Bayer CropScience Opens New Greenhouse at Memphis Cotton Research and Development Facility

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer CropScience today celebrated the grand opening of its newest research facility, a $17 million, 76,000-square-foot state-of-the-art greenhouse and headhouse addition to its Memphis site. The site is a hub for cultivating cotton and soybean solutions for the international market. The greenhouse, located at Agricenter International, is part of Bayer's commitment to invest EUR 7 billion in research and development and Capital Expenditures (CAPEX), as well as expand production capacities and seed breeding facilities globally, between 2011 and 2016.

"Driving innovation requires giving our scientists world-class facilities and tools. Our greenhouse is unique in its scale and global scope, and will help Bayer CropScience better serve growers by giving them more choices for improving their crop quality and yield," said Mike Gilbert, Head of Global Breeding and Trait Development for Bayer CropScience. "We are excited that Memphis continues to grow as a global leader in agriculture and that our relationship with Agricenter International, the world's largest urban farm and research test facility, has allowed us to continue our efforts in agriculture and bioscience solution development."

The new greenhouse, which includes a spacious headhouse and open office area, will accommodate research to increase the number of traits available for cotton varieties in the United States and international markets. Overall, the Memphis site supports all of the company's cotton brands, including Stoneville^® and Fibermax^®, as well as soybean breeding and management, molecular breeding and management, and stewardship management. The site's North American cotton trait introgression work also supports Bayer CropScience's cotton seed business development in South America and Africa.

"As a valued partner in promoting the livelihood and success of our growers, we are invested in growth and innovation across the country to develop new products and solutions, including those for cotton seed," said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. "Our new Memphis facility is part of a commitment to the greater Memphis area, and it is from this base that we seek to continue our local economic impact as well as thought leadership on global agriculture and bioscience issues."

Memphis is the latest Bayer CropScience location to open a new greenhouse. In 2012, the $20 million, 60,000-square foot Greenhouse 5 facility opened at the company's North American and global Seeds headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, which will be joined on campus next year by Greenhouse 1, a 29,500-square-foot facility that is part of a $29.6 million site expansion.

"Our newest greenhouse is part of a series of investments that reinforce our national and global efforts and commitment to improving the lives of people in the communities we serve," said Blome. "The high-level research and development taking place at these facilities will allow us to leave a better world through promoting 'Science: for a Better Life.'"

In support of company-wide environmentally compatible practices, the Memphis greenhouse was designed with sustainability in mind. The automation incorporated into the facility's design means the greenhouse will have a reduced carbon footprint, which means less materials used in construction and an approximate 40 percent reduction annually in natural gas and electricity consumption. Additionally, the facility will include sensor detecting light fixtures, high efficiency greenhouse lights with longer-lasting ballasts, recycled greenhouse water to irrigate seedlings, as well as hands-free plumbing fixtures.

For more information about Bayer CropScience's Memphis site, visit http://www.bayercropscience.us/who-we-are/locations/memphis.

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About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 8,819 million (2013) and is one of the world's leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 22,400 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.

Find more information 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 developments.

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SOURCE Bayer CropScience