Roundup Resilient Weeds Seen as an Environmental Threat

In the 1970s, the weed killer Roundup was introduced. It proved that it could kill nearly any plant while still being safer compared to other herbicides. Because of this, it allowed farmers to give up harsher chemicals and to lessen soil plowing which leads to soil erosion.

However, 24 years later, some species of weeds resistant to Roundup have developed, which forced farmers to return to some of the harmful practices they decided to abandon years ago. The situation is especially felt in the South, where some farmers are walking their fields using hoes to kill weeds. The problem is even spreading across the Corn Belt and beyond.

Roundup was proven to be unreliable in killing at least 10 weed species in 22 states. And some species of weeds grow fast and big, usually producing tens of thousands of seeds.

When Roundup was introduced by Monsanto in 1976, Gary Niemeyer said, “It was like the best thing since sliced bread.” Niemeyer grows corn and soybeans in central Illinois. Roundup, also known generically as glyphosate, is absorbed by the plants’ leaves and kills them by blocking the proteins which they need to grow. It is also a minimal threat to the environment because it quickly combines with the soil and becomes inactive.

Monsanto also introduced seeds which survived Roundup, and it categorically made things better for farmers since they could use the weed killer on their budding crops to kill the weeds beside them. These GMO seeds now account for 90% of the nation’s soybeans and 70% of corn and cotton. Naturalists and organic farmers continue to fight against it, and consumers are becoming more aware of the genetically modified disaster that is now America’s main food source.

The increased use of Roundup led to only a slight decrease of herbicide use on corn from 2.76 pounds an acre in 1994 to 2.06 in 2005, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Farmers were also able to cut back and even eliminate soil tilling which in turn reduces soil erosion and fuel use.

However, just like any other herbicide, the more it is used, the more it is likely to encounter species of plants with the right genetic makeup to survive what mostly kills other species. And, with every generation, the percentage of these herbicide resistant plants grows larger. The first weeds which survived Roundup in the US were found 10 years ago in Delaware.

Monsanto, on the other hand claims that the number of resilient plants are overstated. They say that most weeds show no sign of immunity. The company has even started paying cotton farmers $12 an acre to pay for other herbicides to use together with Roundup in order to increase its success.

These events confirmed the belief of some food safety groups that the growth of biotechnology will not decrease the use of chemicals in the long run. Agricultural experts say that the use of other chemicals is increasing. Monsanto and other companies are growing new seeds which are resistant to old herbicides like dicamba and 2,4-D. 2,4-D is a weed killer and a 50% ingredient in Agent Orange, which was said to cause numerous health problems for veterans. These two herbicides easily flow beyond the areas where they are sprayed. This could pose a threat to nearby crops and plants and may also harm wildlife.

Organic farmers & growers continue to prove that proper use of organic pesticides and organic fertilizer greatly increase soil quality and reduce weeds to a large extent.

Liked this post? Share it!

This entry is filed under Pesticides.