The Weed Science Society of America has endorsed a series of best management practices designed to reduce the incidence of herbicide-resistant weeds and the threat they pose to agricultural productivity. WSSA President Rod Lym says while it’s common to rely on repeated use of a single class of herbicides – it’s clear a different approach is needed to protect the future effectiveness of these important tools for farmers. That’s why one of the recommendations is for growers to diversity their weed management practices and the types of herbicides they use.
According to WSSA scientists – the single most important factor contributing to resistance is overreliance on a single herbicide or group of herbicides with the same mechanism of action. WSSA says its recommendations for combating herbicide resistance include common-sense, diversified approaches to weed management. Lym says many in agriculture are in denial and seem convinced they can ignore the threat of resistance and wait for new herbicides to come along and solve the problem. But he says the discovery of new herbicide chemistries is rare – so a solutions-based approach that incorporates all the tools at hand is essential.
WSSA will present its recommendations during a summit on herbicide resistance at George Washington University in the nation’s capital May 10th. A link to the recommendations and the WSSA’s full report is available online. Just look for the WSSA News.
The International Food Aid and Development Conference is held at the Westin Crown Center hotel. For more information, including registration details, visit FSA online.
Source: NAFB News Service