Michael J. Ottman, University of Arizona, Plant Sci. Dept, Forbes 303, P.O. Box 210036, Tucson, AZ 85721
Transgenic crops have changed farming systems in the Western US. The principal transgenic crops in this region are corn grown in all western states, and cotton grown in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. Soybeans are not grown in the West, and acreage of transgenic canola, wheat, and alfalfa are limited. The Roundup Ready trait in corn and cotton has reduced the need for in-season cultivation and allowed conservation tillage systems to develop. Conservation tillage reduces the turnaround time between crops and has facilitated multiple cropping of corn silage in warmer areas. The BT trait has been a very effective tool for pest management in cotton and corn. Insecticide applications have been drastically reduced in these crops and permitted more flexibility in crop rotations. Continuous cropping is not as limited by insects controlled by BT, and rotation to other crops such as tomato that have pests in common (eg. corn ear worm and tomato fruit worm) is not as restrictive.
Back to Symposium--What Have Transgenic Crops Meant For US Farmers? The First 10 Years of Transgenic Corn, Cotton, and Soybean
Back to C03 Crop Ecology, Management & Quality
Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 12-16, 2006)
