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Pesticide Use Increases on Engineered Cotton in China
Pesticide use increases on engineered cotton in China
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
In some cases, Bt crops genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide require
less pesticide than conventional crops, but scientists at Cornell University found that the
effect can be short-lived. Their survey of Chinese farmers revealed that initially the
farmers used fewer pesticide applications on Bt cotton. The Bt toxin killed the cotton's
primary insect pest, bollworms. But soon the farmers had to apply pesticide to control
unexpected outbreaks of other pests that were previously kept in check by both pesticides
and an active bollworm population, and seven years after adopting the Bt technology they
were using just as much pesticide as growers of conventional cotton. Since engineered
seed costs two to three times as much as conventional seed, the renewed pesticide use
meant the Bt cotton farmers' earnings fell below those of conventional cotton farmers.
Read the study (pdf).
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
In some cases, Bt crops genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide require
less pesticide than conventional crops, but scientists at Cornell University found that the
effect can be short-lived. Their survey of Chinese farmers revealed that initially the
farmers used fewer pesticide applications on Bt cotton. The Bt toxin killed the cotton's
primary insect pest, bollworms. But soon the farmers had to apply pesticide to control
unexpected outbreaks of other pests that were previously kept in check by both pesticides
and an active bollworm population, and seven years after adopting the Bt technology they
were using just as much pesticide as growers of conventional cotton. Since engineered
seed costs two to three times as much as conventional seed, the renewed pesticide use
meant the Bt cotton farmers' earnings fell below those of conventional cotton farmers.
Read the study (pdf).