Monsanto Opens Agriculture's First Water Utilization Learning Center

Gothenburg, Neb., Facility Focused on Research to Help Farmers Improve
Productivity

ST. LOUIS, June 16, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Water is a vital element in
the production of food. Helping farmers better manage water utilization for
crops is the focus of Monsanto Company's (NYSE: MON) Water Utilization
Learning Center, which opens today at Gothenburg, Neb.

More than 200 farmers, government officials and industry representatives are
expected to attend the grand opening, which is sponsored by Monsanto's
Genuity(TM) trait brand. The Water Utilization Learning Center, the first of
its kind in agriculture, is a $6 million facility designed for studying
cropping systems comprised of world class genetics, agronomic practices and
biotech traits including water-use efficiency technologies such as
drought-tolerant cropping systems. The center will help Monsanto advance
research to help improve farmers' productivity in the Western Great Plains
while gaining a better understanding of water use by crops.

"Water is a major factor in agriculture production," said Robb Fraley,
Monsanto Chief Technology Officer. "In any given year, 10 million to 13
million acres of farmland planted to corn in the United States may be affected
by at least moderate drought, and every crop acre faces some degree of water
stress at some point in the growing season."

More than 80 cropping and irrigation demonstrations are featured at the
155-acre farm and learning center. Among the Monsanto corn and soybean
technologies on display are Genuity(TM) Roundup Ready 2 Yield(TM) soybeans,
Genuity(TM) VT Triple PRO(TM) corn, and first-generation drought-tolerant
technology for corn.

"Our upcoming drought-tolerant crop technologies represent one potential tool
for addressing the challenge of water utilization, while ensuring greater
sustainability and production within agriculture," Fraley added.

In addition to crop and irrigation demonstrations, the facility includes three
conference rooms that will be equipped with state-of-the-art videoconferencing
capabilities. The center will be hardwired to eventually conduct virtual tours
of robotics and seed analytics facilities in remote locations such as
Monsanto's breeding facility in Ankeny, Iowa, or the company's Chesterfield,
Mo., research facility, for example. The site also includes a 20,000 square
foot breeding station and a smaller building to dry corn.

Gothenburg Learning Center Lead Chandler Mazour said Monsanto selected the
site because of its location in the transition zone from dryland acres to
irrigated acres on the western High Plains, adding that Monsanto needs that
diversity to determine how to use future technologies in adding value to
crops.

"The center provides visitors the platform to see our approach to water
utilization from a systems standpoint, that is breeding, biotechnology and
agronomics," Mazour added. "Visitors get a first-hand understanding of how we
make our genetic and biotechnology gains, and the process of reaching our
sustainability goals and, most important, the goals that they want to achieve
on their farms."

The Gothenburg Water Utilization Learning Center is open during the summer for
tours. Farmers can schedule a tour of the facility by contacting their local
seed company representative.

About Monsanto Company
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions
and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.
Monsanto remains focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers
to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natural
resources such as water and energy. To learn more about our business and our
commitments, please visit: http://www.monsanto.com.

Contact Mimi Ricketts (314-694-5703)
Nick Weber (314-694-4689)

SOURCE Monsanto Company

Mimi Ricketts, +1-314-694-5703, or Nick Weber, +1-314-694-4689, both of
Monsanto Company