U.S. Corn Crop Is Now 92% Genetically Modified
- U.S. corn is 92% GMO, compared with 85% in 2009, 25% in 2000
- Crop technology has ‘changed everything,’ farmer says
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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How much does crazy weather matter anymore to crop production? That’s the question grain traders are scratching their heads over after fresh data showed U.S. farmers churned out another bumper harvest despite some of the wildest growing conditions in years.
Under pressure from soggy fields, late planting and bouts of early winter weather, American corn and soy plants proved resilient thanks largely to advances in genetically-modified seeds, precision tools and inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. In its critical monthly crop report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday raised yield estimates for both crops. That defied expectations from analysts who, on average, predicted a drop.