July 14, 1999

A 98-page study on biotechnology and crops finds greater effectiveness in pest control technology results from biotech along with "very competitive cuts in farmers' costs." The study was released by the Biotechnology Industry Organization in Washington.

Conducted by the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy in Washington, the study examined the impact of planting corn, cotton and potatoes modified to ward off destructive pests. The modification involves taking genes from a soil bacterium, the Bt factor, and making them part of the actual plants.

The Bt plants are toxic only to specific pests: Bt corn is protected against European corn borers; Bt cotton targets bollworms and budworms, and Bt potatoes resist Colorado potato beetles. The insects are responsible for more than $1 billion worth of crop destruction each year.

Leonard Gianessi, senior research associate at the National Center, said the findings showed "that rapid adoption of this technology is directly tied to benefits of greater effectiveness in pest control technology and very competitive cuts in farmers' costs." Gianessi presented a briefing on the study Tuesday at the National Press Club.

In 1997, he said, when European corn borer infestation was high, Bt corn increased total yields in the United States by 47 million bushels, increasing profits by $72 million. That year, however, only 4 million acres of Bt corn were planted. In 1998, when 14 million acres of Bt corn were planted, corn borer infestation was very light. But farmers still realized an increase of 60 million bushels with the genetically modified corn. The biotech corn crop also resulted in 2 million fewer acres being sprayed with insecticides, Gianessi said.