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 Both weather conditions and timing in planting
played a role on the development of crops and their competition with
weeds, depending on where exactly in the state crops were planted.
Some herbicides require rain to activate, which was not present at
the time. Other herbicides were literally washed away by too much
rain falling too soon after application.
Herbicides often have to be applied in tandem with each other, but
unusual weather can make it too difficult for farmers to plan ahead
when preparing to deal with weeds. In addition to rain problems, the
wind has also made treating fields for weeds a frustrating endeavor.
Another factor in determining the threat of weeds this year has been
cost-cutting. Many farmers are trying to stretch their dollars when
it comes to treating weeds, and resort to purchasing less herbicide.
Unfortunately, saving on herbicide comes with an obvious consequence
- more weeds growing in the fields.
Adam Davis, an ecologist in the Department of Crop Sciences at the
University of Illinois and USDA Agricultural Research Service, says
that we need to be careful when dealing with weeds, otherwise we may
hit a “tipping point.”
“I believe if we fully lost chemical control of certain weeds, and
if farmers continued with the corn-soybean rotation, they'd be
forced to reduce their acreages as they spend more time and money
managing weeds. And the cost of the end product, our food, would go
up as well,” Davis says.
Economically speaking, herbicide prices have actually decreased in
recent years, according to information from the University of
Illinois. "The assumption is that, in a rational market, people will
use less of a dwindling resource because it gets more expensive or
they notice a problem. It's not happening for herbicides," Davis
says.
An additional problem has been the sensitivity of crops to
herbicides, especially soybeans. The year 2017 initially left some
researchers skeptical, particularly after Monsanto announced their
promotion of a supposedly resistant strain of soybeans that could
handle the application of dicamba, an herbicide that, historically
speaking, hurts soybeans. Monsanto and German chemical company BASF
also promoted less volatile versions of dicamba that wouldn’t drift
like traditional versions. Instead of treating problems in the
fields targeted, the new product drifted anyway, causing problems
throughout the Midwest.
“As a result, the Illinois Department of Agriculture has received
368 complaints so far in 2017, which are more alleged pesticide
misuse complaints than in the previous three years combined,”
according to a report from the Midwest Center for Investigative
Reporting. Out of those complaints, 239 reports were filed for
dicamba alone.
Monsanto maintains that the problems are caused by
misapplication, not by any fault with their products. Additionally,
Monsanto considers the damage to be minimal, “considering that over
the summer that across the United States about 25 million acres of
dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton were planted.”
The company said Illinois, where about one-third of
the total 10.4 million soybean acres planted were dicamba-resistant,
is an example of a state where lower complaints numbers meant “it
appears the technology is working successfully on the overwhelming
majority of acres,” according to the same report from the Midwest
Center.
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Earlier in the year, other states, such as Tennessee and Arkansas,
passed new regulations on herbicides, specifically on the use of
dicamba. Illinois did not, and researchers are not sure why that was
the case. Some researchers believe that by the time planting season
comes around next year, the legislature may feel they have to pass
new regulations due to the sheer volume of complaints.
As far as specific weeds to watch for, one of the biggest threats
this year farmers have faced is waterhemp. Waterhemp is difficult to
deal with because it needs to be removed before it reaches 4 inches
tall. Weeds like waterhemp are becoming more resistant to most
herbicides, which adds to the frustration. This is partially because
of various state regulations, which result in only certain brands of
herbicides being allowed for use with certain types of weeds. As a
result, many types of weeds have simply adapted, reducing the list
of effective herbicides that can be used.
Davis suggests that one way to deal with weeds going forward is to
encourage diverse crop planting practices. “If you introduce a small
winter grain or a forage legume into that system, you begin to make
it difficult for summer annual weeds like waterhemp to become
dominant. So you can get about 90 percent there just with a good
crop rotation.”
If this growing season has taught farmers anything, it’s that they
cannot turn their back on weed control, especially if it’s just to
cut costs, or if they think their purchased product will work
without problems. Weeds will take advantage of any opportunity to
take up space, and we need to be sure we’re ready to deal with them.
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Sources:
Davis, Adam. Are we at a tipping point with weed control? Phys.org,
4 Oct. 2017, phys.org/news/2017-10-weed.html .
Hettinger, Jonathon. In wake of new Monsanto seed, Illinois sees
more crop damage. Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting , 18
Sept. 2017, investigatemidwest.org/2017/09/18/in-wake-of-new-monsanto-seed-illinois-sees-more-crop-damage/.
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