A Term You Don’t Like to Hear

You can’t help but cringe when you hear the term “multiple resistance.”  Herbicide resistance can be costly and damaging enough when weeds are resistant to one mode of action, and adding more can leave you with few options. With glyphosate-resistant weeds on the rise, this once “simple” method of weed management is becoming increasingly difficult. Fortunately, practicing integrated resistance management greatly reduces the risk of multiple resistance developing in your fields. Combining several practices, like rotating crops and chemical modes of action, spraying weeds early, using effective tank mixes and using glyphosate sparingly, makes it difficult for weeds to develop resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides. Hitting weeds with a wide variety of herbicide modes of action reduces the possibility of survivors that may be resistant to a specific chemistry. Plus, scouting your fields for escaped weeds helps to catch a potential resistance problem.

Across the United States, there are 12 states that have confirmed cases of multiple resistance, and the issue continues to be a problem. Some helpful resources:

¨      www.weedscience.org

¨      University of Minnesota extension

¨      Herbicide Resistance Action Committee

¨      Purdue University Weed Science

¨      Iowa State University Weed Science

¨      National Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group

¨      Glyphosate Weeds and Crops Group