Upcoming
Planting Season Marks 10-Year Anniversary of Biotech Corn (12-28-04)
Corn growers will
celebrate a major milestone as the 2005 planting season begins in
the spring. The upcoming season marks the tenth year in which biotech
hybrids have been commercially available to U.S. farmers, and according
to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), biotechnology has
thoroughly revolutionized the way producers grow America’s top
crop.
In 1996, growers
planted biotech corn on just 4 percent of total U.S. corn acreage,
according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In contrast,
producers planted biotech seed on 45 percent of corn acres in 2004.
If 2005 plantings support the five-year trend, biotech hybrids will
account for approximately half of total U.S. corn acres in the coming
year.
NCGA President
Leon Corzine, who farms near Assumption, Ill., said as growers and
customers began to realize the benefits of biotechnology, the adoption
rate steadily increased.
“Like any
other new technology, there initially was some apprehension from customers
about the use of biotechnology in agricultural production,”
he said. “But as the corn sector enters the tenth year of using
biotech hybrids, those concerns have been addressed. Biotechnology
has had an excellent safety record and has really changed the way
we grow corn.”
According to a
2004 study by the National Center for Food and Agriculture Policy,
biotech corn increased yields in 2003 by an estimated 87.5 million
bushels and significantly reduced pesticide and herbicide use. The
result was an additional $258.4 million in farm income.
Biotechnology
also helps producers grow more corn on less land, Corzine said, pointing
to this year’s record yield projection of 160.2 bushels per
acre as evidence. “We’re increasing production without
significantly increasing our acreage,” he said. “That’s
just one of the environmental benefits biotechnology provides.”
Corzine said good
stewardship practices and an effective regulatory system have helped
biotech crops gain acceptance. “Biotech crops have been subject
to closer regulatory scrutiny than any other agriculture products,”
he said. “Obviously, the regulatory system is working well because
there haven’t been any proven health incidents related to the
use of this technology.”
Biotechnology
holds even greater promise for the future, Corzine said. As new traits
are developed to combat specific threats to corn, the technology will
further increase production efficiencies. New hybrids may also offer
new health and nutrition benefits, Corzine said.
“The potential
of biotechnology appears to be limitless,” he said. “We’ve
already seen great benefits through the use of biotech corn, but some
of the things that are under development have the capability to enhance
our product even more.”