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[permaculture] Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years

From: Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network <lakinroe@silcom.com>
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [permaculture] Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:34:33 -0800

Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years
Summary posted by Meridian on 12/18/2009
Source: Organic Center
Author: n/a
This report from the U.S.-based Organic Center finds that herbicide use in the U.S. has increased because of the planting of genetically modified (GM) herbicide tolerant soy, corn, and cotton varieties. GM crops have been responsible for an increase of 383 million pounds of herbicide use in the U.S. over the first 13 years of commercial use of GM crops (1996-2008), the report states. The report finds, in addition, that herbicide use has increased as farmers, especially in the U.S. South, have attempted to combat glyphosate-tolerant weeds by applying more herbicides. The report "draws principally" on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The author of the report, Charles Benbrook, is chief scientist at the Organic Center. The 69-page report is available online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php?action=view&report_id=159

From lakinroe@silcom.com Sat Dec 19 11:08:58 2009

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Subject: [permaculture] Biotechnology 'No Sure Fix' for World's Nitrogen
Problem
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Biotechnology 'No Sure Fix' for World's Nitrogen Problem
Summary posted by Meridian on 12/17/2009
Source: UCS
Author: n/a
Genetic modification has yet to produce any=20
commercial crops that reduce nitrogen fertilizer=20
pollution, but traditional breeding and other=20
methods have already done so, says a new report=20
from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a=20
non-profit group in the U.S. Non-GM methods have=20
improved the nitrogen use efficiency of wheat,=20
rice, and corn by about 20 percent to 40 percent,=20
according to the report, which is entitled "No=20
Sure Fix: Prospects for Reducing Nitrogen=20
=46ertilizer Pollution through Genetic=20
Engineering." The biotechnology industry has=20
identified genes that have the potential to=20
reduce nitrogen pollution and have tested them in=20
laboratories and field trials, but none have been=20
made commercially available. The UCS report=20
argues that the prospects for their commercial=20
use are uncertain due to the complexity of=20
nitrogen metabolism and genetics in crops.=20
Margaret Mellon, director of UCS's food and=20
environment program, argues that although "we=20
need to pursue all reasonable approaches to solve=20
the nitrogen overload problem . . . We should=20
focus first on making the necessary public=20
investment in traditional crop breeding, cover=20
crops, precision farming, and other proven=20
approaches to boost nitrogen efficiency."=20
"Nitrogen pollution is among the world's worst=20
environmental problems," says Doug=20
Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in UCS's food=20
and environment program and author of the report.=20
The problem, which occurs when crop plants absorb=20
only some of the nitrogen fertilizer that is=20
applied, should get worse as global demand for=20
food increases, Mellon says. The press release=20
can be viewed online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at=20
greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/biotechnology_no_sure_fix_worlds_nitroge...

Biotechnology 'No Sure Fix' for World's Nitrogen=20
=46ertilizer Pollution Problem, New Report Finds
=46riday, December 11, 2009

WASHINGTON - After more than a decade of effort,=20
the biotechnology industry has yet to produce any=20
commercial crops engineered to reduce nitrogen=20
fertilizer pollution, while traditional breeding=20
and other methods have improved the nitrogen use=20
efficiency of wheat, rice, and corn by about 20=20
percent to 40 percent, according to a report=20
released today by the Union of Concerned=20
Scientists (UCS).

"Nitrogen pollution is among the world's worst=20
environmental problems," said Doug=20
Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist in UCS's Food=20
and Environment program and author of the report.=20
"A number of very promising solutions have begun=20
addressing the problem, but so far genetic=20
engineering has yet to make a contribution."

Plants, including commodity farm crops, need=20
large amounts of nitrogen to thrive and grow.=20
Soils often do not contain enough nitrogen for=20
plants to attain optimal productivity, but many=20
farmers apply far more synthetic nitrogen=20
fertilizer to their soils than what the plants=20
can use. More than half of the nitrogen=20
fertilizer applied on U.S. farms, for instance,=20
is not absorbed by crops, and much of it becomes=20
a pollutant.

Nitrogen pollution causes harm in multiple ways.=20
Chemical fertilizers from farms, for example, are=20
the largest contributor to the Gulf of Mexico's=20
"dead zone"-an area the size of Connecticut and=20
Delaware combined where excess nutrients=20
indirectly rob the region of oxygen, making it=20
uninhabitable for commercially valuable fish and=20
other marine life for much of the year. In=20
addition, nitrogen in the form of nitrate can=20
seep into drinking water and become a health=20
risk, especially to pregnant women and children.=20
Nitrogen entering the air as ammonia, meanwhile,=20
contributes to smog, respiratory diseases and=20
acid rain, which damages forests and other=20
habitats.

Nitrogen overuse in agriculture also is the=20
largest domestic, human-caused source of nitrous=20
oxide, a global warming gas that is nearly 300=20
times more potent than carbon dioxide. According=20
to the Environmental Protection Agency,=20
agricultural soil management accounts for=20
two-thirds of the nation's human-induced nitrous=20
oxide emissions.

One solution to the nitrogen overload problem is=20
to develop crops that use nitrogen more=20
efficiently, which would reduce the amount of=20
nitrogen fertilizer farmers apply to their=20
fields. Traditional breeding methods have already=20
proven successful at doing this. Meanwhile, the=20
biotechnology industry has identified genes that=20
have the potential to reduce nitrogen pollution=20
and have tested them in laboratories and field=20
trials, but none are commercially available. The=20
UCS report, "No Sure Fix: Prospects for Reducing=20
Nitrogen Fertilizer Pollution through Genetic=20
Engineering," evaluated the new genes and=20
concluded that the prospects for their commercial=20
use are uncertain due to the complexity of=20
nitrogen metabolism and genetics in crops.

The report documents a number of practices that=20
can complement nitrogen-efficient crops in=20
reducing nitrogen fertilizer pollution. Precision=20
farming, for instance, times fertilizer=20
applications to match crop growth, which reduces=20
the amount of nitrogen applied to fields. Farmers=20
also can grow cover crops-plants grown between=20
cash crop growing seasons-to protect the soil,=20
add organic nitrogen and other nutrients, and=20
remove excess nitrogen. Even if genetically=20
engineered crops were commercially viable, they=20
would not be able to reduce the large amount of=20
nitrogen pollution that occurs when farmers are=20
not growing cash crops.

"We need to pursue all reasonable approaches to=20
solve the nitrogen overload problem," said=20
Margaret Mellon, director of UCS's Food and=20
Environment Program. "We should focus first on=20
making the necessary public investment in=20
traditional crop breeding, cover crops, precision=20
farming, and other proven approaches to boost=20
nitrogen efficiency. Our nitrogen pollution=20
problem will only worsen as global food demand=20
increases, which makes it all the more critical=20
that we invest in technologies and methods we=20
know work."

Copyright =A92009 Union of Concerned Scientists

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"Roundup-Ready" GMO's were developed in response to weeds' having become mostly immune to glyphosphate in the southern US... this was taken as an indication not that the system wasn't working, but that we just needed to keep doing the same things, harder. The US Environmental Protection Agency responded by immediately TRIPLING allowable glyphosphate residues on cotton and soybeans. Good to have someone watching out for us.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network" <lakinroe@silcom.com>
To: <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 8:34 AM
Subject: [permaculture] Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years

Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First
Thirteen Years
Summary posted by Meridian on 12/18/2009
Source: Organic Center
Author: n/a
This report from the U.S.-based Organic Center finds that herbicide
use in the U.S. has increased because of the planting of genetically
modified (GM) herbicide tolerant soy, corn, and cotton varieties. GM
crops have been responsible for an increase of 383 million pounds of
herbicide use in the U.S. over the first 13 years of commercial use
of GM crops (1996-2008), the report states. The report finds, in
addition, that herbicide use has increased as farmers, especially in
the U.S. South, have attempted to combat glyphosate-tolerant weeds by
applying more herbicides. The report "draws principally" on data from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The author of the report,
Charles Benbrook, is chief scientist at the Organic Center. The
69-page report is available online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at
www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php?action=view&report_id=159
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[permaculture] Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years, Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, 12/19/2009