The GM soybean plant can tolerate the most effective

herbicides and is resistant to pests and diseases,

which allows for a decrease in the overall use of
herbicides. Reduced need for broad-spectrum
pesticides is the principal advantage of genetically
modified (GM) soybeans. Most insecticides used on
crops kill all insects, even those that are helpful and
harmless. In contrast, pesticides for GM soy are
targeted specifically at a limited subset of insects
that are toxic to it and only kill those that have eaten
GM soy. Less chemical pesticides are used to grow
the GM soybean, which lowers production costs and
exposes fewer farmers to hazardous chemicals.