RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (July 20, 2012) – Bayer CropScience celebrates the opening of its newest research facility: a 3-story, 60,000 square foot greenhouse that will be used for soy, corn and other broadacre crop research. The Company invested USD 20 million for the new BioScience greenhouse in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Through research and development initiatives, scientists will grow solutions to meet the world’s increasing demand for food and more productive farmlands. Bayer Board of Management member Professor Dr. Wolfgang Plischke; N.C. Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco; and Dr. Richard Reich, Assistant Commissioner, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services along with and other state and local dignitaries were on hand to share in the festivities.
“This investment in research and people will help drive our developments in producing crops even more efficiently and sustainably,” said Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, the Bayer AG management board member responsible for Innovation, Technology and Sustainability, during the inauguration ceremony. “The greenhouse marks our commitment to cultivating new ideas and answers, and also reflects our continued expansion of our BioScience activities.”
Research cultivated in the new Bayer CropScience greenhouse includes the study of traits for corn and soybeans, as well as molecular breeding and the development of data packages for trait deregulation. The greenhouse is set to propel farming forward with 30,000 square feet of greenhouse space, more than 3,500 square feet of office and meeting space, and 2,400 square feet of growth chambers, laboratory, seed handling and storage areas. The facility was built with sustainability in mind: A 70,000 gallon underground water storage tank will harvest rainwater for plant irrigation and is expected to reduce consumption of potable water by approximately 700,000 gallons annually.
An online media briefing is scheduled for Monday, July 23 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. Participating media will get a virtual tour of the new greenhouse, and interview requests will be accommodated. Media can access the briefing using this link and call-in number: (877) 668-4493 (Access code: 925 214 823).
For more information on Bayer CropScience, visit www.bayercropscience.us or check out the newly launched Bayer CropScience social media hub, connect.bayercropscience.us.
About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 7.255 billion (2011), is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and traits. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of 21,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.
Contact:
Media can utilize the hotline at 1-866-99-BAYER, or contact
Courtney Beck
U.S. BioScience Outreach Manager
Bayer CropScience
Tel: (919) 549-2687
Email: courtney.beck@bayer.com
Twitter: bayer4cropus
USA-BCS-2012-0312
©2012 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer (reg’d), the Bayer Cross (reg’d) are trademarks of Bayer. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our Web site at www.BayerCropScience.us.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or development
