|
February 9, 2009
Idaho growers transitioned to
herbicide-resistant sugarbeets in 2008, reducing the number of
times farmers had to apply herbicides or hire field labor to
control weeds.
University of Idaho
Extension weed scientist Don Morishita at Kimberly is working to
ensure that three common weeds, lambsquarters, redroot pigweed,
and kochia, do not develop their own herbicide resistance. The
turning point for sugarbeet growers’ decisions to use Monsanto’s
Roundup Ready technology in their fields was encouragement from
the Amalgamated Sugar Co., Morishita said.
His work now focuses on refining weed control recommendations,
which typically involve two or more herbicides to ensure weeds
do not survive and begin to develop herbicide resistance. The
main strategy will use glyphosate, the active ingredient in
Roundup, to control emerged weeds with another herbicide with
soil activity for control.
The approach may require growers to apply herbicides only once
or twice a season rather than four or five times as they did
with conventional beets, he said.
Southern Idaho growers have not faced problems with
glyphosate-resistant weeds, Morishita said. However, in the
Midwest, where Roundup Ready soybeans and corn are planted
extensively, glyphosate resistance is a problem. |
|
