794
edits
Changes
SW: →Herbicide resistance and usage: update
==Herbicide resistance and usage ==
There is now an attempt to verify worldwide how bad the problem of herbicide resistance has become. WeedScience documents (so far) "323 388 Resistant Biotypes, 187 209 Species (112 123 dicots and 75 86 monocots) and over 300570,000 fields" [http://www.weedscience.org/] [http://www.farmassist.com/resistance/] [http://www.plantprotection.org/HRAC/]. Most of the resistances here are due to herbicide overuse in general however because those weeds tolerant of Roundup are closely associated with our food supply and the because of the ''ubiquity'' of Roundup Ready crops they are a particular concern. According to Monsanto the 2007 worldwide total of their GM crops are 234-242 million acres [http://www.monsanto.com/pdf/pubs/2007/Q32007Acreage.pdf].
"The explosion in the adoption of glyphosate-resistant crops outpaces any other adoption of technology in modern history (including the tractor, fertilizer and hybrid corn)" [http://web.archive.org/web/20060901072731/http://ipm.missouri.edu/ipcm/archives/v13n4/ipmltr1.htm]. See also [http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/35/executivesummary/default.html Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2006].
'''Update:''' Benbrook has revised the numbers. As of 2008 he says, "The basic finding is that compared to pesticide use in the absence of GE crops, farmers applied 318 million more pounds of pesticides over the last 13 years as a result of planting GE seeds. This difference represents an average increase of about 0.25 pound for each acre planted to a GE trait. GE crops are pushing pesticide use upward at a rapidly accelerating pace. In 2008, GE crop acres required over 26% more pounds of pesticides per acre than acres planted to conventional varieties. The report projects that this trend will continue as a result of the rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds" <ref>[http://www.organic-center.org/science.pest.php?action=view&report_id=159 Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years] November 2009</ref>. "'This report confirms what we've been saying for years,' said Bill Freese, science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety. 'The most common type of genetically engineered crops promotes increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of resistant weeds, and more chemical residues in our foods. This may be profitable for the biotech/pesticide companies, but it's bad news for farmers, human health and the environment'" <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1752655520091117 Biotech crops cause big jump in pesticide use-report] Reuters, Nov 17, 2009</ref>.
'''Update:''' As expected, herbicide usage on GM fields has continued to rise. As of 2011, "*Herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops have INCREASED herbicide use by a total or 527 million pounds (239 million kgs)" [http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14041:new-benbrook-data-blow-away-claims-of-pesticide-reduction-due-to-gm-crops&utm_source=New%20Benbrook%20data%20blow%20away%20claims%20of%20pesticide%20reduction%20due%20to%20GM%20crops&utm_campaign=gmo&utm_medium=email]
Self described agricultural nerd, Tom Philpott, happened upon ag periodicals wherein flummoxed food weed managers and farmers discuss what to do about growing weed and resistance problems on GM and conventional fields, "And that is causing farmers to think hard about the pesticide-treadmill problem—the situation wherein weeds and other pests develop resistance to poisons, demanding ever higher doses of old poisons and constant development of novel ones". Philpott reveals "herbicide names being dropped like those of starlets in a gossip column". [http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-20-farmers-battle-weeds-chemical-treadmill-speeds/]. It would be humorous if not so serious. "'''Highly toxic herbicides, some of them banned in other countries, which glyphosate was supposed to replace, have had to be brought back in use in addition to glyphosate. These include 2,4D, 2,4DB, Atrazine, Paraquat, Metsulphuron Methyl, Imazethapyr'''." [http://www.risq.org/article168.html]. See also [http://www.grain.org/research/contamination.cfm?id=95 Argentina's bitter harvest]