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With the recent confirmation of resistant horseweed (marestail) in
Nebraska and other weeds confirmed or being closely investigated for
glyphosate resistance, this issue continues to be a hot topic. RFD-TV
Live! on Monday, December 11, 2006 with Syngenta focuses on glyphosate
resistance in the Midwest. The program airs from 8 to 9 p.m. EST (7 to 8
p.m. CST). RFD-TV can be found on Dish Network channel 9409, DIRECTV
channel 379 and Mediacom cable. resistancefighter.com
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Logan
Hawkes
Special Edition
12/08/06
Crop News Weekly
Welcome to a special edition of Crop News
Weekly. With the growing concern and press coverage of glyphosate
resistant weeds in Midwest fields, we feel it prudent to offer
substantial information about this growing problem in an effort to
better inform and prepare you for the road ahead. The art and science of
agriculture is an evolving technology. While stumbling blocks are
inherit to all progress, getting and staying informed on the issues has
long been the best safeguard from becoming discouraged and even
distracted from reaching our ultimate goal. If growing better and more
profitable crops is your prime objective, you'll find this issue of
particular value as you forge ahead in a world where conquering the
challenges of farming is not only rewarding, but necessary.
I hope you'll find this information useful and encourage your personal
comments as we strive to bring you the best in responsible agriculture
reporting. Happy reading.
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Laying the
Groundwork for Better Weed Management
Understanding the Problem
Regardless how much or how little you read or understand about crop
sciences you are no doubt aware of an emerging problem with glyphosate
resistant weeds. What was once little more than under-the-breath
mumbling around the water cooler during breaks at crop conferences and
extension service meetings has blossomed into widespread realization and
fear of the inevitable and developing problem, namely, too much of a
good thing can eventually turn into a bad thing.
But pointing the finger and laying the blame in one direction or another
doesn't solve the problem. It's like discovering the splinter in your
finger and not worrying where you got it but instead focusing on the
best way to be rid of it. While the academic
and scientific
communities will debate, research, experiment, and theorize on the hows
and whys of the problem for some time to come, the average grower will
be content just to get past it and find a solution that will turn the
tide against a potential weed epidemic in the field.
Fear of gylphosate-based herbicide resistance first emerged in cotton
fields in the Southeast. Soon confirmed cases were filtering out of
Delaware, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas. Midwest corn and soybean
growers became concerned when Ohio, Illinois,
Indiana and Missouri,
officials raised a flag of warning as isolated incidents slowly turned
into broader concerns.
In the Midwest there are several
other common weeds that have developed resistance to
glyphosate-based herbicides: common ragweed and palmer amaranth, a very
aggressive waterhemp relative. In addition, some other weeds, such as
giant ragweed and waterhemp are being investigated now for possible
resistance. A common factor in these resistant weed populations has been
the use of glyphosate-based herbicides as the primary weed control
option over an extended period of time. Each time such a herbicide is
used, we're selecting for resistance. So the more often we use a
herbicide the more likely we are to encounter resistance.
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Glyphosate
Resistance a Real 'Eye-Opener'
From Fear to Realization
In this report from
veteran Farm Press writer Forrest Laws you will discover how fear over
glyphosate-based herbicide control of Palmer amaranth in Georgia grew
from little more than suspicion to widespread concern that a terrible
problem was developing in cotton fields in the Southland. Seed samples
collected from a Georgia grower's field were taken to the laboratory at
the University of Georgia's Rural Development Center in Tifton for
testing and what they discovered "scared us quite a bit", state
officials report.
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Pigweed
Not Only Threat to Glyphosate Resistance
Broadening the Problem
While Palmer
amaranth, or pigweed, is emerging as a major target for glyphosate
resistance, the problem doesn't stop there. Roy Roberson, Farm Press
Editorial Staff, reported back in October that Midwest and Southeast
growers have been experiencing glyphosate resistant horseweed, or
marestail as it is commonly called, in their fields. In 2006, glyphosate
resistant common ragweed was reported in a handful of counties in North
Carolina as well, and the problem continues to spread across weed
varieties.
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Scientists
Develop Plan to Fight Glyphosate Resistance
Spread of Problem Spurs Action
Horseweed
resistant to glyphosate was first confirmed in North Carolina in 2003
and the problem now exists in at least five counties. It is also
suspected in northern Alabama. During the summer of 2004, common ragweed
resistance to glyphosate was found in Arkansas and Missouri. The spread
of the problem spurred scientists to begin searching for answers.
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ADVERTISEMENT
 Callisto® offers proven crop safety, even
though it takes down the nastiest broadleaves
in the field. This herbicide also provides residual control throughout
the season. Ask your dealer how to manage resistance and control
broadleaves with Callisto.
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Defending
Against Glyphosate Resistance
The Best Defense is a Good Offense
If your
game plan includes Roundup Ready (RR) cropping, you may want to borrow a
page from a coach's playbook. University weed specialists say the best
defense against glyphosate resistance will come from a fundamental
offense. The best offensive may include pre- or at-planting burndown, a
return to pre-emergence herbicides, crop scouting, and timely
post-emergence spraying.
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What
You Can't See Can Hurt You
Recognizing the Dangers
Most growers are
familiar with the inevitability of escaped weeds and their relation to
herbicide control and management. But they may not fully understand what
future problems could be lurking in their fields. How much is too much?
When should you be alerted to a glyposate resistance problem in your
fields?
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The Economics of Glyphosate
Resistance
Are herbicide costs going up?
Past
experience has proven that herbicide over-use can lead to weed
resistance and higher costs. Fields with resistant or
difficult-to-control weeds cost growers additional herbicide
applications, machinery expenses, and time for application and
management. While glyphosate-tolerant cropping systems have saved
growers since the middle of the last decade, the emerging glyphosate
resistant weed outbreak promises to erase at least some of those
economic benefits.
Studies indicate that the majority of growers reporting
glyphosate-resistant marestail experienced increased production costs.
Forty-three percent of those growers reported an increase of $2 to $7
per acre, while 20 percent reported an increase of $8- per acre and up,
that's according to a 2004 University of Delaware survey.
The economics of glyphosate-resistant weeds indicates growers must make a
choice between increasing frequency and volume of glyphosate-based
herbicides to combat the problem or resort to expensive alternative
herbicides to counter prolonged effects of glyposate-based
application.
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Yesterday
the World; Today the Midwest
Iowa State University
What may have started in Australia and is now being
reported in most corners of the world may soon plague growers in the
U.S. Midwest. Current glyphosate use in the Midwest makes resistance
inevitable. When resistance develops, control of these biotypes will be
necessary with existing herbicides because no herbicides with new modes
of action will be introduced in the foreseeable future. Several
alternative products for use in corn and soybean fields will reduce the
impact of glyphosate resistance, but costs can be high. Thus, evaluating
weed management programs in terms of selection pressure placed on weeds
should be an important component of crop management planning.
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Cornbelt
Braces for Glyphosate Resistance
Syngenta Crop Protection
In a 2002 report, weed scientists in the Corn Belt
speculated glyphosate resistance will spread across the Midwest and
growers should take steps to manage it. Resistance could spoil the
effectiveness of Roundup Ready" (RR') technology, which is now used on
about 75% of the soybeans in the U.S. It was only a few years ago that
waterhemp developed resistance to the most popular soybean herbicides at
that time, a family of chemistry known as ALS-inhibitors. The timing
coincided with the introduction of RR soybeans, which quickly eclipsed
ALS-inhibitors and solved the problem - at least for a while. This time
around, however, there is no major new technology waiting if a problem
develops.
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Crop
Solutions for Midwest Growers
Syngenta Crop Protection
Roundup Ready crops encourage producers to rely on
glyphosate herbicides for their entire weed-management program, but
researchers warn that repeated applications of the same herbicide can
spur the development of weed shifts and even the possibility of
herbicide resistance. To prevent that from happening they recommend that
Roundup Ready corn and soybean growers implement resistance-management
strategies now so growers won't have to deal with those problems later.
One step that conservation-tillage growers can incorporate right away is
the use of an alternative herbicide at burndown to manage weed
resistance and weed shifts.
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More
Solutions for Midwest Growers
University of Minnesota
Midwest weed scientists believe in the value that
glyphosate and Roundup Ready crops offer to growers. But growers and
crop advisors should evaluate how they use glyphosate and Roundup Ready
technologies to gain the value of these technologies without increasing
the risk of resistance. According to University of Minnesota
researchers, ideally growers will alternate glyphosate use with other
herbicide modes of action between years and incorporate appropriate
integrated weed management practices such as soil-applied herbicides and
cultivation with the use of glyphosate.
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Summary and
Conclusion
Time To Pay the Ferryman
It has become
evident that evolving glyphosate resistance in several different weed
species has become more common and is problematic at a growing rate.
Given the widespread adoption of glyphosate-resistant soybean and
cotton, and the anticipated increase in glyphosate-resistant corn,
glyphosate will be applied consistently to more fields every year. The
level of selection pressure imparted by this management strategy will
inevitably result in weeds that are not controlled effectively by
glyphosate. Now is the time to review your weed and crop management
system and make decisions on how you will respond if glyphosate
resistance becomes problematic in your fields in the months and years
ahead.
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