In 1996 Monsanto introduced commercially a transgenic cotton with in-seed insect-protection against the cotton bollworm. In 1997 Monsanto introduced commercially a transgenic corn which had in-built protection from the European corn borer. Also, that year, a new genetically engineered cotton variety which had both bollworm resistance and glyphosate tolerant properties.

Farmers were promised higher yields and lower costs and thus more profit if they grew these transgenic crops. Have the biotech companies been able to deliver on these assurances.

India.

According to Andrew Malone writing in the Daily Mail, it is correct what Prince Charles said about thousands of farmers in the Maharashtra state, India, committing suicide after running up large debts due to the crop failure of genetically engineered pest proof varieties of cotton. The farmers were promised that the genetically engineered Bt cotton would not need pesticides, would be free of disease and insect pests. Instead their Bt cotton was devastated by the parasite pink bollworm. This was because the cotton is resistant to green bollworm but not pink bollworm.

Though the yields were lower some forty percent of farmers did manage to make a small profit, as compared to the sixty percent of farmers who made a loss, from growing the cotton. But because the quality of the Bt cotton is poor, the fibres are shorter, farmers are paid not as much per kilo. So farmers who grow cotton have reduced yields and get lesser returns on the Bt cotton they do produce. Why would any farmer wish to grow transgenic cotton.

To make matters worse the seeds sold to the farmers are "terminator" seeds. This means that the cotton plants only bear infertile seeds. So even if the farmer does manage to get even a low yield of Bt cotton he can not make use of these seeds to plant next years crop but has to buy in more seeds every year and these genetically engineered seeds are very costly.

South Africa.

Farmers in three provinces -- North West, Free State and Mpumalanga, in South Africa -- have had up to eighty percent crop shortfall with three varieties of genetically engineered corn. Monsanto blamed the crop failures on a mistake in the laboratory, made during the seed production process. Opponents of genetically engineered food, however, say that the science behind genetic modification is not right.

Super-weeds.

Another inconvenience of growing genetically engineered crops that are made to be tolerant of glyphosate is that over time when crops are sprayed with the weed killer, the weeds also become resistant to the herbicide. According to The International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds there are now nine weed species, in different areas within the United States, that are resistant to the glyphosate weed killer.

When you consider that glyphosate is one of the most harmful and most popular of all weed killers then once a weed species becomes tolerant to it, it may be hard to find a herbicide that will finish off the weeds but leave the food crop standing.

When farmers are finding their acreage infested with these super-weeds they are been advised to increase the amount of glyphosate they normally use on the food plants and if this does not clear up the problem they are advised to add a selection of different herbicides. So farmers end up by spraying the food crops with many distinctive types of weed killers including extensive amounts of glyphosate. Using more herbicides means more expenses and lower returns.

Georgia, United States.

The state of Georgia is being invaded, not by Triffids, but by pigweed (Palmer Amaranth). Over one-hundred thousand acres of arable land in Georgia is severely infested with this glyphosate tolerant superweed says weed technical expert Stanley Culpepper from the University of Georgia.

Pigweed is a fast-growing, drought-resistant, incredibly prolific weed that smothers the cotton plants starving them of sunlight, nutrients and water. The infestation has got so bad that some farmers are weeding their cotton plants by hand. Other farmers are giving up and abandoning their arable land to the weeds.

Long Term Trends.

The evidence seems to suggest that growing genetically modified crops will eventually lead to smaller yields and higher costs, which means deflated profits.

When Searching For Fine Quality Farm Tractor Tires, Should One Look For Used Or New?
The tractor has made the life of every farmer easy and farmer's work much lighter and easier. It has become one of the most important tools to run a farm and to keep it in good condition. However, tractors must be well maintained to give a long service life.

There Are Plenty Of Hair Piece Considerations To Examine
If you are wondering whether or not to replace your lost hair, there are a few hair piece considerations that you should weigh up before ordering a hair piece. Perhaps, the first thing to consider is the emotional aspect of losing your hair.

Social Bookmarks Will Boost Your Backlinks With Normal Search Engines Positively
Social bookmarking as brought to you by Albert F A Matthews has become the new slogan for the idea of 'word of mouth' in today's electronic networking age. You used to forward emails or links to pals you thought might like to see something you saw on the internet.

Bring Spa Home With Spa Treatments And Spa Gifts Living Spa
The Spa and Well-Being Industry has been fueled by cutting edge technology & ancient ideas in health, wellness, fitness, beauty, design, and cuisine. Spas are a resource to educate oneself with caring professionals. These gifts are essential as stresses of life pile up.

Why Study About Training Silky Terriers
If you have a Silky Terrier, then it is essential that your dog knows how to follow your commands, and how to be good company for you and the family. To achieve this, you must teach your dog to be obedient and loyal.

When Should You Prepare For Retiree Health Insurance
Retiree health insurance plans can be pretty confusing, especially when there are so many obligations to fulfill. However, health insurance should be mandatory for retirees, because as they grow older, their health obviously becomes more of an issue

Adventure Travel Tips That One Will Need To Know
Everyone loves an adventure. Travel tips can help you to ensure that your adventure will not be a disappointment, or a disaster. Here are a few adventure travel tips from people who are experienced travelers.

Discover How To Generate A Opt In Email Lead That Will Stick
Jesse Avalos has discovered that the number one problem in network marketing programs is not just generating a optin lead, but generating a optin lead that will stick around more than 90 days, and also helps to recruit other business opportunity leads.