2009-08-20 | permalink

Glyphosate-resistant Palmer pigweed: An old botanical nemesis refuses to be rounded up

Palmer pigweed, often called ”careless weed” by field hands, often is surviving and even thriving despite treatments with the chemical glyphosate -- most commonly sold under the trade name Roundup. In Arkansas alone, the weed has invaded some 750,000 acres of crops, including half the 250,000 acres of cotton. In Tennessee, nearly 500,000 acres have some degree of infestation, with the counties bordering the Mississippi River hardest hit. The infestation is cutting farmers’ cotton yields by up to one-third and in some cases doubling or tripling their weed-control costs.

• Memphis Commercial Appeal, USA: ’The perfect weed’: An old botanical nemesis refuses to be rounded up
• University of Arkansas, USA: Herbicide resistant pigweed dominates farmers’ concerns at research field day
• University of Arkansas, USA: Resistant weeds research among rice field day topics
• Monsanto, USA: Responses To Questions Raised And Statements Made By Environmental/Consumer Groups And Other Critics Of Biotechnology And Roundup Ready® Soybeans