The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) has endorsed a series of best management practices designed to reduce the incidence of herbicide-resistant weeds and the threat they pose to agricultural productivity.

WSSA president Rod Lym says the main recommendation for growers is to diversify both weed management practices and types of herbicides used.

“Today it is common to rely on repeated use of a single class of herbicides,” Lym said. “It is clear we need a different approach if we want to protect the future effectiveness of these products, which are important tools for farmers.”

WSSA scientists say the single most important factor contributing to resistance is over-reliance on a single herbicide — or group of herbicides — with the same mechanism of action. Weeds most often develop resistance in response to such repeated and exclusive exposure, which renders the herbicide ineffective over time.

The best management practices recommended by WSSA to combat herbicide resistance include common-sense, diversified approaches to weed management — from proactive steps to reduce the number of weed seeds in the soil to the use of well-established cultural practices to suppress weeds through crop competition.

What are you doing to control or reduce the threat of resistant weeds on your operation? Answer the BASF production poll and let us know.