Weed Free N.C. Program Launched To Promote Zero Tolerance For Resistant Weeds

The North Carolina Soybean Producers Association announced today a new initiative called Weed Free N.C. to encourage all row crop farmers to adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach to resistant weeds like Palmer pigweed and Marestail wherever the weeds are encountered. The program is intended to motivate farmers to be hyper-vigilant about resistant weeds both in and out of the field, and to take the time to destroy them any time or place they are seen.

The goal of the program is to decrease the seedbank of resistant weeds in the soil, and help protect against yield losses due to weed pressure.
“Resistant weeds have become a major issue in North Carolina and across the country,” said Charles Hall, Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association. “We are calling on all farmers across North Carolina to pull together in the fight against resistant weeds and take the time to remove them any time they are found.”
 

The North Carolina Cotton Producers Association and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service are partners in the effort. The North Carolina Cotton Producers Association will promote the effort to their membership so that cotton farmers make eradicating resistant weeds a priority. Cooperative Extension will help distribute the message to farmers across North Carolina.
 

“A zero tolerance for seed production by problematic weeds, and especially resistant biotypes, will reduce the seedbank. This in turn will make management much easier in subsequent years,” said Dr. Alan York, Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University Crop Science Department.
The Weed Free N.C. effort will be promoted at agricultural tradeshows, in advertising and through Cooperative Extension.
 

For more information, call Charles Hall, Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association at (800) 839-5775.
 

The North Carolina Soybean Producers Association is a statewide trade association representing all N.C. soybean producers, responsible for research, education and promotion programs to benefit the state’s soybean farmers. The association is the qualified state board responsible for administering national soybean checkoff programs in North Carolina. The association is the state affiliate of the American Soybean Association (ASA.)