Journal or Publishing Institution: The Organic Center
Date of Publication: 11/01/2009
Study: https://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/13Years20091126_ExSumFrontMatter.pdf
Author(s): Benbrook, C.M.
Article Type: Report
Abstract:
In a recent story tracking the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate (Roundup) herbicides, a North Carolina farmer said that “Roundup is the greatest thing in agriculture in my lifetime.” A retired weed scientist admits in the same story “In hindsight, we screwed up. We can’t rely on the same thing over and over.” But farmers did, turning glyphosate herbicide and genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans, and cotton into the most stunning and profitable market success story in the history of the pesticide and seed industry. This report documents some of the key impacts of GE crops on their way to market dominance and explains why the total pounds of herbicides applied on GE crops has spiked so sharply in recent years, with more increases to come. But first, some key terms are defined. A “pesticide” is a chemical that controls pests. The term encompasses herbicides applied to control weeds, insecticides used to manage insects, and fungicides sprayed to manage plant diseases. A pesticide “active ingredient” (AI) is the chemical (or chemicals) in a pesticide that is responsible for killing or otherwise controlling target pests. “Pesticide use” is usually measured as pounds of pesticide “active ingredient” applied per acre, or on a given crop over some period of time. A “trait” in a genetically engineered crop is the unique characteristic or attribute added to the genetic makeup of the crop using recombinant DNA (gene-splicing) technology. Th e capacity of a plant to withstand applications of a particular herbicide is an example of a GE crop trait. “Stacked” GE seeds are those expressing two or more distinct traits. “Trait acres” are the number of GE crop acres that contain a particular trait. One acre planted to a single-trait GE crop represents one trait acre, an acre planted to a “stacked” crop with two traits is equivalent to two trait acres, and so on. (This is why GE “trait acres” planted exceeds total GE crop acres planted). GE seeds were introduced commercially in 1996 and now dominate the production of corn, soybeans, and cotton in the United States. GE crops contain one or both of two major categories of traits:
Herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops are genetically engineered to survive direct application of one or more herbicides during the growing season, chemicals that would otherwise kill or severely stunt the crop. Th e major HT crops are soybeans, corn, and cotton. Nearly all HT trait acres are planted to “Roundup Ready” (RR) seeds that tolerate applications of Monsanto’s glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide. Bt crops are engineered to produce toxins derived from the natural bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in plant cells. These toxins are lethal to certain agricultural insect pests.
Keywords: genetically engineered, genetically modified,
Citation: Benbrook, C.M., 2009, November. Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the United States: The first thirteen years. The Organic Center.
Keywords: genetically modified (GM) soybean, genetically engineered (GE), Roundup Ready soybean, glyphosate tolerant soybean, transgenic crops, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), glyphosate, pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified (GM) maize, genetically modified (GM) corn, genetically engineered (GE), transgenic crops, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), genetically modified (GM) cotton, Bt corn, Bt maize, Bt crops, Bt toxin, Bacillus thuringienus, Cry proteins, Cry toxins, pesticides, insecticides, endotoxins, Bt cotton
Category:
- Health effects
- Environmental effects
- Regulatory issues
- Pesticide use
Record ID: 170
