USDA: Farmers Continue to Adopt Biotech Crops across the U.S.

The USDA Economic Research Service released its annual report on the adoption of herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops. Based on the USDA survey data, there has been a substantial growth in the amount od biotech soybeans, corn, and cotton planted in the U.S. The acreage of herbicide tolerant soybeans increased from 17 % of the US soybean acreage from in 1997 to 93 percent in 2012. Plantings of herbicide tolerant corn raised from 10% of the U.S. acreage in 1997 to 80 percent in 2012. On the other hand, plantings of insect resistant Bt corn grew from 8% in 1997 to 67% in 2012 while Bt cotton plantings increased more swiftly from 15 percent in 1997 to 77% in 2012.

For more details, view http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us.aspx.