More than 90% of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified, while soybeans grown in China are non-genetically modified.
The average yield of soybeans per mu in the United States is between 400 kg and 500 kg, and the average yield of soybeans per mu in China is between 200 kg and 300 kg.
The oil yield of soybeans planted in the United States is between 19% and 22%, and the oil yield of soybeans planted in China is between 16% and 17%.
The soybeans grown in the United States are low, and the soybeans grown in China are high.
The above four points are the specific differences between soybeans grown in China and soybeans grown in the United States.
Due to the low yield of soybean per mu in China and not as a staple food, the planting area of soybean is only 12.6 billion mu, accounting for one-eighteenth of the planting area, is not comparable to the planting area of rice and wheat. However, the yield per mu is not as high as that of wheat and rice, so the total yield is naturally not comparable to that of wheat and rice.
In 2021, China's total soybean production was 16.4 million tons. But in the same year, the consumption of soybeans in our country was 10.8 billion tons, and the shortage can only be supplemented by imports, that is, 96.52 million tons of soybeans were imported from abroad.
Among the soybeans imported in China, only 1.5 million tons of non-genetically modified soybeans are used, and the remaining 95.02 million tons are genetically modified soybeans. The reason why so many genetically modified soybeans are imported is to squeeze the edible oil.
According to statistics, in 2021, China's edible oil consumption was 425450,000 tons, of which soybean oil was 18.7 million tons, accounting for 44% of the total oil volume. It can be seen that the edible oil squeezed out of genetically modified soybeans accounts for half of the total edible oil, which is not small.
Generally speaking, according to the oil yield of 19% and 22% of genetically modified soybeans, one ton of genetically modified soybeans can be squeezed out of 019 tons 022 tons of cooking oil. 18.7 million tons of edible oil requires 85 million tons and 98.42 million tons of genetically modified soybeans. Among the soybeans imported by China, 32.31 million tons of genetically modified soybeans were imported from the United States, and 58.15 million tons of genetically modified soybeans were imported from Brazil. However, the oil yield of genetically modified soybeans produced in the United States is higher than that of Brazil, that is, the oil yield of the two soybeans is not the same, and the total soybean of 96.52 million tons is also reasonable to extract 18.7 million tons of edible oil.
By applying transgenic technology to soybeans, the United States mainly improves the herbicide resistance characteristics of soybeans and solves the problem of large-scale weeding. In addition, it also improved the ability of soybean to resist pests and increased the overall yield; In addition, the shortcomings of low soybean quality have been improved.
It can be said that through the use of genetically modified technology, the quality of genetically modified soybeans has been greatly improved.
Since the pesticides in the United States are mainly glyphosate and glufosinate, the genetically modified soybeans cultivated are to enhance the ability of soybeans to resist glyphosate and glufosinate. After all, soybeans are hundreds of millions of acres, and weeding is a problem. Although glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium are very effective in controlling weeds, they can also kill soybeans, which means that killing 1,000 enemies will cost 800, and the gains outweigh the losses.
The genes introduced into transgenic soybeans are glyphosate-resistant EPSPS, and the main ** of this gene is a variety of plants or microorganisms; The second category is glufosinate-resistant PAT and BAR, when these two herbicide-resistant genetically modified soybeans can be safely sprayed on a large area for weeding.
The genetically modified soybean was transposed with the cryiac gene, which is the insecticidal crystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis, which has been used as a microbial insecticide before that. Monsanto introduced it into soybeans through Agrobacterium-mediated method, and the successful soybean was approved for commercial cultivation in 2010, mainly to control lepidopteran pests.
This can also be achieved through genetically modified technology, which is nothing more than reducing the protein content in soybeans and increasing the content of fatty acids and glycerol, which is transferred to the corresponding genes.
The transgenic soybean in the United States introduced FAD2 and GM-FAD2-1 genes, in which FAD2 was the key gene for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plants, and the introduction of GM-FAD2-1 gene inhibited the expression of FAD2 genes, thereby hindering the process of desaturation of oleic acid to produce linoleic acid, which in turn led to the accumulation of oleic acid in seeds. Genetically modified soybeans, which were first approved for commercial cultivation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1997, can contain up to 80% oleic acid, compared to only about 24% in conventional soybeans.
The above are the three major advantages of genetically modified soybeans in the United States over non-genetically modified soybeans in China.
In addition, genetically modified soybeans in the United States also have the characteristics of high yield per mu and low price.
There are three reasons why genetically modified soybeans are produced in the United States is high.
First: soybean planting in the United States has achieved regionalization, scale, mechanization, and informatization, and with the support of these high technologies, the production efficiency is naturally relatively high.
Second, the soybean growing areas in the United States are mainly concentrated in the Mississippi River Basin and the plains in the middle, because of the fertile soil, abundant sunshine, suitable water and heat, and high concentration of planting areas, it is very suitable for soybean growth.
Third: The vast majority of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified soybeans, and the use of genetically modified technology has improved the overall resistance and insect resistance, so that it is immune to pesticides such as herbicides, and can also resist the bite of aphids, thus reducing the loss of insect pests. According to relevant studies, for every 10% increase in the acreage of genetically modified soybeans in the United States, the total production will increase by 17%, the effect of increasing production is still obvious.
According to statistics, the price of genetically modified soybeans in the United States is 3,800 yuan tons, while China's own soybeans are 5,500 yuan to 5,800 yuan tons. The difference between the two is basically 2,000 yuan, and the oil yield of genetically modified soybeans in the United States is high, so for companies that need to use soybeans to extract oil, it is natural to choose genetically modified soybeans in the United States.
However, the protein content of genetically modified soybeans in the United States is low, resulting in a bad taste, which is basically not eaten directly, and can only be used to squeeze edible oil. Domestic soybeans have high protein content and good taste, so they can be used to make tofu and other non-staple foods.