Since herbicide-tolerant transgenic cotton varieties became widely available in 1997, the no-till cotton acreage has nearly doubled in the United States. A recent survey by the National Cotton Council indicates that no-till made up 29 percent of total cotton acres while reduced tillage made up 30 percent of all cotton acres in 2002.

If they want to continue to use Bt corn, growers need to do a better job of following the rules laid down last year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.