USA 2008:

GM cultivation almost at 60 million hectares 

(July 1, 2008) - For farmers in the USA, genetically modified (GM) crops are a matter of course. In 2008,  GM crops were cultivated on almost 60 million hectares. This represents a growth of ten per cent in comparison to 2007, as can be read in the cultivation statistics published on 30 June by the US-American Department of Agriculture.

A significant expansion of GM lines has been observed for maize. The cultivation of GM types increased by seven percentage points and now represents 80 percent of all planted maize. Almost one half of GM maize used in 2008 displays combined resistance to insects and herbicides (due to the presence of ‘stacked genes’). However, the field surface occupied by GM maize has remained almost unchanged (with a slight rise from 27.4 to 27.7 million hectares) as a result of a general reduction in maize area.

In the case of soybean, GM varieties have attained near-exclusivity. Having risen by one percentage point, such soybeans now comprise 92 per cent of total soybean cultivation. This figure rises to more than 95 per cent in the states of Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota and Nebraska. Since significantly greater quantities of soybean were planted in comparison to the previous year, the cultivated field area of GM soybean has risen from 23.6 to 27.7 million hectares.

GM cotton has fallen slightly from 87 to 86 per cent. The total field area for cotton in the USA has attained its lowest acreage since 1983 and now occupies only 3.7 million hectares. Consequently, the field area for GM cotton has been reduced to 3.2 million hectares (2007: 3.9 million hectares).

The official cultivation statistics of the USA Department of Agriculture are published each year in June. The statistics are processed by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, known as NASS, and are based on the evaluation of seed sales and on representative polls of farmers.

See also on GMO-Compass:

• Cultivation of GM crops: Cultivation Areas Worldwide in 2007 (with statistics and diagrams)

Further information:

• USDA - National Agricultural Statistics Service

• NASS 2008; Acreage USA