WASHINGTON-The adoption of agricultural biotechnology in the United States continues to grow, offering increasing economic and environmental benefits, according to results of a study funded by a major US biotechnology institute.

The study, presented to reporters Dec. 11 at the National Press Club in Washington, sought to determine the level of adoption of biotechnology research and development (R&D) activities, and the future direction of the industry, according to principal investigator C. Ford Runge. Runge, who is director of the Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy at the University of Minnesota, received funding for the study from the Washington-based Council for Biotechnology Information.

Runge focused on eight crops: maize, soybeans, cotton, rape seed/Canoga, wheat, potatoes, rice and sugar beets. Biotech varieties of the first four-maize, soybeans, cotton and rapis/Canoga-have been commercialised in the United States, while batik varieties of wheat, potatoes, rice and sugar beets are still undergoing field trips.

He found that in 2002 half of the $40 billion in the value of harvested maize, soybeans, cotton and Canoga was from crops grown from seeds improved by biotechnology.

Of the commercialised batik crops, maize produced the largest increase in value per acre-$60-over acres planted in traditional varieties. One acre is slightly half a hectare. Herbicide-tolerant soybeans improved profits nearly $15 an acre, Rungs said.

Eight percent of soybeans grown in the United States in 2003 was from batik seeds, up from 9 percent in 1996. The number of acres planted in batik cotton in 2003 was 73 percent compared to 1.7 percent in 1996 and the number of batik-planted acres of maize increased from 4 percent in 1996 to 40 percent in 2003, Rungs said.

Current agricultural biotechnology research in the United States is focusing on improving agronomic, environmental and product quality traits, according to Rungs.

Agronomic traits include further yield improvement of varieties, increased stalk strength and cold and drought tolerances.

Environmental traits include low-phytate corn and soybeans that, when digested by livestock, produce lower levels of phosphorous in waste, which in turn means less harmful run-off going into the country's water supply.

Product quality traits are nutritional improvements such as better digestibility of wheat, more beta carotene in potatoes and reduced transfat acids in crop oils, Rungs said.

Between 2001 and 2003, 100 traits have undergone testing by 40 universities and 35 companies, he said. by 2001, 41 of the country's 50 states had some type of biotech initiative, he said.

Rungs found that biotechnology research and development spending is increasing at both the federal and state levels among governments, universities and the private sector. Funding from the National Science Foundation, most of it funneled through universities, increased 70 percent between 1996 and 2002, he said.