Herbicide resistance is no longer just a regional issue, it’s a national threat. Though glyphosate resistance has been an issue in the south for several years, it’s growing in severity in the Midwest and plains.
Many farmers have become accustomed to a simple weed-management strategy – using glyphosate – but managing existing herbicide-resistant weeds, such as waterhemp, palmer amaranth and many more, requires farmers to consider more complex weed-management strategies, according to University of Arkansas professor Jason Norsworthy.
“If you take a look at waterhemp today, there’s fields I’m aware of in the Midwest where you have ALS resistance. You have PPO resistance. You have glyphosate resistance. And if you plant Roundup Ready soybeans in those and that waterhemp emerges, you have absolutely no way of killing it in soybeans. ”
The threat of herbicide resistance across the U.S. spurred the Soy Checkoff to lead the Take Action Herbicide-Resistance-Management Initiative, which is supported by more than 20 land-grant universities, four other checkoff organizations and eight herbicide providers. The program encourages farmers to think about a smarter weed-control plan, one that uses diverse herbicides and goes beyond herbicides to control weeds.
For tools and information on how to manage weeds on your farm, visit www.takeactiononweeds.com.