If GE crops haven’t significantly increased yields, why have so many farmers adopted them?
GE crops have provided other benefits important to U.S. farmers. Bt corn provides protection against insect pests, and the GE traits are often available in varieties producing higher yields as a result of traditional breeding. GE soybeans provide increased convenience and save time. Herbicide-tolerant (HT) soybeans are engineered with genes from bacteria or other organisms that are not affected by a particular herbicide, such as glyphosate (also known as Roundup). Prior to the introduction of HT soybeans, conventional farmers often used three or four different herbicides applied several times a year, and these usually had to be applied when the crop was not growing to avoid damage. With HT soybeans, farmers found that they had flexibility to apply glyphosate herbicide directly onto the crop during the growing season, and to do so only once or twice. Recently, however, this time-saving benefit has begun to diminish with the advent of weeds that have developed resistance to glyphosate an
