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Approved-By:  John/Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
Message-ID:  <l03130318b3a06c31a1ac@[198.234.69.168]>
Date:         Wed, 30 Jun 1999 20:53:22 -0400
Reply-To: Biotech Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: Biotech Forum <[log in to unmask]>
From: John/Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      the benefits of g-e crops, according to the USDA
To: [log in to unmask]
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Info sent by:
Jane Rissler, Ph.D.
Senior Staff Scientist
Union of Concerned Scientists
1616 P St., NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC 20036
202-332-0900 phone
202-332-0905 fax
[log in to unmask]

Posted by Laurel:

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has just released new data on the
benefits of genetically engineered (GE) Bt and herbicide-tolerant crops.
The new
report, "Genetically Engineered Crops for Pest Management," contains data on
pesticide use on GE crops in 1997 and yield of GE crops in 1997 and 1998. The
report is available at www.econ.ag.gov/new-at-ers.

Below I have summarized what I learned from the report. My summary is somewhat
different from the ERS summary--which emphasized only the results
supporting the
view that biotechnology is good for the environment and good for farmers.

The data reveal a mixed picture of benefits from crops engineered to control
pests. In some engineered crops in some regions, pesticide use may be reduced
and/or yields may be increased. But in the majority of crops and regions
surveyed, there are no statistically significant differences in pesticide
use or
yield between engineered and nonengineered varieties. In one case,
pesticide use
increased on the engineered crop and in another case, yield declined in the
engineered varieties.

PESTICIDE USE
The ERS collected data on pesticide use in the 1997 growing season in several
growing regions on the five most widely planted engineered crops: Bt corn and
cotton, herbicide tolerant corn, and herbicide(glyphosate)-tolerant cotton and
soybeans. All together data were collected on 12 region and crop combinations,
i.e., Bt corn and HT corn in the Heartland, Bt cotton in three regions, HT
soybeans in 5 regions, and HT cotton in 2 regions, and their nonengineered
counterparts in all the regions.


In the 12 region/crop combinations, 7 showed no statistically significant
differences in pesticide use on engineered versus nonengineered crops. Four
showed significant reductions in pesticide use on the engineered versus
nonengineered crops. In one region/crop combination, Bt corn in the Heartland,
significantly more pesticides were used on Bt versus nonBt corn.

Bt corn--data only from Heartland (IL, IN, IA, parts of SD, NE, MN, MO, OH, KY)
The data on insecticide acre-treatments* for all insect pests, including
Bt-corn
pests, showed no statistically significant difference in insecticide use on Bt
versus nonBt corn.

Bt cotton
--In the Mississippi Delta area, insecticide acre-treatment* for all insect
pests on Bt and nonBt cotton were significantly different statistically--53%
higher on Bt than on nonBt cotton.

--In much of the southeastern cotton-growing area, insecticide acre-treatments*
for all insect pests on Bt and nonBt cotton were not significantly different.

--In the region encompassing the southwestern cotton-growing area, Florida, and
parts of Texas, insecticide acre-treatments* for all insect pests on Bt and
nonBt cotton were not significantly different statistically.

Herbicide-tolerant corn
In the Heartland, there was no significant difference statistically between
herbicide use on HT versus nonHT corn.

Herbicide-tolerant soybeans
Data from five growing regions showed a statistically significant decrease in
three regions (51%, 23%, 20%) in herbicide acre-treatments for HT soybeans
versus nonHT soybeans. For two other regions, herbicide use was essentially the
same for HT and nonHT soybeans.

Herbicide-tolerant cotton
--In the Mississippi Delta, there was no significant difference
statistically in
herbicide use between HT and nonHT cotton.
--In much of the southeastern growing region, herbicide use was significantly
decreased on HT versus nonHT cotton (a 22% decrease).

*An acre-treatment is the number of different pesticides applied per acre times
the number of repeat applications.


YIELD
The ERS collected yield data in 1997 and 1998 for 12 and 18 region/crop
combinations, respectively. The crops surveyed were Bt corn and cotton and HT
corn, cotton, and soybean and their nonengineered counterparts.

In 1997, yields were not significantly different in engineered versus
nonengineered crops in 7 of 12 crop/region combinations. Four of 12 showed
significant increases (13-21%) in yields of engineered versus nonengineered
crops (HT soybeans in 3 regions and Bt cotton in 1 region). One--HT cotton in 1
region--showed a significant reduction in yield (12%) compared with its
nonengineered counterparts.

In 1998, yields were not signifciantly different in engineered versus
nonengineered crops in 12 of 18 crop/region combinations. Six crop/region
combinations (Bt corn in 2 regions, HT corn in 1 region, HT soybean in 1
region,
Bt cotton in 2 regions) showed significant increases in yield (5-30%) of
engineered over nonengineered crops. HT cotton (glyphosate-tolerant) was the
only engineered crop which showed no significant increase in yield in either
region where it was surveyed.

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