* GE Crops and Pest Management In the U.S. *
An April 2000 report (released in May)
from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Economic Research Service examines
"Genetically Engineered Crops for Pest Management in U.S.
Agriculture" and summarizes the variations in pesticide use,
production yields, and net monetary returns occurring in farm-level
adoption of these (GE) crops.
The report's lead authors, J. Fernandez-Cornejo
and W. McBride, found that cotton (_Gossypium hirsutum_) enhanced with
Bt (_Bacillus thuringiensis_) to protect against pest insects, and grown
in the southeastern region of the country, was the most beneficial
application of crops genetically modified for enhanced pest management.
Use of Bt-cotton increased crop yields, increased net returns, and
"significantly reduced insecticide use," according to the
document (AER 786).
Results associated with other major GE
crops listed, i.e., herbicide-tolerant cotton and herbicide-tolerant
soybean (_Glycine max_), were positive, but provided lower levels of
benefits, the authors found. Use of the former increased yields and net
returns, but did not significantly reduce herbicide usage, whereas the
report notes that herbicide-tolerant soybeans led to "small but
significant increases in yields, no changes in net returns, and
significant decreases in herbicide use." |--> J. Fernandez-Cornejo,
jorge@ers.usda.gov. Phone:
1-202-694-5537. The report can be found and freely downloaded from: www.ars.usda.gov/whatsnew/thisweek/index.htm#third.
(Thanks to D. Powell and AgNet for
providing information.) |
