Farming trends may open the door for more glyphosate-resistant weeds if not managed properly

 Last year, continuous corn was a trend that many adopted to meet the growing demand of ethanol. This year many growers are rotating back to soybeans, taking advantage of rising prices.

For many years, rotating conventional corn to glyphosate-resistant soybeans was a good management practice that also helped reduce the spread of resistant weeds. This season, as more and more stacked hybrids enter the market, it is becoming harder to find corn hybrids with desired traits that aren’t also glyphosate tolerant. Therefore, the opportunity for continuous glyphosate applications is even greater.

However, by adopting the best management practices, the opportunity for glyphosate resistant weeds to spread can be minimized. Using a residual can help keep weeds under control longer into the season then a single post application of glyphosate.

How have stacked corn varieties affected management decisions, if at all?

For more information, click on Myth 2 : There's no benefit in rotating glyphosate.