GMW: Monsanto confirms nightmare scenario superweed

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GMW: Monsanto confirms nightmare scenario superweed

" GM WATCH " <info

Thu, 22 Sep 2005 15:44:49 +0100

 

 

 

 

 

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1.Next? Monsanto's nightmare scenario - GM WATCH

2.Investigation Confirms Case Of Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Pigweed In

Georgia - MONSANTO

3.Is Palmer pigweed next? - DELTA FARM PRESS

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1.Next? Monsanto's nightmare scenario.

 

What's so significant about the admission from Monsanto (item 1) about

the Roundup resistant palmer pigweed found infesting 500 acres of

Roundup Ready cotton in central Georgia, USA, is that pigweed is

considered

one of the very toughest herbicide resistant weeds to deal with, and

palmer pigweed can be especially tough.

 

Up till now Monsanto's Roundup was seen as a particularly effective

means of dealing with palmer pigweed. Indeed, this was one of the selling

points of Roundup Ready crops.

 

In an article published two years ago - " Is Palmer pigweed next?:

Arkansas finds resistant marestail " - Delta Farm Press reported that for

the Arkansas extension weed scientist, Ken Smith, who had just found

marestail that was proving resistant to Roundup, resistant pigweed was

" what really scares Smith. " (item 3)

 

Smithwas quoted as saying that while resistant marestail " will be a

real inconvenience and will cost extra money to manage " , if pigweed ever

became resistant, it would revolutionize how people farm.

 

The weed scientist described the scenario where pigweed became

resistant as " frightening " - " That scares me terribly, " he said.

 

According to Smith, if resistant pigweed showed up any time soon, " we'd

be in a world of hurt. I don't know what we'd do. Whatever we ended up

doing wouldn't be good. So we're trying to be pro-active and stay ahead

of this coming problem. "

 

Palmer pigweed - the form of pigweed that Monsanto has now confirmed as

Roundup resistant - is a close relative to common (redroot) pigweed,

but is considered even more resilient and harder to control,

 

In an article for corn and soy farmers, " Roundup Zaps Palmer Pigweed " ,

Rob Reviere, a farmer in Tennessee who rotates soybeans, cotton and

corn explains how " Palmer pigweed is the toughest weed we deal with. "

 

According to Palmer, in his growing conditions, pigweed can get six

feet tall. " Two years ago, I had pigweed so big in one field that it

knocked belts off my combine. "

 

According to the weed scientist, Jerry Parker, " Several other

postemergence herbicides will take care of redroot pigweed, especially

if it's

small. But they don't do much for palmer pigweed, unless all conditions

are ideal. If you miss a few plants, you'll have trouble keeping palmer

pigweed contained. "

 

While both Parker and Riviere say that Roundup Ready crops tend to

yield less and so may not always make economic sense to grow, given their

extra expense, Riviere thinks the economics are changed by Roundup's

ability to deal with palmer pigweed - " if you don't get it before the

weed

is six inches tall, there isn't much that will handle palmer pigweed

except Roundup. "

 

The problem is, as Monsanto confirms below, there is now evidence that

Roundup is no longer zapping palmer pigweed.

 

In other words, Ken Smith's nightmare scenario has already arrived and

it's a particular nightmare for Monsanto.

 

With Roundup Ready crops constituting by far the biggest share of its

GM products to have made it to market, and with little in the pipeline

behind, the exponential growth of weed resistance to Roundup can only

spell eventual disaster.

 

For the article, " Roundup Zaps Palmer Pigweed "

http://license.icopyright.net/3.5522?icx_id=cornandsoybeandigest.com/mag/soybean\

_roundup_zaps_palmer/index.html

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2.Investigation Confirms Case Of Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Pigweed In

Georgia

MONSANTO

http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/05/09-13-05.asp

 

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 13, 2005) - Dr. Stanley Culpepper, a University of

Georgia weed scientist, and Monsanto have determined that Palmer amaranth

(Palmer pigweed) at specific sites in central Georgia is resistant to

glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup agricultural

herbicides. Numerous field and greenhouse trials completed earlier this

year indicated probable resistance; however, heritability studies & mdash;

to determine whether the lack of control is passed on to the next

generation & mdash; are now complete and confirm this Palmer amaranth

population as resistant.

 

" This Palmer amaranth population has tolerated extremely high rates of

glyphosate applied in the field under excellent growing conditions, "

says Culpepper. The resistant population infests 500 acres of Roundup

Ready cotton in central Georgia. Additional herbicide products have

provided effective control of the resistant population. Dr. Culpepper and

Monsanto are surveying the surrounding area this season to determine if

this biotype has spread.

 

When glyphosate resistant weed biotypes have been identified in the

past, they have been effectively managed with other herbicides and/or

cultural practices, such as tillage. Based on the data available today,

Monsanto recommends that farmers growing Roundup Ready cotton or Roundup

Ready Flex cotton who have glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth on their

farm do the following for 2006:

 

Use a pre-emergence residual herbicide such as Prowl

 

Apply Roundup agricultural herbicide plus metolachlor early

post-emergence

 

Apply Roundup agricultural herbicide plus diuron at lay-by

 

In case of weed escapes, there are other herbicide products available

as well. Growers should always read and follow herbicide label

directions. Monsanto will continue to work with the University of

Georgia to

research the best options for control of glyphosate resistant Palmer

amaranth and will modify these recommendations as new information becomes

available.

 

" We have ongoing research planned to investigate Palmer amaranth

management systems for a number of crops, " says Culpepper. " We won't

be sure

what the best recommendation is until after the cotton harvest. "

 

For growers that do not have confirmed glyphosate-resistant Palmer

amaranth, Monsanto is recommending they use a pre-emergence residual that

is active on Palmer amaranth, such as Prowl, in addition to a Roundup

agricultural herbicide.

 

" Using a residual helps reduce early season weed competition and

reduces the number and size of weeds when the first application of

Roundup is

made, " says David Heering, Roundup Technical Manager. " In cotton, it is

also important to add a residual at lay-by such as diuron to control

weeds that emerge between lay-by and harvest. "

 

Growers who are planting other Roundup Ready crops, such as corn or

soybeans, should also use a pre-emergence residual if they have Palmer

amaranth in their fields. Additionally, using the right rate of

glyphosate

for the right size weed at the right time is critical in an effective

weed control program. The use of lower than recommended rates of

glyphosate has been a contributing factor in previous cases of confirmed

glyphosate resistant weeds. Growers should also consider using additional

weed control tools that may be necessary for the weed spectrum on their

farm.

 

The research on Palmer amaranth will be submitted to the International

Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds at http://www.weedscience.com for

inclusion on the official list of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

 

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based

solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and

food

quality. For more information on Monsanto, see: http://www.monsanto.com

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3.Is Palmer pigweed next?: Arkansas finds resistant marestail

By David Bennett Farm Press Editorial Staff

Delta Farm press, May 30, 2003 [shortened]

http://deltafarmpress.com/mag/farming_palmer_pigweed_next/

 

Resistant pigweed

 

Resistant pigweed is what really scares Smith. " It will be a real

inconvenience and will cost extra money to manage resistant marestail.

But

we know that if we get in early enough with burndown with the right

chemicals, marestail can be dealt with. It's inconvenient to get in 30

days

ahead of planting because of weather, but we can do it. "

 

But if pigweed ever becomes resistant, it will revolutionize how people

farm, says Smith.

 

" That scares me terribly. We haven't seen resistant Palmer pigweed yet.

But just like with marestail, I think it's a matter of when not if. "

 

Smith says the kissing cousin to Palmer pigweed, water hemp, has

already been found resistant in the Midwest.

 

" I wouldn't be surprised if water hemp and pigweed cross-pollinate and

it shows up (in the Delta). That scenario is frightening and we're

trying to scramble and get some alternative control measures available

when

it is found. "

 

What do those measures entail?

 

" We don't know. Some researchers are meeting later this week trying to

brainstorm. We need to know what the options are. We don't want to get

out of conservation tillage or no-till practices. Those practices are

cost saving, are beneficial to the environment and so

they need to be maintained as much as possible.

 

" But we still may have to go to some kind of dirt scratching to get

herbicides where they need to be. I'm just not sure. Hopefully, we'll

have

time - years - to get plot tests out and a plan devised. "

 

If resistant pigweed showed up this year, " we'd be in a world of hurt,

" says Smith. " I don't know what we'd do. Whatever we ended up doing

wouldn't be good. So we're trying to be pro-active and stay ahead of this

coming problem. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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