By Blake Jackson
With the 2024 corn growing season approaching, farmers should consider the economic benefit of insect resistance traits in seed corn.
Bt traits are transgenic traits that render corn hybrids toxic to certain insect pests. These traits have become increasingly common in corn varieties, but they have also contributed to the rising cost of seed corn.
Some farmers have begun to question the value of Bt traits, especially if insect pests are not a significant problem in their area.
One alternative to Bt corn is conventional corn, which does not contain Bt traits. Conventional corn can be a good option for farmers who rotate their crops and have low insect pest pressure.
Farmers can assess their local pest populations by walking through fields of non-Bt corn in the fall. If these fields have little damage, farmers may be able to grow non-Bt corn and save money on seed costs.
However, farmers should continue to check their non-Bt fields for insect pest pressure each year. If pests become too abundant, farmers may need to switch back to hybrids with Bt traits.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Grain Stocks report released last week showed that old-crop corn stocks on hand as of Sept. 1 totaled 1.36 billion bushels, down 1% from Sept. 1, 2022. Old-crop soybeans stored in all positions were down 2% from Sept. 1, 2022, and all wheat stocks were up slightly from a year earlier.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-ben-goode
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops, Corn