Weeds resist Roundup herbicide

Date:   11/22/2011 5:42:07 AM ( 13 y ago)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/08/us-glyphosate-epa-idUSTRE7374WX2011...


Already more than 130 types of weeds have developed levels of herbicide resistance in more than 40 U.S. states, more resistant weeds than found in any other country. Experts estimate glyphosate-resistant weeds have infested close to 11 million acres (4.5 million hectares), threatening U.S. farmers' yields.

On March 18, a cross section of consumer and environmental groups filed another in a series of lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the agency's approval of more Roundup Ready crops.

The latest suit, which targets Roundup Ready alfalfa, involves a range of concerns, including "the cumulative impact of increased herbicide load on the environment... and the creation of Roundup Ready 'super weeds' that become immune to the herbicide Roundup because of overuse." Yet more Roundup Ready crops will "cause grave harm to neighboring crops, native plants, microorganisms and biodiversity," the suit states.

Monsanto has acknowledged the spreading weed resistance problems, which are particularly bad for U.S. cotton and soybean growers. And last month Monsanto and Germany-based BASF announced a new collaboration to develop alternative herbicide formulations using "dicamba" and to create dicamba-tolerant soybeans, corn, cotton and canola.

The advent of new herbicides isn't assuaging critics though. They worry that this may only make the problems with weed resistance worse, because the new herbicides are being used on top of glyphosate, not instead of it, putting even more chemicals into the soil.

 

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