St. Louis, Missouri
December 29, 2006Recent
reports of herbicide-resistant giant ragweed in Indiana and
Ohio, and similar reports of herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth
(pigweed) in Georgia and North Carolina once again focus
attention on the need for weed resistant management (WRM)
programs. The National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA) urges growers to adapt and follow
a consistent WRM program.
NCGA launched its online Weed
Resistance Management Learning Center (WRMLC) in 2005 to educate
growers and agriculture industry professionals on how to reduce
the development and spread of resistant weeds.
“Herbicide technology is an
important tool in a grower’s battle against weeds,” said Paul
Bertels, NCGA director of biotechnology. “Good stewardship is
essential to ensuring this technology is available for farmers.”
“Growers need to utilize the
tools they have available to combat resistance so the technology
to combat weeds is available to us in the future,” noted Martin
Barbeof Carmi, Illinois, chairman of NCGA’s Biotechnology
Working Group.
The WRMLC includes an
interactive, self-paced learning program, featuring a series of
simple “how-to” lessons on steps they can take to manage against
herbicide resistance. Topics include:
- Why herbicide resistance
is a naturally occurring ability of weeds
- What integrated weed
management is and why it is important
- How to prevent weed
resistance with integrated weed management
- How to scout for weed
resistance
- What steps to take if you
suspect weed resistance.
The program can be completed in
about 45 minutes in a series of online sessions. “It’s one of
the best resources available to keep corn growers informed about
how to manage their weed programs,” Barbre said.
The WRMLC is available at the
biotechnology section of the ncga website. |