North Dakota wheat and barley farmers would be big winners from biotech crops, if they are adopted for common use, says a Washington-based think tank.

The National Center for Food and Agriculture Policy released its report, “Plant Biotechnology: Current and Potential Impact for Improving Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture,” that examines 40 case studies of 23 different crops. It projects large savings to farmers from less chemical use and higher income from increased production.

The study includes eight crops already in use: insect resistant corn and cotton; herbicide tolerant soybeans, corn, canola and cotton and virus resistant papaya and squash. The authors claim these crops have increased food production by 4 billion pounds and have a 1.5 billion net economic impact. They add that the 32 potential cultivators under development could increase food production by another 10 billion pounds per year and future varieties could drop that by another 117 million pounds.

States in the Northern Plains have much to gain, according to the study. North Dakota farmers stand to gain the most income, at $184 million per year, while Minnesota would earn an additional $156 million. South Dakota Farmers would gain $74 million per year, while Montana farmers would receive a $20 million benefit. Most of the value in Montana and North Dakota would come in increased production, while the savings on pesticide costs outweigh the production benefits in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Most of the crops described in the study under development would address disease problems caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi rather than herbicide tolerance. Some of the products would address longstanding problems of farmers in the Northern Plains. Perhaps the biggest impact would come from a neutralize toxins produced by the Fusarium fungus that causes scab. According to the study, this is one of the most valuable products for North Dakota Farmers.

Another important product could be wheat that is tolerant to glyphosate herbicides (Roundup) . The study assumes that one-third of the wheat grown in the Northern Plains is not sprayed for Canada thistle because it isn’t economic. The study also assumes that this costs growers an average of 4 bushels per acre. Overall, it predicts farmers will gain $12 an acre if they had a glyphosate tolerant variety.

According to the study, genes from wheat have been transplanted into sunflowers that have given that the plants some resistance to sclerotinia. The disease costs sunflower growers about 8 percent of the crop every year.

The study included four biotech crops that have been approved but haven’t adopted by farmers. One is a variety of russet potatoes that resist insect pests and a plant virus. Herbicide tolerant sugar beets have been available since 1999, but haven’t been widely planted. Sweet Corn growers in Florida have resisted the temptation of both insect resistant and herbicide tolerant varieties.