Increased Glyphosate-tolerant Crop Acres Put Weeds at Higher Risk to Develop Resistance
Glyphosate-resistant crops are planted across most of the acres in the U.S. today. Below are acreage percentages of glyphosate-tolerant crops according to a recent Syngenta survey.
· 93 percent soybeans
· 85 percent cotton
· 62 percent corn
With a majority of the acres growing glyphosate-tolerant crops, the opportunity for weeds to come in frequent contact with glyphosate herbicides increases as well. The more opportunities weeds have to come in contact with glyphosate, the higher the risk for glyphosate resistance to occur, due to selection pressure from glyphosate.
The longer glyphosate-tolerant crops remain a large part of planted acres, the greater the responsibility to responsibly use glyphosate to effectively manage weeds. Eliminating weeds early, by using a pre-emergence herbicide removes weeds that compete with the crop and reduce yield, as well as eliminating the number of weeds in contact with glyphosate when the post application is made. Highly competitive annual broadleaves, like giant ragweed, waterhemp and Palmer pigweed, that have a larger emergence window and rapid growth rates are weeds growers should be most aware of when scouting fields.
Take advantage of the high commodity prices this year to diversify herbicide programs using applications with several modes of action like Lexar® or Lumax® for corn, Prefix™ for soybeans and Sequence® for cotton. Diversifying chemistries this season will slow the spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds and protect the efficacy of glyphosate for years to come.
Important: Always read and follow label instructions when buying or using this product.
Lexar®, Lumax®, PrefixTM and Sequence® are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Lexar® and Lumax® are Restricted Use Pesticides.