2017 Fall Farm Outlook

Page 12 Oct. 25, 2017 2017 Logan County Fall Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS 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. 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 Continued ►►