LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Genetics and herbicide use are contributing to the
rise of a strong strain of horseweed, troubling farmers who likely will
have to spend millions of dollars to fight the plant that is immune to
a
common weed- killer.
A weed scientist who confirmed
the horseweed's presence in an Arkansas
cotton field said it could cost the state's farmers as much as $9
million to combat it next year. The weed is also present in fields from
the Midwest to the East Coast.
Ken Smith, of the University
of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service,
said the weed stalks in Mississippi County were eventually killed with
a
mixture of chemicals, but the wind-blown seeds likely have spread to
other fields in the region.
"We're probably to the
point where it's going to be too late to give
them good control this year and they're going to suffer some yield
loss," Smith said.
Farmers exclusively using
glyphosate and glyphosate-infused seeds to
fight weeds in their fields likely will need to take additional steps
before next year's planting season. Smith said the weed could affect
600,000 acres by next year's planting season in February and March,
costing farmers an additional $8 to $15 per acre.
Farmers have been using glyphosate
since 1974, when it was developed as
Roundup by Monsanto. The herbicide is now made by several different
companies and it is widely used because it apparently doesn't harm the
environment.
David Heering, a Roundup
technical manager for St. Louis-based Monsanto,
said horseweed, also known as marestail, is typically found in no-till
areas because it can't grow in a tilled field. No-till areas help reduce
soil erosion and also help farmers reduce planting costs.
Heering said products sold
in areas where the resistant horseweed is
confirmed will include instructions about mixing other products with
Roundup to combat the weed.
