Editor’s note: This commentary is by Louise H. Calderwood, who is government relations director for the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance in Craftsbury.
[T]he recently printed opinion piece written by Will Allen and Michael Colby listed many concerns about GMO crops grown in Vermont. The authors correctly state that 90 percent of the corn (and an equal percentage of soybeans) grown in Vermont are GMO varieties. Why do farmers use the crops? What do they feel are the benefits? Take a few minutes to read about the use of modern technology from a farmer’s perspective.
Why do the farmers choose to use GMO seeds? What do they see as the benefits that influence their decision to adopt GMO technology? Why are they willing to pay more for GMO seed than conventional seed? Are GMOs part of sustainable agriculture?
Soil Health and Water Quality
Public concerns about water quality and soil health are rightfully gaining headlines in the popular press. Vermont dairy farmers share these concerns and recognize the positive role of GMO crops in helping them address these concerns.
GMO technology goes hand in hand with good soil management. GMO crops are a vital tool in the use of no-till soil management, planting seeds directly into soil without plowing the land. Combining no-till with planting of cover crops in the fall improves soil health and supports water conservation. The sod cover and root system remain, increasing soil organic matter and water holding capacity.
Improving soil health is the baseline of good farming practices and GMOs are a valued tool used by farmers.
By reducing the fuel used to prepare fields and spray crops for pests, GMO technology has significantly reduced the release of fuel and soil greenhouse gas emissions from crop production.
Through no-till planting, by leaving the sod in place over soil, there is reduced runoff of soil sediment carried in rainfall and snowmelt. GMO seeds provide farmers with flexibility to rotate quickly between crops and address erosion problems before they escalate. Pesticides previously used by Vermont farmers had residual effects on plants and required more forward planning for crop rotation than the pesticides used in connection with GMOs. Farmers maintain buffers along streams, carefully manage all fertilizer and manure use and rely on GMOs to help protect water quality.
Dairy Cow Diet Quality
Many Vermont dairy farmers have observed that improvements in soil health through the GMO supported combination of no-till and cover cropping has increased the yield and quality of their corn crop. Using GMO seeds allows the farm to plant corn quickly, which is essential in the cool Northeast climate. By planting their corn crop early, farms can quickly move on to harvesting high quality, early cut grass forages. Dairy farmers are always working to improve the quality of the feed they grow to protect the health of their cows and reduce the amount of grain they have to buy in from the Midwest.
Energy Use
The use of GMO crops reduces the need to plow soil, greatly reducing tractor fuel necessary to prepare fields for planting. If fields are plowed they also require harrowing, a second tractor step to smooth the soil in preparation for planting. Both plowing and harrowing require significant horsepower to drag heavy equipment through the soil. The use of GMOs allows farmers to plant corn with one tractor trip in each field rather than three trips.
By reducing the fuel used to prepare fields and spray crops for pests, GMO technology has significantly reduced the release of fuel and soil greenhouse gas emissions from crop production. Globally in 2010 the reduction was equivalent to removing 8.6 million cars from roads.
Pesticide Use
The traits found in GMO crops fall into two broad categories: herbicide resistance and resistance to pests such as the corn rootworm. Before the widespread adoption of GMO seeds, farmers used carefully chosen combinations of herbicides or insecticides to maintain the productivity and health of their crops. With the advent of genetic engineering, crops are able to mount their own defense against pests and insecticide use has decreased dramatically. GMO technology has also eliminated the use of herbicides with prolonged biological activity and replaced them with crop protection chemicals that quickly break down into inert compounds.
GMO technology has reduced the total volume of pesticide spraying by more than 30 percent. The change in the type of spray used has decreased the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on crops as well.
Farmers use tools that work.
It took a span of nearly 90 years from the first use of a tractor in a farm field for the “wheeled horse” to replace the hooved horse on U.S. farms. By contrast, in the 18 years since GMO traits have been commercially available in soy, corn and cotton, nearly 90 percent of all U.S. acres have been planted to the seeds. Why? Because GMO crops help farmers care for the soil, water and their livestock.
