Report finds limited prospects for genetically engineered crops to combat drought and conserve water.
onsanto’s
new drought tolerant corn, DroughtGard, reduces crop losses only
modestly during moderate droughts, and will not reduce the crop’s water
requirements, according to a report released today by the Union of
Concerned Scientists (UCS). The report found that traditional breeding
and improved farming practices have done more to increase drought
tolerance, and that further improvements in genetic engineering are
unlikely to solve the drought problem in coming years.
"Farmers are always looking to reduce losses from
drought, but the biotechnology industry has made little real-world
progress on this problem," said Doug Gurian-Sherman, a senior scientist
with UCS’s Food & Environment Program and author of the report.
"Despite many years of research and millions of dollars in development
costs, DroughtGard doesn’t outperform the non-engineered alternatives."
Agriculture accounts for about 70 percent of all water
extracted from rivers and wells, making drought a serious and costly
problem for farmers. An extreme drought is still plaguing Texas,
triggering a record $5.2 billion in agricultural losses in 2011 alone.
Monsanto’s new corn is not likely to provide any practical help under
such conditions, even by the company’s guarded claims.
The report, High and Dry: Why Genetic Engineering is Not Solving Agriculture’s Drought Problem in a Thirsty World,
found that during limited testing, DroughtGard-the only crop engineered
for drought tolerance approved for commercial use-reduced crop losses
by about 6 percent. By comparison, breeding and improved farming
practices have increased drought tolerance by roughly 1 percent per year
over the past several decades.
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