20 years of biotechnology in the field and why we should preserve it

Agriculture is present in a large part of the history of human beings, who have always needed to feed themselves and, subsequently, earn a living through this activity. As time went by, the challenge of farming grew, the number of people to be fed increased, even though the land space for this was the same, and the need for more profitability and sustainability.

Biotechnology then emerged to revolutionize the way agriculture is done in the world. In 1998, in Brazil, the General Coordination of the National Technical Commission for Biosafety (CTNBio) approved the first transgenic soybean - Roundup Ready (RR) - tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate - which provided flexibility to the farmer for more effective management of weeds, major causes of productivity losses due to weed competition with the main crop.

In 2010, with the approval of soybeans with Intacta RR2 Pro technology, which provides protection to the main caterpillars of the crop due to the presence of proteins Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), it was possible to reach new levels of productivity, using fewer natural resources, in addition to providing greater peace of mind to the producer when managing the crop.

20 years after the approval of the first biotechnology for soy, almost 100% of Brazilian production of soy (92%), corn (87%) and cotton (94%) is transgenic, with 53 million hectares planted. For producers, the result was an accumulated profit of R$ 35,8 billion, a reduction in the use of agricultural pesticides (around 839 thousand tons were no longer applied to crops) and expenses and an increase in productivity, according to data from Agroconsult published in September 2018.

There are many who benefit from Bt biotechnology for crops, so contributing to maintaining their efficiency and longevity is the role of the entire production chain. One of the main means to preserve the benefits of Bt biotechnology is the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which should be part of the producer's agricultural planning.

The IPM is made up of important pillars, such as crop rotation, healthy seedlings, elimination of diseased plants, planting time and genetic control (resistant varieties), but the protagonist of these is the structured refuge, fundamental for preserving the benefits of the technology Bt. In practice, an area of ​​the crop is designated for seeds without the Bt protein (conventional or RR1 seeds), which must be planted next to areas with biotechnology seeds, respecting the ideal percentages and distances for each crop so that the refuge play your role. In soybean cultivation, it is recommended that at least 20% of the total area planted with soybeans using Intacta technology be planted with non-Bt seeds, respecting a maximum distance of 800 meters from areas planted with biotechnology.

The farmer's main challenge in the field is integrated pest management, but treating biotechnology as a solution to all problems is a huge mistake on the part of those involved in the soybean production chain. It is another component or tool that can make the producer's life easier, but if we all do not contribute to preserving its benefits and longevity, we run the risk of losing this tool that has been a great ally of the Brazilian farmer over the last 20 years.