Argentina Publishes Comparative Study of GM and Conventional Soybean Crops
By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
Argentine Ministry of Agriculture publishes results of a comparative study between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay on growing genetically modified (GM) soybeans and conventional soybeans
Almost 50 percent of the world’s soybean production is grown in four countries - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. A new study released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentine (MAGP) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) compared the countries soybean production of GM soybeans to conventional soybeans
The study concluded that GM seed cultivation has a positive environmental aspect when compared to conventional soybean cultivation. Growing GM soybeans were found to reduce soil erosion, improve plant nutrition and reduce the amount of fertilizer needed for application which is correlated with nitrous oxide emissions. The positive results are from not just the GM soybean seed itself, but entire technology package which includes, sowing of the seeds, chemical/biological nutrition and the use of different varieties of transgenic soybeans.
The study also found that the use of GM soybeans not only showed to reduce environmental aspects, but the direct costs of cultivation between GM soybeans and conventional was 15 percent difference of GM soybeans over conventional soybeans.