BAYER CROPSCIENCE LP has established a seed treatment business unit within its U.S. business operations. With its recent purchase of Crompton Corporation's 50 percent share of Gustafson LLC, Bayer CropScience gained full ownership of the Plano, Texas-based Gustafson. Bayer CropScience already held 50 percent of the joint venture. Gustafson is North America's largest manufacturer and marketer of seed treatment products and related equipment.

The new business unit will be responsible for business strategy, portfolio management and seed company sales. Rick Turner, currently president of Gustafson, will head the new unit. It will be located at the Bayer CropScience Region Americas headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Gustafson business and R&D functions, located in Plano and McKinney, Texas, respectively, will relocate to North Carolina. The transition will take place over the next 12 months to insure no disruption to customer focus and supply, business operations or research activities.

In addition, Bayer CropScience will establish a Seed Technology Center with a separate seed treatment research and development team focused on support for seed treatment development, quality assurance and formulation development. To insure that R&D activities remain close to the business, the Seed Technology Center also will be located in Research Triangle Park.