Page 28—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 14, 2000
Don’t Turn Your Back On Biotech
NORCROSS, Ga. It’s
hard to believe how fast our
world is changing. Techno
logical innovations are every
where computers, cell
phones, digital this and digi
tal that. And now we are
hearing more and more about
biotechnology.
Agriculture has already
countries. Herbicide resistant money,
and/or insect protected corn, Advances in biotechnology
soybeans, canola, cotton, and can also lead to more efficient
potatoes comprise most of the fertilizer use. Crops not suf
acreage presently being fering from disease or insect
planted. This is a good deal damage are more responsive
, to applied nutrients. Such re-
State, National Com s p° nses “ 10 « r “ ter nu
-7 tnent utilization, higher
Forecasts Indicate High Yields c a t l' ower uni ' cost of
Biotechnology benefits
more than just the farmer.
We, the consumer, benefit in
several ways. Pesticide resi
dues on food are reduced or
eliminated altogether, as are
concerns over pesticides en
tering surface and ground
water supplies. Better uti
lized fertilizer materials also
translates into less opportu
nity for leaching of these es
sential inputs into water
supplies. Such efficiencies
will also help keep our food
prices among the lowest of
any country in the world.
The potential benefits of
biotechnology are enormous.
We haven’t even begun to
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) According to the
Keystone Ag Digest pub
lished by the Pennsylvania
Agriculture Statistics Service,
based on Aug. 1 forecasts for
yield and production, the
Keystone state’s farmers
expect to produce more corn
for grain, oats, barley, wheat,
soybeans, alfalfa hay, other
hay, southern Maryland-type
tobacco, and pears. Produc
tion is expected to decrease
for Pennsylvania seed-leaf to
bacco, peaches, apples, and
PULLS ITS OWN WEIGHT.
WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR
IN A FARMHAND?
Buy a new Arctic Cat® ATV and get a Camo Pack or
Warn® Winch Kit for just $69, or a 2-year extended
service contract, or financing as low as 9.95%?
There's no better time to buy your new Arctic Cat ATV than right
now. Not only do you get features like industry-leading rack capacity,
suspension travel, and torque. You can also choose from four
unbelievable deals. Just more proof that when ARCTIC CAT
you get an Arctic Cat you get More To Go On.™
M & S SALES & SERVICE, INC.
3385 DIVISION HIGHWAY NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557
1 1/2 Miles West of Blue Ball On Rt. 322
Sf 717-354-4726
Mon., Wed., Thurs. 8-8; Tues. & Fri. 8-5; Sat. 9-3
•Offer valid on aH new and unused 1999-2001 Arctic Cat ATVs, except Hunter's Limited Edition models Winch Kit
installation is extra Offer good at participating U S dealers Financing is subject to credit approval Terms may differ
because APRs range from 9 95% to 1695%, dependmg on creditworthiness Offer vafid 6/15AJ0-12/31/00 Exdudmg
tax freight and dealer setup ATVs can be hazardous to operate For your safety always wear a helmet, eye protection,
and protective clothing Never nde on paved surfaces or public roads Never carry passengers, never engage in stunt
driving ndmg and alcohot/drugs don't mix and could cause injury or even death Avoid exceseive speeds and be particularly
careful on difficult terrain The Arctic Cat ATV may not be ridden by anyone under II years of age. Arete Cat
recommends that all riders take a training course and that they read and understand their owner's manual before operation
For safety or tramng information, see your dealer or cal the ATV Safety Institute at (800) 867 2887 Along with concerned
conservationists everywhere Arctic Cat urges you to "Tread Lightly" on public and private land Preserve your future ndmg
opportunities by showing respect for the environment local laws and the rights of others when you nde <O2OOO Arctic Cat
Sales Inc ® ,M Trademarks of Arctic Cat Inc Thief River Falls MN 56701 (218) 661 4999 Warn® is a
registered trademark of Warn Industries Arctic Cat ATVs are world class products from Arctic Cat inc
embraced biotechnology. In
just a few years, large
acreages of bioengineered
crops have been planted in
the U.S., Canada, and other
grapes,
Corn acreage for harvest,
at 1.05 million bushels, is 19
percent more than last year.
The Aug. 1 corn yield fore
cast of 127 bushels per acre is
57 bushels more than last
year’s yield. The corn pro
duction forecast of 133.4 mil
lion bushels is 117 percent
more than last year.
For the U.S., corn produc
tion is forecast at 10.4 billion
bushels, up 10 percent from
last year and up 6 percent
from 1998.
Based on Aug. 1 condi
tions, yields are expected to
average 141.9 bushels per
acre, up 8.1 bushels from last
year. If realized, this would
be the largest production and
the highest yield on record
since 1866, when corn esti
mates began. Grain har
vested is estimated at 73.1
million acres, down 29,000
acres from June, but up 4
percent from 1999.
MORE TO GO ON.'
for farmers because their
crops are protected without
the use of pesticides at
least for certain pests. So they
can save both time and
lk©(n)iM fam mm
'Sifegl PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC., INC.
scratch the surface. For ex
ample, yield potential may be
substantially increased with
new bioengineered crops.
This is certainly important
for a world population that
recently passed six billion
and is expected to reach eight
billion within 50 years. Per
haps crops will be developed
that are adapted to saline
soil, shorter growing seasons,
or high elevations areas
that are relatively unproduc
tive today or they may be
developed with larger root
systems capable of extracting
water more efficiently and
from greater soil depths,
making them suitable for arid
regions where irrigation
water is limited or very ex
pensive.
An important considera- cial ingredients,
tion, perhaps the most im- So don’t turn your back on
portant to the general public, biotechnology. We need it to
is food quality. Potential ben- produce an abundant quan
efits to consumers seem virtu- tity of healthy food for today
ally unlimited. Biotechnology and tomorrow,
provides the opportunity to For more information, con
develop crops that have very tact Dr. Albert E. Ludwick,
specific quality components. Western Director, PPI, P.O.
Bioengineered rice, for exam- Box 970, Bodega Bay, CA
pie, has already been pro- 94923, (707) 875-2163, e
duced that contains a high mail: aludwick@ppi-far.org.
concentration of beta caro
tene. Beta carotene is con
verted into vitamin A in the
body, and it is estimated that
more than 120 million chil
dren worldwide are deficient
in vitamin A. Widespread
distribution of this rice could
prevent one to two million
deaths each year.
Foods such as the rice just
discussed, containing ingred
ients that enhance health and
fitness, are called “functional
foods.” The active ingred
ients are nutraceuticals.
There are dozens of nutra
ceuticals known to reduce
such illnesses as cancer, dia
betes, hypertension, and
heart disease. Biotechnology
offers the opportunity to for
tify our diets in these benefi-