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Acres Of Genetically Modified Corn Nearly Doubled In A Decade

Neil Palmer
/
Creative Commons

More than 90 percent of U.S. field corn is genetically modified, according to recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Genetically modified seeds have been embedded with a gene鈥攗sually from a bacteria鈥攖hat protects the corn from pests or herbicides. And the percentage of  genetically modified seed within the U.S. corn crop nearly doubled over the past 10 years, from less than half of the total planted corn acres in 2004 to 93 percent this year, up from 90 percent last year.

Soybeans have a slightly higher figure, at 94 percent containing a genetic modification, but those seeds have been available longer. In 2004, already 85 percent of soybeans contained an engineered trait.

Iowa State University extension agronomist Mark Johnson says the leap in corn adoption is partly thanks to the success of the first genetically modified corn seed, which fought off a bug called the European corn borer.

鈥淭he first one was very, very, very effective,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淭here has never been any resistance found anywhere. And so that made the adoption of the other ones so much more rapid.鈥�

Johnson says subsequent traits for corn rootworm and herbicides haven鈥檛 been as successful,  in some pests and plants. And, Johnson says, there will always be some farmers who reject genetically modified seed.

鈥淪ome people are just philosophically opposed, some people don鈥檛 want to spend the money, some people realize it doesn鈥檛 make sense some times,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淎nd, in fact, some seed companies reported that their non-GMO seed sales went up this year.鈥�

That鈥檚 a trend Johnson said may continue if the price of corn falls even more than it has already this year.

鈥淚f we see corn drop down to $3.25 a bushel,鈥� he said, 鈥減eople are going to look at those economics a lot harder.鈥�

The more genetic modification goes into the bag鈥攕ome seeds contain three traits鈥攖he more expensive the seed gets. But even if there鈥檚 some backing away, Johnson says genetic modification has rid the farmer of two of corn鈥檚 worst enemies. And that means GMO corn is likely here to stay.

Amy Mayer is a reporter based in Ames. She covers agriculture and is part of the Harvest Public Media collaboration. Amy worked as an independent producer for many years and also previously had stints as weekend news host and reporter at WFCR in Amherst, Massachusetts and as a reporter and host/producer of a weekly call-in health show at KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Amy鈥檚 work has earned awards from SPJ, the Alaska Press Club and the Massachusetts/Rhode Island AP. Her stories have aired on NPR news programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition and on Only A Game, Marketplace and Living on Earth. She produced the 2011 documentary Peace Corps Voices, which aired in over 160 communities across the country and has written for The New York Times, Boston Globe, Real Simple and other print outlets. Amy served on the board of directors of the Association of Independents in Radio from 2008-2015.
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