Manage Resistance with the Resistance Management Solutions Module
By Chuck Foresman, manager of weed resistance strategies, Syngenta
To help growers manage resistance, Syngenta created the Resistance FighterTM Resistance Management Solutions Module, a unique tool to find herbicide solutions tailored to individual fields. The module, available at resistancefighter.com/solutions, offers growers more than 3,000 possible customized solutions.
The interactive tool allows growers to easily input attributes unique to their farm and management style, generating a personalized herbicide program designed to fit their needs. Each solution is customized by crop, weed, county, state, preferred management methods and history of resistance.
Growers are looking for answers and this module provides a step in the right direction. Last summer, I stood side-by-side with a grower looking at a field overrun with glyphosate-resistant weeds. He said that Palmer pigweed isn't his number one problem; it's his number one, two and three problems. His weed resistance problem was at the point where he was determining whether or not that property could be used for farming. A tool like the Resistance Management Solutions Module provides a valuable resource for both growers and retailers, especially with the escalating problem. According to a Syngenta market research report, 25 percent of Northern growers and 39 percent of Southern growers reported glyphosate-resistant weeds on their farm. Results from the same study indicate that about four in 10 growers experiencing glyphosate-resistant weeds believe the problem is getting worse.
Unfortunately, there is a mindset by some that chemical companies are going to develop a new product to alleviate glyphosate resistance before it becomes a bigger problem. That ‘silver bullet' isn't likely coming anytime in the near future. We need to be looking at the herbicide programs available today and other cultural options, and make the best use of those tools. That's where this module can help.
Understanding resistance allows growers to proactively develop a management program to delay glyphosate resistance and maintain full yield potential year after year. Knowing the best options available on a field-by-field basis keeps growers one step ahead. For more information on the Syngenta Resistance Management Solutions Module and management options, visit resistancefighter.com.