Superweeds? Suicides? Stealthy genes? The true, the false and the still unknown about transgenic crops
In the pitched debate over genetically modified (GM) foods and crops, it can be hard to see where scientific evidence ends and dogma and speculation begin. In the nearly 20 years since they were first commercialized, GM crop technologies have seen dramatic uptake. Advocates say that they have increased agricultural production by more than US$98 billion and saved an estimated 473 million kilograms of pesticides from being sprayed. But critics question their environmental, social and economic impacts.
Researchers, farmers, activists and GM seed companies all stridently promote their views, but the scientific data are often inconclusive or contradictory. Complicated truths have long been obscured by the fierce rhetoric. “I find it frustrating that the debate has not moved on,” says Dominic Glover, an agricultural socioeconomist at Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands. “The two sides speak different languages and have different opinions on what evidence and issues matter,” he says.
Here, Nature takes a look at three pressing questions: are GM crops fuelling the rise of herbicide-resistant ‘superweeds’? Are they driving farmers in India to suicide? And are the foreign transgenes in GM crops spreading into other plants? These controversial case studies show how blame shifts, myths are spread and cultural insensitivities can inflame debate.
GM crops have bred superweeds: True
Jay Holder, a farming consultant in Ashburn, Georgia, first noticed Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in a client’s transgenic cotton fields about five years ago. Palmer amaranth is a particular pain for farmers in the southeastern United States, where it outcompetes cotton for moisture, light and soil nutrients and can quickly take over fields.
Since the late 1990s, US farmers had widely adopted GM cotton engineered to tolerate the herbicide glyphosate, which is marketed as Roundup by Monsanto in St Louis, Missouri. The herbicide–crop combination worked spectacularly well — until it didn’t. In 2004, herbicide-resistant amaranth was found in one county in Georgia; by 2011, it had spread to 76. “It got to the point where some farmers were losing half their cotton fields to the weed,” says Holder.
Some scientists and anti-GM groups warned that GM crops, by encouraging liberal use of glyphosate, were spurring the evolution of herbicide resistance in many weeds. Twenty-four glyphosate-resistant weed species have been identified since Roundup-tolerant crops were introduced in 1996. But herbicide resistance is a problem for farmers regardless of whether they plant GM crops.
The Latest Bing News on:
Genetically Modified Crops
- Agricultural companies use new tools for herbicide discoveryon June 22, 2022 at 4:59 am
The drought was not for lack of potential targets; instead, experts blame the introduction of genetically modified “Roundup Ready” crops resistant to glyphosate, increased regulatory costs and ...
- GM crops in China have serious implications for global agricultureon June 21, 2022 at 8:41 pm
The Chinese National Crop Variety Approval Committee recently released two standards that clear the path for cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops in the country. I understand this has been the ...
- China to adopt genetically modified maize, soy: why it matters for SAon June 18, 2022 at 11:18 pm
Some of South Africa’s key maize export markets are South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. All have proximity to China.
- Africa: China to Adopt Genetically Modified Maize and Soy - Why It Matters for South Africaon June 18, 2022 at 12:03 pm
Analysis - Something important for global agriculture happened this past week but received minimal media coverage. The Chinese National Crop Variety Approval Committee released two standards that ...
- Why China’s adoption of genetically modified maize and soy affects South Africaon June 17, 2022 at 8:48 am
Though most countries have resisted cultivating genetically modified crops, South Africa has been the exception.
- Rising Food Prices Showcase The Need For Greater Innovations In Agricultureon June 17, 2022 at 8:14 am
With an expanding global population and greater attention being paid to sustainability, novel approaches to agriculture may be at least as important in the long run. Read more here.
- C.R. Bhatia, former DBT secretary who paved way for research on GM crops in India, passes awayon June 14, 2022 at 11:46 pm
Colleagues remember Chittranjan Bhatia, 86, as a father figure and avowed geneticist who placed special emphasis on how science could translate into more income for farmers.
- India’s GM Crops Regulation Should Be Based on a Gene’s Effects, Not Its Sourceon June 14, 2022 at 10:17 pm
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- A Solution to the Wheat Shortage: Genetically Modified Cropson June 10, 2022 at 11:03 am
The world has gotten over the ‘frankenfood’ panic, but the industry hasn’t overcome its GMO fears.
- DAWSON: The dark side of genetically-modified foodon June 7, 2022 at 8:00 am
Borlaug pioneered genetically modified food to increase crop yield and remedy global food shortages. Borlaug’s better breeding techniques combined with modern biotechnology and genetic engineering ...
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Herbicide resistance
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Following the success of its commercial launch in North America earlier this year, agtech pioneer, Greeneye Technology, today announces ...
- Agricultural companies use new tools for herbicide discoveryon June 22, 2022 at 4:59 am
Farmers use weed-killing herbicides on nearly all major crops grown in the U.S., but over time, weeds have evolved resistance to these products. According to a cover story in Chemical & Engineering ...
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Crop (Corn, Soybean, Wheat, Sorghum, Barley, Rice), Herbicide Selectivity, Herbicide Application Stage (Post-emergence, Pre-emergence) & Region - Forecast to 2027” report has been added to ...
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Blackgrass control is set to become easier to achieve this autumn in winter wheat with the launch of the first new mode of action herbicide for decades, ...
- Combatting herbicide-resistant weedson June 17, 2022 at 7:26 pm
The ongoing battle against herbicide-resistant weeds is forcing farmers to get creative in their weed management strategies. Ryan Bivens farms in central Kentucky. “We had to go back to kind of the ...
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Herbicide-resistant crops are now commonplace in the U.S. and Canada. With proper stewardship, these same crop-trait technologies can also play a key role in integrated weed management—reducing the ...
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But even if new products do emerge, many experts warn that farmers should moderate their use of herbicides to avoid the evolution of resistance going forward. The first herbicide-resistant weeds ...
- Review examines the impact of herbicide-resistant crops on weed managementon June 16, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Herbicide-resistant crops are now commonplace in the U.S. and Canada. With proper stewardship, these same crop-trait technologies can also play a key role in integrated weed management – reducing the ...
- Considerations for successful post-emergence herbicide applicationon June 14, 2022 at 4:15 am
Timely and effective herbicide applications will carry much of the weight in most weed management programs, since very few weeds were present at the time of pre-plant tillage this year ...