Six State University Study Illustrates Value of Herbicide Diversity
A professor and extension specialist in the crop science department at North Carolina State University, Dr. David Jordan along with his colleagues in weed science, conducts extensive research on weed management practices and directs statewide educational programs. In a recent interview, Jordan discussed his findings related to weed resistance in cotton and shared management recommendations for growers. For more information on his research and additional recommendations, visit the North Carolina State University website.
Syngenta: What weed management studies do you currently have underway with regards to glyphosate resistance?
Jordan: We are currently participating in a six state study on sustainability of glyphosate, or Roundup based systems. This multi-year study, referred to as the Benchmark Study by our group of cooperators, was initiated in 2006 and will be completed after the 2010 season. Farmers were asked to split fields in half and manage weeds as they normally would on one side (considered the farmer side) while on the other side of the field farmers followed university recommendations. In general, university recommendations included additional preemergence or postemergence herbicides and most cases included a wider diversity of herbicide modes of action (MOA.)
Syngenta: What is the goal of the study?
Jordan: One of the goals is to better understand weed population dynamics in glyphosate-based weed management systems. An important second goal is to develop strategies (and extend that information to growers and their advisers) that sustain glyphosate in cotton weed management programs.
Syngenta: Can you tell me how the results in the farmer side of the field differed from the results in the side of the field that incorporated university recommendations?
Jordan: Higher cotton yield and greater economic return were noted on the researcher side for all years even though the herbicide investment was higher. The benefits of increased herbicide input/management on the researcher side manifested in greater economic return, which most likely was associated with reductions in early season weed interference with cotton. Greater diversity of MOAs is important in managing herbicide resistant weed populations in the long term.
Syngenta: How do you think this study will influence cotton advisers and growers in their weed management decisions?
Jordan: Growers often focus on essential issues facing them at the moment, and often times management decisions do not consider long-term impacts. Data from this study indicate that including a greater diversity of herbicides and minimizing early season weed interference is not only valuable in the short term, but most likely will also pay dividends from a resistance management standpoint in the long term.
A professor and extension specialist in the crop science department at North Carolina State University, Dr. David Jordan along with his colleagues in Jordan: Higher cotton yield and greater economic return were noted on the researcher side for all years even though the herbicide investment was higher. The benefits of increased herbicide input/management on the researcher side manifested in greater economic return, which most likely was associated with reductions in early season weed interference with cotton. Greater diversity of MOAs is important in managing herbicide resistant weed populations in the long term.
Syngenta: How do you think this study will influence cotton advisers and growers in their weed management decisions?
Jordan: Growers often focus on essential issues facing them at the moment, and often times management decisions do not consider long-term impacts. Data from this study indicate that including a greater diversity of herbicides and minimizing early season weed interference is not only valuable in the short term, but most likely will also pay dividends from a resistance management standpoint in the long term.