> http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100513/full/news.2010.242.html

This article said the Chinese farmers are, quote: "currently using
about two-thirds as much [pesticide] as they did before Bt cotton
was introduced." The article didn't say how much Bt cotton has
increased yields in China, but in nearby India the yield increase
has been "more than 50%" according to Monsanto:
http://tinyurl.com/2ft3fx8

The article also didn't say Chinese farmers were abandoning Bt cotton
because of the problem with increasing numbers of a secondary pest
(a mirid bug).

Here is an up to date USDA graph showing how all GE crops, including
Bt cotton, have been rapidly adopted by US farmers since their
introduction around 1996:
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/

A reasonable conclusion is that whatever "unintended consequences"
GE crops have created for farmers (such as increases in secondary
pests), they have been relatively minor in relation to the benefits.

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Access BEE-L directly at:
http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L