Roundup Ready - Monsanto

WATERBIRDS ON WORKING LANDS
The National Audubon Society received a $2.1 million three-year
grant from the Monsanto Fund to identify the best farming practices
that best help improve environmental health and wildlife habitats
with a focus on agricultural lands and wetlands for waterbirds in the
U.S. Waterbirds are potentially powerful bioindicators of water quality
and the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. The program will study
scientific data related to farming methods, environmental indicators
and bird populations. Audubon will then engage with the farming
community to communicate the multiple benefits of using the
identified best practices. The grant will enable Audubon to extend
its waterbird conservation work and to partner with growers in
promoting environmentally responsible farming systems.
YieldGard Rootworm Corn – Agronomic,
Economic and Environmental Impacts
Corn rootworm is the most damaging insect pest in corn crops, resulting in millions of pounds of insecticide
use and more than $1 billion annually in crop losses and control costs. YieldGard Rootworm corn — one of
Monsanto’s most recently commercialized products — contains a protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt),
a common soil microbe, to provide in-plant protection against corn rootworm.
YieldGard Rootworm corn had its first commercial planting in 2003. A modeling study conducted by Dr. Marlin
Rice of Iowa State University estimated the potential annual impacts of the use of YieldGard Rootworm corn based
on 10 million U.S. planted acres. Analysis of actual commercial field data will be the focus of future reports.
Rice found that YieldGard Rootworm corn could provide a number of agronomic, economic, worker safety
and environmental benefits. 10 It could reduce the amount of soil-applied insecticide needed by 5.3 million
pounds (active ingredient). This could result in a corresponding reduction in labor, worker exposure, and
fossil fuels used in the manufacture, transport, and application of insecticide. Rice also found that YieldGard
Rootworm corn could increase yield protection from 9 percent to 28 percent relative to no insecticide use,
and from 1.5 percent to 4.5 percent relative to control with a soil insecticide. He estimates that farmers would
see an economic benefit of $231 million from yield gains ($25 to $75 an acre relative to no insecticide control,
$4 to $12 an acre relative to control with a
Table 1: Potential Impacts of Yieldgard Rootworm Corn for
Control of Rootworm Pests
Impact* Resources Reduced
CONSERVATION OF WATER RESOURCES » 5.7 million gallons
REDUCTION OF DIESEL FUEL » 3.1-5.2 million gallons
REDUCTION IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS
FOR INSECTICIDES » 1.2 million containers
REDUCTION IN AVIATION FUEL » 68,845 gallons
* Annual impact based on 10 million planted acres of YieldGard Rootworm corn
PHOTO: PAUL AND ENG-LI GREEN
soil insecticide).
WATERBIRDS ARE
BIOINDICATORS OF
WATER QUALITY.
In addition, a study conducted by Alston et al.
found that YieldGard Rootworm corn would
generate $460 million more in incremental
economic benefits a year than corn treated
with a soil insecticide. 11
{ MONSANTO COMPANY 2004 PLEDGE REPORT: PAGES 6-7 }