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How long will it take Mother Nature to tarnish farming's latest 'silver bullet' weed program?
Herbicide-resistant weeds are popping up with increasing frequency. In most of the North American cases of resistance, growers have optional herbicides that will control the resistant bio-- types. The worst problem they face is a whole new round of management challenges.
Herbicides characterized as ALS inhibitors are involved in most of the recent resistance confirmations. Over the past two years, weed scientists in Minnesota have confirmed giant foxtail, robust white foxtail and yellow foxtail biotypes that are resistant to ALS herbicides. These are the first confirmed cases of foxtail resistant to ALS herbicides. That's not a distinction Minnesota was seeking, according to Jeff Gunsolus, Extension weed scientist.
The giant and robust foxtail biotypes were found in two different fields, but each had been treated about the same. They'd been in...