Yahoo Finance on 12th January 2020 reported the following:
U.S. Corn Crop Is Now 92% Genetically Modified
Bloomberg Millie Munshi, Michael Hirtzer and Dominic Carey,Bloomberg 15 hours ago
Reactions Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email
(Bloomberg) -- 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.
“We struggled this year -- we had a lot of issues with too much water,” Matt Bennett, an Illinois farmer and commodity analyst at AgMarket.Net, said by phone. Still, his soybean yields came within 15 bushels from his record-setting crop in 2018.
“I was surprised with what the genetics can do,” Bennett said. “You can still raise pretty good corn even with less-than-ideal conditions. That’s changed everything.”
The big crops are a testament to the major strides that have been made for crop technology in just the past few decades. It boils down to: genetics matter. Now that 92% of U.S. corn acreage is seeded with GMO plants, fields are able to stand up to extreme conditions like 2019’s record rains. That figures compares with 85% in 2009 and 25% in 2000.
Plus, there are things like automatic sprayers that can detect exactly what plants need additional herbicides, drone cameras that enable farmers to get a birds-eye view of their land to determine what areas need special attention and faster-than-ever machinery that meant growers could get seeds into the ground quickly during an unusually short planting window. It all adds up to a new era that’s completely transforming what’s possible in agriculture.
For evidence of how much technology makes a difference, compare this past season to 1993-1994, when there were similar levels of flooding. In 1994, the USDA ended up with final corn yield number in January that was more than 20 bushels per acre lower than the June forecast. By contrast, Friday’s data shows the agency is ending this season with a yield number 2 bushels higher than what it predicted seven months ago.
To be sure, Mother Nature will always be top of mind for farmers. Too much rain is easier to power through than not enough. Back in 2012, even when there was already significant advancements in GMO seeds, a crippling drought in the Midwest shattered corn yields. Still, the technological advances mean plants now have a fighting chance against turns of crazy weather, something that will continue to be critical as climate change ushers in more wild swings.
Translation
（彭博社）- 異常的天氣對農作物的生產有多影响？這是穀物貿易商感到迷惑的問題, 最新數據顯示，儘管幾年來農作物生長條件最惡劣，美國農民還是再次獲得豐收。
在潮濕土地，晚播種和初冬的壓力下，美國玉米和大豆植物表現出了抗逆性，這在很大程度上歸功於轉基因種子的發展，精密工具以及肥料和農藥等投入。美國農業部周五在其重要的月度作物報告中上調了兩種作物的出產預估。這和分析師的普遍預期下降相反。
AgMarket.Net的伊利諾伊州農民和商品分析師馬特·貝內特（Matt Bennett）在電話中說： “今年我們有很多掙扎，水太多了。” 儘管如此，他的大豆產量仍靠近他2018年創紀錄的15蒲式耳產量。
貝內特說：“我對遺傳學的作用感到驚訝。” “即使在不理想的條件下，您仍然可以種植相當不錯的玉米。它改變了一切。”
大農作物見證了過去幾十年來農作物技術取得的重大進步。結論為：遺傳很重要。現在，美國92％的玉米播種面積都種植了轉基因植物，因此農田能夠經受極端條件的考驗，例如2019年創紀錄的降雨。轉基因相比之下，2009年為85％，2000年為25％。
另外，例如自動噴霧器之類的東西可以準確地檢測出哪些植物需要額外的除草劑，無人機攝像頭可以使農民鳥瞰自己的土地，從而確定哪些地方需要特別關注，以及比以往任何時候都快的機械意味著種植者可能會在異常短的種植窗內迅速將種子撒入地下。這一切共同構成了一個新時代，該時代徹底改變了在農業上什麼是可能的。
為了證明技術有多大的不同，可以將上一個季度與1993-1994年（當時洪水水平相似）進行比較。 1994年，美國農業部1月份的每英畝玉米生產最終數據比6月份的預測低了20蒲式耳。相比之下，週五的數據顯示該機構本季結束時的產量比七個月前的預期高出了2蒲式耳。
可以肯定的是，對農民来说大自然將永遠是頭等大事。降雨過多比降雨不足容易應付。早在2012年，即使轉基因種子已經有了顯著進步，中西部嚴重的干旱也破壞了玉米出產。儘管如此，技術的進步仍意味著植物現在擁有應對轮流反常天氣的機會，隨著氣候變化帶來更多的劇烈波動，技術的進步將繼續是關鍵。
Comments
Although advancements in GMO seeds will continue to help American farmers to withstand climate change (and other challenges), its impact on the health of consumers is not yet fully clear. Results of most studies on GM foods indicate that they may cause some common toxic effects such as hepatic, pancreatic, renal, or reproductive effects and may even change the hematological, biochemical, and immunologic parameters.
沒有留言:
張貼留言