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Wendel Lutz hardly qualifies as an anti-GMO activist. As a conventional corn and soybean farmer is nearly a polar opposite of an environmentalist. Yet, he shares some views with opponents of genetically modified foods based on his experience growing GM crops.

Lutz has been farming since 1979, producing corn and soybeans on about 500 acres in Dewey, Illinois. He is also a District 11 director for the Illinois Soybean Association and a member of the American Soybean Association.

Increasing Roundup applications

Lutz started growing Roundup Ready (RR) GM corn and soybeans in 2006 after seeing his neighbors effectively control weeds.

In his first year growing RR crops, he says, “I had nice clean beans” with no weed problems.

But in his second year, he started seeing problems. “We went from a 32 ounce formulation (with Roundup) to 36 ounces,” Lutz says. “As time went on we were upping the rates,” he says.