Most corn and soybean acres in the U.S. are planted in genetically modified (GM) seeds, and farmers pay a high price in technology fees to use them. Now a scientific study looks at just how well these high-priced seeds deliver on higher yields. The Union of Concerned Scientists has published Failure to Yield, a report reviewing two dozen academic studies of corn and soybeans. Doug Gurian-Sherman, senior scientist for the UCS, found that while insect-resistant corn has improved yields marginally, herbicide-tolerant corn and soybeans have not increased yields at all.

The study attributed the increase in yields for both corn and soybeans over the last 13 years to traditional breeding or improvements in agricultural practices. It also identified several approaches, such as low-external-input and organic practices, with the potential to reduce yield loss from weeds, corn borer and rootworm in soybeans and corn.

Publicly funded research programs should not put all their resources in biotechnological research at the expense of traditional breeding and farming systems research. These results suggest that increased investments in low-input farming systems research and in traditional breeding methods could boost crop yields and have other benefits as well.

Contact: Julia Hudson, juliah@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1023 for more information.