St. Louis, Missouri
February 4, 2002
Corn growers continue to show
responsible management of the environment by practicing good
stewardship of crops developed through biotechnology, the
National Corn Growers Association
(NCGA) announced today.
A recent survey of U.S. corn growers who grow biotech hybrids
showed the majority of those farmers are implementing management
practices that will help avoid the potential of insect
resistance to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn. Results of the
survey conducted during harvest 2001 were forwarded to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Jan. 31.
"This survey shows U.S. corn growers understand the need to
follow good insect resistance management practices and are
implementing these practices on a broad scale. Nine out of 10 Bt
cornfields were planted within 1/2 mile of the appropriate
non-Bt refuge," said Leon Corzine, a corn grower from
Assumption, Ill., and chairman of the NCGA Biotechnology Working
Group.
"The survey results demonstrate that when given the appropriate
information corn growers are responsible stewards of this
technology. It's also an indication of how we are working to
maintain the long-term sustainability of new technology as it
becomes available. This is another example of how corn growers
are continuing to protect crops with products that are
increasingly environmentally friendly."
Corzine pointed out the organization's nationwide membership of
32,000 has long been promoters of stewardship of the biotech
hybrids with the Insect Resistance Management (IRM) program and
through NCGA's Know Before You Grow information campaign about
corn hybrids. Information on both programs is available at
NCGA's website, www.ncga.com
.
The survey reports 87 percent of growers planting Bt corn in
2001 met the guidelines established by the U.S. EPA. The U.S.
EPA requires growers of Bt corn to plant at least 20 percent of
their acreage with non-Bt hybrids in the Corn Belt. In the
Cotton Belt, the requirement is 50 percent because Bt cotton can
also be planted nearby. In each area, growers are also required
to plant their refuge within a half-mile of the Bt field,
preferably within a quarter mile of the field.
These standards are to avoid the potential for insects to
develop resistance to Bt. Corn hybrids with Bt traits protect
the plant against specific insects, such as the European and
Southwestern Corn Borers. Corn borers severely damage corn
plants, which dramatically cuts yields and reduces farmers'
incomes.
Insect specialists say over time it's theoretically possible for
some corn borers to naturally develop resistance to any control
strategy. IRM plans are designed to keep the insects from
developing resistance by providing a "refuge" of non-Bt corn
where susceptible borers can mate with borers that may be
resistant to Bt. To date, no Bt resistance has been detected
within cornfields.
The survey also found that 89 percent -- up from 82 percent in
2000 -- of those surveyed met the requirement that all their Bt
cornfields be within one- half mile of a non-Bt field.
Ninety-two percent of growers questioned said IRM plans for Bt
corn were important. Also, nearly seven of every 10 growers who
regularly use insecticides to control corn borers indicated
their use of conventional insecticides to control corn borer had
either significantly decreased or decreased somewhat since they
started growing Bt corn.
More than 550 growers responded to the survey conducted in
October and November 2001 among Bt corn users in the Corn Belt
and Cotton Belt. The survey was conducted by an independent
research firm for the Agricultural Biotechnology Stewardship
Technical Committee (ABSTC), a consortium of companies that
provide biotech products. ABSTC includes Aventis CropScience USA
LP, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Monsanto Co., Mycogen Seeds, Pioneer
Hi-Bred International, and Syngenta Seeds Inc.
Annual survey reports are required under the U.S. EPA's Bt Corn
Industry Insect Resistant Management Plan, which was developed
by ABSTC, the NCGA and university scientists.
Besides its members NCGA represents hundreds of thousands of
corn growers through state corn checkoff programs. For more
information about biotechnology and NCGA, visit
www.ncga.com.
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