Sharing Advice for Battling Resistance

Syngenta recently heard from growers and retailers in key states affected by glyphosate-resistant weeds on how they are coping with the increasing problem.  A resounding theme among the responses was that overuse of glyphosate has paved the way for tolerant weeds to become dominant and develop resistance.  One of the options to combat this scenario is to change up herbicide modes of action by rotating chemistries. 

One southwest Ohio grower reports, “I’m trying to stay away from using too much glyphosate.  You have to hit weeds with a vastly different variety of chemicals in order to slow down their ability to evolve.  I don’t use any more glyphosate than I have to because I really feel like it saved farming in my area and I want to prolong its use as long as I can.”

Using full rates of herbicides and incorporating a pre-emergence, residual herbicide are two more management techniques that were often mentioned in the responses.  This central Missouri retailer explains the recommendations he gives his growers to battle troublesome waterhemp in his geography: “We recommend using the full labeled rate, rotating modes of action and using residuals.  We’ve had ALS-resistant waterhemp since 1997, and in the past couple years you can see a decrease in control with glyphosate as well.”

As a retailer, what recommendations do you offer your growers in regards to weed resistance?  As a grower, who and/or where do you get your weed resistance recommendations?