It's no secret that GMOs are awful, unnatural things that pose serious health risks, and they are ruining the planet, right? I mean, clearly these people know what they're talking about, right?
Orrrrrrr not.
Actually, in my humble opinion, although GMOs are not inherently bad, I'm also not super excited about consuming anything, directly or indirectly (e.g., cattle that have been fed RR Corn), that has had RoundUp sprayed on it for the last 30 years. And please know that I'm not trying to single out RoundUp. I would say the same thing about Liberty if we had used it almost exclusively in commercial ag for the same amount of time that we've used glyphosate. It's just a matter of common sense to me, really. Any chemical that we've used for that long, to that degree is bound to have some negative impacts. Seriously.
But ultimately, that has very little to do with the point of today's article.
I mean it kind of ties in because of the overuse of Roundup thing I suppose. More specifically, today I'm talking about GMWs (Genetically Modified Weeds).
Ok, for the record, I know that that's not a real thing (at least not in the sense that GMOs are GMOs.) Obviously, I'm talking about weed resistance to herbicide.
You might think it seems a little odd to start talking about weeds right before harvest; however, I think that this is the perfect time to talk about this subject for two reasons.
#1. Because you're about to start harvesting and you need to remember that the primary way to boost your yields is actually to decrease yield loss. If you're not sure what I mean by that, go back and read this article that I wrote and then come back and finish this one. The short version is this -- Weeds rob yield. (duh)
#2. Because commodity prices still kind of suck, and you're probably already thinking about how you're going to allocate dollars for next year's crop. And I want to make sure that a part of those dollars are dedicated to a good herbicide program... and no, I won't be making any money on your herbicide program, so this is straight up, no BS, no sales pitch, agronomy.
So what do I mean by "Genetically Modified Weeds"? (which, again, I KNOW IS NOT TECHNICALLY A REAL THING).
The best and most concise explanation I can find actually comes from BASF Canada, and you should definitely watch this video, because it will likely be the most informative 2 minutes and 23 seconds of your day today.
So hopefully you get what I mean when I'm tossing around the term "Genetically Modified Weed" now. It's not a GMO in the way that many of our crops are; however, it is different from other plants in the same species because of the selection process discussed in the video. And here's what it means for you -- Herbicide resistance is a real thing guys, and it's scary. I drove by a field just southwest of Iowa City, IA yesterday that looked like it was a waterhemp field with a soybean problem... not the other way around.
I didn't take a picture of that field because I didn't want to embarrass the farmer, but I assure you that it was infinitely worse than what you see in this picture from U of IL.
Speaking of the U of IL, they have developed a test for herbicide resistance so you can find out how screwed you really are. Purdue also offers herbicide resistance tests, and so does Oklahoma State University.
I have no clue if you have to be a resident of the states that these universities are in or not to utilize these testing services.
Also, apparently our friends down under have some herbicide resistance testing options as well.
If you don't live in one of these places I'd recommend that you check with your local extension office to see what your options are.
At the end of the day, here's the deal: Weeds are adapting. When our herbicide programs cease to be effective we lose yield and more importantly, we lose profit. And THAT is why GMWs are a WAY bigger deal than GMOs.
If you'd like help figuring out your herbicide program for next year, or if you'd just like to be more profitable in general, give me a call: 641-919-5574.
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