October 26, 2007

 

UK conference discusses pros and cons of GM crops

 

 

While GM crops have solved a series of common agricultural problems, it has given rise to a host of new ones, according to the XVI International Plant Protection Congress organised by the British Crop Production Council.

 

Currently, close to 70 percent of the world's soy is now GM, along with 40 percent of corn.

 

Companies, in addition to developing GM crops with herbicide and pesticide resistance, have also stacked these traits to further enhance crop protection, the conference noted.

 

The latest technologies allow eight different herbicide tolerance and insect resistance genes as a new variety by Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto showed.

 

Mike Owen from Iowa State University believed GM technology would be crucial to meet America's growing demand for corn crop to fuel its ethanol industries.

 

One of the biggest savings GM crops had brought about was the elimination of the need for conservation tillage thus cutting soil erosion, sedimentation of watercourses and diesel on top of more effective weed control and yield advantages, he said.

 

However, problems with GM crops are becoming more apparent as more farmers grow GM crops. 

 

Some weed and pest species have now evolved to adapt to GM crops and new weeds and pests, such as the Commelina communis (Asiatic dayflower) and the western beet cutworm, have emerged.

 

Part of the reason is due to the selection pressures arising through intensive crop production, speakers at the conference said. 

 

Genes from GM crop are also spreading in the field due to pollination.

 

There is also concern that growers are not adhering to laws for growing GM crops. Numerous growers were flouting the rules designed to prevent cross pollination and relieve selection pressures such as planting non-GM crops in up to 20 percent of their land.

 

Although there are problems with GM crops, the benefits outweigh the perceived risks, the conference noted.