The Promise of GMOs: Do GM crops encourage conservation tillage?

As part of Biology Fortified’s serious The Promise of GMO‘s, geneticist Anastasia Bodnar, the co-founder of the website, asks: Have GMOs lived up to their promises?

We often hear: “Biotech is helping to feed the world by: [Allowing] farmers to reduce tilling farmland.”

Tilling, the process of turning the soil, is one way to control weeds. Imagine going out in your yard and turning the sod over. It’d be a little while before weed seeds were able to germinate again, and farmers can use this time gap to get their crops started. Unfortunately, tilling isn’t that great at stopping weeds so farmers often (but not always) have to use other weed control methods anyway. Tilling also causes erosion and runoff, greenhouse gasses escape from the soil, and it takes a lot of energy and time to plow all those acres.

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Verdict: Promise met.

Read the full original article: The Promise of GMOs: Conservation Tillage