Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in the United States: The first nine years

Journal or Publishing Institution: BioTech Infonet

Date of Publication: 10/01/2004

Study: https://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/Full_first_nine.pdf

Author(s): Benbrook, C.M.

Article Type: Report

Abstract:

The major genetically engineered (GE) crop varieties commercialized since 1996 in the United States have been designed to help control a damaging class of insects and simplify herbicide-based weed management systems. Over the first nine years of commercial use, 670 million acres of crops expressing GE traits have been planted, or about 23 percent of the total 2,970 million acres of crops harvested across the country during this period.

Remarkably rapid and extensive adoption of GE varieties in three major crops — corn, soybeans and cotton – has brought enormous commercial success to the biotechnology and seed industry and reflects the popularity of these technologies to row crop farmers. Still, adoption is limited to two traits in three crops that are, for the most part, either fed to animals or heavily processed. Staple crops consumed directly by people in the U.S. remain GE-free, with the exception of very limited experimental plantings.

Crops engineered to tolerate applications of herbicides, or so-called “herbicide-tolerant” crops (HT), account for the largest share of GE acres. About 487 million acres have been planted since 1996, or 73 percent of total GE crop acres. HT soybeans are the most widely planted GE crop technology and account for over half the total acres planted to GE varieties since 1996. The vast majority of HT crops are engineered to tolerate glyphosate (trade name “Roundup”), a herbicide introduced to the market in 1972, by Monsanto. Crops engineered to tolerate glyphosate are also called “Roundup Ready.”

Corn and cotton have been genetically engineered to express the bacterial toxin Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. This transgenic trait allows plants to manufacture within their cells a crystalline protein that is toxic to most Lepidopteran insects. Some 183 million acres of Bt transgenic corn and cotton have been planted since 1996, representing 27 percent of total GE crop acreage.

Keywords: genetically modified (GM) maize, genetically modified (GM) corn, genetically modified (GM) cotton, Bt corn, Bt maize, Bt cotton, Bt toxin, Cry proteins, Cry toxins, insecticides, endotoxins, Bacillus thuringiensis, genetically modified (GM) soybean, genetically engineered (GE), Roundup Ready soybean, glyphosate tolerant soybean, transgenic crops, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), glyphosate, pesticides, herbicides

Citation:

Benbrook, C.M., 2004. Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in the United States: The first nine years. BioTech Infonet, Tech. Pap. 7.

Category:

• Health effects
• Environmental effects
• Regulatory issues
• Pesticide use

Record ID: 168