Title: Why Roundup Ready Crops Have Lost their Allure - Science in the News
Headings: Why Roundup Ready Crops Have Lost their Allure
Why Roundup Ready Crops Have Lost their Allure
Roundup and the crops that resist it
A win for farmers and the environment
Possible concerns about Roundup Ready crops
Rise of superweeds, return to old farming practices
Jordan Wilkerson is a third year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Harvard University.
References

Content: Consequently, a report drawing from US Department of Agriculture data on pesticide use estimated that an additional 383 million pounds of herbicides have been used than if Roundup Ready crops were never introduced [6]. This increased use of glyphosate heightens the likelihood of higher concentrations of the chemical running off into nearby ecosystems. At these elevated concentrations, glyphosate may be capable of causing environmental damage. Furthermore, the practices of tilling and increased herbicide use are similar to what they were 20 years ago (with even more reported herbicide use). This is both an environmental problem and a financial problem for farmers who must now revert to spending more on herbicides and labor costs to till the land [10]. While Roundup Ready crops themselves have not caused environmental damage, they are certainly responsible for the Roundup-intensive weed management practices that have accompanied them. The environmental benefits – reduced tilling and reduced use of more toxic herbicides – are fading because the weeds Roundup was supposed to control have sprung up in revolt. More comple