The past two days we have been discussing BASF?s Operation Weed Eradication. It is a multi-faceted program that relies on common sense, chemistry, mechanics, and good old-fashioned elbow grease. Farmers can no longer say, ?Eh, good enough? when they see a few weeds still standing in their fields. Every weed left standing is the first step towards a strain of herbicide resistance. We have talked about how to partner mechanical practices, such as cultivation or deep tillage, with chemistry to get the best return on the investments you make for weed control. Now, it comes down to the most important parts: knowledge and diligence.
Audio: Full interview with Darren Unland of BASF about Operation Weed Eradication
We have been visiting these past few days with Darren Unland, a Technical Marketing Manager for BASF. He says that BASF has been partnering with several Universities to form an advisory group based on the knowledge gained from the years of research they have all conducted in their states on weed control. There is no magic bullet that will work everywhere, but pooling BASF?s knowledge with the University research will give them an unprecedented database of information to work with.
Unland says that right now they are only in the beginning stages of this research group. They are exploring so many combinations of weed control tools. Whether it is cover crop benefits, tillage, hybrid genetics, or multiple modes of action. All ideas and practices are on the table to maximize their effectiveness.
With all these practices we have talked about over the past few days, diligence is the lynchpin holding all of this together. It has been the common thread each day. Without the diligence of the farmers, nothing is going to be effective, and we will see even more herbicide-resistant weeds being discovered. Even how you run the combine in the fall can be a factor in your weed control for the next year.
It is going to take all hands on deck for this program to be a success. Together we can see a decline in weed resistance to herbicides. This initiative may be spearheaded by BASF, but by no means is it limited to just their customers. All of us can do our part to help eradicate resistant weeds.
