Fact Sheets
Agricultural Biotechnology: Helping Increase Crop Yields for America's Farmers
Did You Know?
Since the introduction of agricultural biotechnology, farmers' crop yields – the amount of grain or fiber produced per acre of land – have increased dramatically in the United States. Crop yields are expected to continue increasing, allowing farmers to produce more corn, soybeans, cotton, and other crops on the same number of acres without having to cultivate additional land.
Corn
In the United States, where today 85% of the nation's corn acreage is planted with biotechnology varieties (USDA ERS, 2009), yields have increased 36% since 1995, the last year before biotech varieties were commercially planted (USDA NASS).
Soybeans
With about 91% of the U.S. soybean acreage now planted with biotech varieties (USDA ERS, 2009), soybean yields have increased 12% since 1995 (USDA NASS).
Cotton
Eighty-eight percent of U.S. cotton is now enhanced by biotechnology (USDA ERS, 2009). Since 1995, cotton yields have increased 31% in the thirteen years that biotech cotton has been grown in this country (USDA NASS).
CITATIONS:
United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) http://www.nass.usda.gov/Data_and_Statistics/Quick_Stats/index.asp
Yield increases were calculated by comparing 1995 yields (the year prior to the introduction of biotech varieties) of each crop with 2008 yields of each crop.
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service Report, Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S., 2008. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/