Managing Herbicide-Resistant Weeds

The Weed Science Society of America will co-sponsor an upcoming scientific summit on how to manage herbicide-resistant weeds – a costly and growing problem threatening crop production across the United States and around the globe. The May 10 event is being organized by the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, and will be held at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

David Shaw, a former president of WSSA and immediate past chairman of its Herbicide Resistance Education Committee, says – a significant contributing factor in the evolution of resistance is the repeated use of a single herbicide mode of action. To counter this dangerous trend, we need to move to integrated weed management programs that incorporate a variety of other control methods. According to Shaw, – doing so can help us preserve crop yields, herbicide effectiveness and the sustainability of vital agricultural production systems.

During one presentation, Stephen Powles, professor of weed science at the University of Western Australia, will discuss what his country is doing to combat herbicide resistance.