Conventional soybean is gradually los-
ing its allure throughout the Country. Over
the past five seasons, its relevance was in-
significant, seeing that in the 2012/13 grow-
ing season, 88.7% of the soybean fields
were planted with transgenic plants in the
Country. For the 2016/17 growing season
the difference can further increase. The first
projection points to 96.5% of the total area
devoted to this type of soybean, accord-
ing to information by engineer Jorge Attie,
agribusiness analyst at Céleres Consultan-
cy. The percentage of GM soybean in the
2015/16 growing season reached 95.2%.
Now, the State that leads the nation in
GM soybean plantations is Mato Grosso,
with 9.3 million hectares. In the sequence,
we have the states of Rio Grande do Sul,
with 5.4 million hectares; Paraná, with 5.2
million hectares; Goiás, with 3.3 million
hectares; andMato Grosso do Sul, with 2.4
million hectares. The North and Northeast
Regions have proved very reluctant to GM
soybean because of the absence of variet-
ies adapted to their regional conditions,
and because the farmers suffer from defi-
cient technology.
Flexibility and ease of management
make a big difference in terms of agricul-
ture. The environment also benefits from
the technology, as fewer pesticide appli-
cations are needed, thus reducing the use
and contact with harmful chemicals. The
agribusiness analyst understands that, in
spite of the steps forward, the farmers are
not yet fully aware of such best agricultur-
al practices as refuge areas, crop rotation,
crop succession and technology.
“Incorrect use is a hurdle when it
comes to developing the technology, and
chances are for the annihilation of its eco-
nomic benefits and management”, he
ponders. According to the specialist, when
the repetition of a technology or pesticide
happens frequently, without considering
their rotation, technological advances are
jeopardized. Furthermore, the chances
for resistance to pests and weeds increase
considerably.
Attie comments that there is still intense
pressure from organisms, favored by the
tropical conditions of the climate in Brazil,
where there are chances for multiple crops
over the entire year. “It is a set of factors
that creates difficulties to genetically mod-
ified crops, possibly reducing their lifecy-
cle”, he adds. “In the end, it is Brazilian agri-
culture thatwill suffer thebiggest damage if
the farmers simply ignore this problemand
refuse to solve it in sustainablemanner.”
Dominant
gene
Inor Ag. Assmann
Thecultivationofgeneticallymodifiedsoybeanin
Brazil continuesexpandingandshouldreach
96.5%of thefields inthe2016/17growingseason
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