Determinants of South Dakota Farmers\u27 Adoption of Genetically Modified Corn and Soybeans

The adoption of genetically modified com and soybeans has not been evenly dispersed among farmers in the United States. Currently, some states have a majority of their acres planted with transgenic varieties, while others have only minimal acres seeded with these crops. This disparity has led to the question of what the factors are that affect farmers\u27 adoption of transgenic crops. This thesis addresses this question by reporting the results of a survey conducted in South Dakota. The responses from the questionnaire showed that even though South Dakota has a relatively high percentage of its total cropland acres planted to transgenic crops, there are mixed ideas about agricultural biotechnology among farmers in the state. The responses to the survey also indicated there are a number of factors that have affected South Dakota farmers\u27 decisions to adopt or not adopt Bt com, herbicide-tolerant com, and herbicide-tolerant soybeans into their farming operations