Return to TFB Main Page
Return to Texas Agriculture Archive

March 2, 2001

Cotton farmers lead in
biotech crop production

A new report by the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy shows that cotton growers have adopted genetically modified varieties faster than growers of any other crop.

The report also shows the U.S. farmers across the board continue to experience increased yields, decreased costs and the ease of management offered by genetically modified crops.

According to the report, genetically modified crop varieties have been adopted rapidly since their introduction in the mid-1990s. By 2000, almost three-quarters of U.S. cotton acreage, roughly one-fifth of U.S. corn acreage, and half of the U.S. soybean acreage was planted to crops genetically modified to be resistant to insects and/or herbicides.

Both insect and herbicide resistant varieties have been adopted widely by cotton growers. Insect protected varieties of Bt cotton provide control of three of the most destructive pests in cotton: tobacco budworm, cotton bollworm and pink bollworm. The report says Bt cotton has allowed growers to reduce insecticide use and attain better control of those pests, which has resulted in increased yields. The report also estimates that the introduction of herbicide resistant cotton has reduced the number of herbicide applications by cotton growers by 19 million in 2000.

The report estimated that cotton growers reduced insecticide use by 2.7 million pounds and made 15 million fewer insecticide applications since the introduction of Bt cotton. Net revenues are estimated to have increased by $99 million in 1999.

Insect-resistant Bt corn varieties have allowed farmers to control the European corn borer, an insect that is difficult to control using conventional insecticides because it tunnels into the corn stalk soon after hatching, thus protected from insecticides. The primary benefit of Bt corn varieties has been increased yields, according to the report, which estimated 66 million bushels of corn were saved from the borer in 1999.

Herbicide tolerant soybeans offer growers effective weed control with a simple, flexible program that has allowed many to reduce weed control costs.

Prior to the introduction of herbicide tolerant soybeans, growers chose from many herbicides—often applying three or more active ingredients—some of which would cause damage to the growing soybean plants, or cause harm to corn crops that commonly follow soybeans. The primary benefit of herbicide tolerant soybean varieties has been a reduction in weed control costs—$216 million per year in 1999. The report also said growers reduced the number of herbicide applications by 19 million.