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Jury out on environmental impact of GM soy

Nature Biotechnology volume 19, pages 700–701 (2001)Cite this article

RR soybeans have been genetically modified by Monsanto (St. Louis, MO) to be resistant to glyphosate, a broad-spectrum herbicide sold by Monsanto as Roundup. This allows farmers to spray while the crop is growing—when weeds are a more serious threat—without harming it. Monsanto claimed this would reduce herbicide use by up to 30%, but environmental groups argued the GM crop would encourage farmers to douse fields with herbicides, increasing their use by up to 200%.

The first report, Troubled Times Amid Commercial Success for Roundup Ready Soybean, was written by biotechnology advisor Charles Benbrook at the Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Center in Sandpoint Idaho in the US. “RR soybeans clearly require more herbicides than conventional soybeans,” concludes Benbrook. He also claims the yield of RR soybeans can be up to 10% less than the yield of conventional soybeans.

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  1. Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Marianne Heselmans

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  1. Marianne Heselmans
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Heselmans, M. Jury out on environmental impact of GM soy. Nat Biotechnol 19, 700–701 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/90725

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