdown product can receive a Soybean Protection Offer in case of replant or crop loss due to weather.

"The collaborative effort between Syngenta and Pioneer will provide growers with more options for maximizing their profits and minimizing their risks," said Dan Hinderliter, Touchdown brand manager, Syngenta Crop Protection.

"We are excited to bring corn and soybean growers a strong combination of leading Pioneer genetics and products from Syngenta that help maximize yield potential," added Todd Frazier, Pioneer marketing director.

This is the first time TruChoice will include glyphosate-based herbicides. Touchdown Total combines a highly concentrated glyphosate formulation with a complete adjuvant package. Touchdown HiTech is a straight glyphosate for those who prefer to customize their surfactants and additives.

"With Touchdown Total and Touchdown HiTech in the TruChoice Program portfolio, Pioneer growers can finance more of their operating costs while getting superior glyphosate products backed by Syngenta Crop Protection's best-in-class service, support and assurances," said Hinderliter.

The Quilt fungicide component provides control options for damaging corn diseases like gray leaf spot that can occur more frequently as growers move to less tillage and grow more corn-on-corn.

"We've discovered that Quilt goes beyond disease control with physiological benefits that improve Plant Performance™. These benefits include delayed senescence, improved carbon dioxide assimilation, and increased water use efficiency," said Jamie Eichorn, Quilt brand manager, Syngenta Crop Protection. "In 130 on-farm trials, Quilt application at R1 increased yields by an average of 15.5 bushels per acre."

For more information on Touchdown Total, Touchdown HiTech and Quilt, please visit FarmAssist.com® .

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2006 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs around 21,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). x

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries. DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

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Important: Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products.

Jerry Harrington
Pioneer Hi-Bred
515/334-6908

David Pinon
Syngenta Crop Protection
336/632-7504

Catherine Wang
Gibbs & Soell Public Relations
212/697-2600, ext. 1202

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