opportunity for change
Facing the facts.
The challenges are real, so the time to act is now
The development of herbicide tolerant (HT) crops (such as “RoundUp Ready” soy and corn) has been one of the most significant advances for crop production. Herbicide tolerant crops have been developed to withstand the effects of specific herbicides that kill weeds. The HT crops have provided farmers and industry with incredibly strong and immediate financial, operational, and risk-reduction benefits — and have resulted in one of the fastest adoption curves in modern technological history.
Traditional weed management is caught in a feedback loop, where herbicide-resistant weeds are driving the application of a wider range of herbicides in greater quantities. Weeds continue to adapt to new herbicide regimes that exact higher monetary, operational, and environmental costs with each iteration.
These potential savings are also dependent on field weed biomass and historical weed management in a field (e.g., poor weed management with elevated weed seedbank vs. effective weed management with low weed biomass and small weed seedbank).
Farming threats & pressure points
Farmers face many challenges, including unpredictable price fluctuations, limited access to technologies, and weed resistance, hindering their ability to effectively manage crop production.
Unpredictable herbicide development costs
NEW HERBICIDES TO-MARKET COSTS
18.9%
increase in research
31.4%
increase in registration costs
Consumer food safety concerns
60%
of consumers are concerned with use of pesticides in how food is grown
FOOD SAFETY AND PESTICIDE USAGE
Effective Crop Management
60
glyphosate-resistant weed species identified in 30 years
INCREASE IN WEED RESISTANCE
Replacement tech advancements
limited
investments in new modes of action
LACK OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
What success looks like.
Empowering Transformation: Realistic Solutions for Lasting Agricultural Change
A successful weed management system delivers results across multiple dimensions. These include crop-specific crop yield and quality, economic viability, environmental safety, and acceptance within the farming community. Success also is defined differently by the context and audience, with some shared aspects across audiences:
Balance of factors: Success means controlling weeds without suppressing crop yield potential, while ensuring environmental sustainability, economic viability, regulatory compliance, and low operational complexity.
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Practicality
Farmers emphasize clean fields and cost-effectiveness as primary goals, often relying on herbicides and crop rotation.
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Logistics
Herbicides need to work in wide environmental conditions and in concert with other chemistries and fertilizers so that logistical limitations to application timing do not hinder weed control.
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Supply Chain Uncertainty
It’s important to be able to weather fluctuations in pricing and availability of weed management technologies.
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Evolving Expectations
There’s a growing emphasis on safety, consumer perception, and long-term sustainability.