The Use of Genetically Engineered Dicamba-Tolerant Soybean Seeds Has Increased Quickly, Benefiting Adopters but Damaging Crops in Some Fields

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that kills most broad-leaf weeds and grasses. Genetically engineered glyphosate-tolerant soybeans were commercialized in 1996, and acres planted with glyphosate-tolerant soybeans and glyphosate use increased rapidly in the years that followed. By 2006, almost 9 out of every 10 soybean acres were planted with glyphosate-tolerant seeds. Glyphosate-tolerant weeds were identified in the majority of soybean-producing States by 2018. Herbicides other than glyphosate, such as dicamba, can help control these weeds. In 2018, about 43 percent of U.S. soybean acreage was planted with dicamba-tolerant seeds.