The report looks at corn plants that produce the insecticide Bt internally through genetic modification, which has helped corn farmers significantly reduce the amount of insecticides they spray externally on their crops. But widespread reports of insects impervious to Bt have prompted worries that corn farmers may have to return to heavy chemical spraying in the near future.
The EPA's inspector general said the agency should, among other actions, create a standardized test to determine if insects have become resistant to Bt and should also create a way for farmers and researchers to report instances of resistance directly to the EPA, rather than to the seed company, which may be disinclined to pass those reports along to the agency.
The IG's report indicates that the agency has agreed to implement all of the inspector general's recommendations, and in fact has already implemented several of them.
The report's recommendations include standardizing a testing method for confirming resistance; developing a method to allow researchers and growers to directly report resistance concerns; preparing remedial action plans before resistance occurs; increasing the requirement for resistance monitoring data; making Compliance Assurance Program reports and resistance monitoring data publicly available; and improving the EPA's website.