Improving Habitat and Food Sources

February 20, 2013
Land Use & Biodiversity 

Crop stubble in the field… improves habitat and food sources for insects, birds and other animals.

Herbicide-tolerant biotech crops are enabling farmers around the world to use environmentally sound herbicides instead of tillage for weed control – known as conservation or no-till practices. This leaves crop stubble in the field, which improves habitat and food sources for insects, birds and other animals. For example, in a no-till field, quail need just 4.2 hours to find and eat the insects necessary for survival – less than one-fifth the time it takes to obtain the same number of insects in a conventional field.