Environmental benefits of genetically modified crops: Global and European perspectives on their ability to reduce pesticide use
2002
Phipps, R.H. | Park, J.R. (Reading University (United Kingdom). Centre of Dairy Research)
On a global basis genetically modified (GM) technology has reduce pesticide use, with size of the reduction varying between crops and the introduced trait. It is estimated that the use of GH soybean, oil seed rape, cotton and maize varieties modified for herbicide tolerance and insect protected GM varieties of cotton reduced pesticide use by a total of 23.3 million kg of formulated product in the year 2000. Estimates indicate that if 50 percent of the maize, oil seed rape, sugar beet and cotton grown in the EU were GM varieties, pesticide used in the EU/annum would decrease by 14.5 million kg of formulated product. In addition there would be a reduction of 7.5 million ha sprayed which would save 20.5 million liters of diesel and result in reduction approximately 73,000 t of carbon dioxide being released into atmosphere. The paper also points to areas where GM technology may make further marked reduction in global pesticide use
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