The lion’s share of U.S. corn, soybeans and cotton sprouts from genetically engineered seed, according to an annual USDA survey of growers. Biotech seeds were used on 93 percent of corn land, 94 percent of soybean land and 96 percent of cotton plantings, says the most recent Acreage report. Each was up the previous year’s total, a sign of the popularity of the varieties with U.S. farmers.
A marketing official at Pioneer Hi-Bred, one of the largest U.S. seed companies, says non-GMO “has emerged as the new niche” at around 5 percent of U.S. corn production, says The Organic and Non-GMO Report. It quotes officials at three smaller seed companies as saying there is an upturn in sales of non-GMO and organic seeds. “Farmers are looking at non-GMO production this year for several reasons, particularly economics,” says the magazine. The seed does not cost as much as GMO varieties and growers can earn a premium if they connect with a buyer who wants non-GMO grain. Some growers are motivated by emergence of insects and weeds resistant to the pesticides recommended for use with GMO crops.