Analysis of large-scale European field trial data reveals that lower quantities of herbicides are applied to crops genetically modified for herbicide-resistance compared with conventionally grown crops. However, the data also suggest that biodiversity may be reduced if genetically modified (GM) crops are grown widely. Transgenic crops are currently grown in 22 countries across the world, ...
The use of herbicides on crops causes environmental concerns. A new French study assesses the performance of cropping systems to manage weeds and finds that these techniques could control arable weeds in the long-term and reduce reliance on herbicides. In Europe, herbicides provide the conventional means of managing weeds on farmland. Although effective, herbicides are expensive and can build up ...
The widespread evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is costing farmers, especially through decreases in productivity and profitability. Although researchers and industry personnel have made recommendations to slow this evolution, an understanding of the patterns and causes of the resistance has been limited. Diversifying the herbicide mechanisms of action (MOAs) has been recommended to stop the ...
Grass filter strips placed in riparian zones not only curb soil erosion, but can help block and degrade the widely used herbicide atrazine, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists report. Atrazine has been used extensively to suppress weeds in corn production for decades, but because it's applied directly to soil it's especially prone to losses in surface runoff. The contamination of ...
Ensuring that pesticides do not endanger public health or the environment is a key objective of the European Commission. Due to spray-drift, the effects of pesticides are often observed outside of crop fields, where they affect non-target plants, fungi and insects as well as humans. New research discusses the effects of pesticides on non-target species and demonstrates that employment of “best ...
The residual herbicides commonly used in the production of corn and soybean are frequently detected in rivers, streams, and reservoirs at concentrations that exceed drinking water standards in areas where these crops are extensively grown. When these bodies of water are used as sources of drinking water this contamination can lead to increased treatment costs or a need to seek alternative sources ...
For several years the use of pesticides has been a major policy issue at both European and national level. Consumers have shown concern over possible harmful effects to human health and the environment, and policy makers have reacted by revising existing policy and creating new policy. In March of this year the European Commission completed a review of existing pesticides on the market before ...
Ohio’s corn and soybean growers could soon be spraying a lot more of two powerful herbicides on their fields. That’s why agricultural experts from The Ohio State University are offering tips on how to keep those herbicides from getting onto other crops, especially valuable specialty crops such as grapes. Doug ...
Pesticide-sparing approaches to farming do not have to compromise on crop yields, new research suggests. A study that explored the impact of reduced herbicide use across a variety of different farming contexts found that herbicideefficient systems could be just as productive as conventional systems — and more so than organic systems — whilst having other important environmental ...
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (ENS) - Researchers with the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have identified negative effects of the commonly used herbicide atrazine on phytoplankton, the free-floating algae that form the base of the food chain for aquatic animals. Published in the current issue of the journal 'Pesticide-Biochemistry and Physiology,' the study indicates protein levels ...
This study assessed the effects of herbicides on non-target plants in Denmark and Canada. The findings showed that some plants are more sensitive to herbicides in the reproductive stages of their life cycle and can experience delays in flowering and reduced seed production. The authors say future ecological assessments should consider reproductive outcomes. Herbicides are some of the most widely ...
Less invasive soil preparation methods in farming, such as harrowing, have a positive impact on the numbers, biomass, and species richness of earthworms, unlike conventional ploughing, according to new research. The long-term study compared the results of five different methods of soil preparation on agricultural land in Germany over a ten-year period. Earthworms play a major role in the ...
Invasive broadleaf weeds can destroy corn crops and fallow fields. Farmers use the chemical atrazine in herbicides to protect their plants. Despite atrazine’s controversial environmental impacts, it can provide long term residual control of many weed species. However, the loss of atrazine’s effectiveness has been a challenge for farmers in northeastern Colorado. In a collaborative ...
On March 25, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) sent a memorandum to Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), announcing that it plans to begin preliminary research to assess EPA’s management and oversight of resistance issues related to herbicide tolerant genetically ...
If you see even one of this notoriously damaging weed in your field, pull it up – fast! Otherwise it could be the worst mistake you’ve ever made in your farming career, according to a researcher from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Palmer amaranth, a glyphosate-resistant weed also known to many cotton and soybean farmers in ...
The EPA is making available for a 30-day public comment period a proposed regulatory decision to register Enlist Duo containing glyphosate and the choline salt of 2,4-D for use in controlling weeds in corn and soybeans genetically engineered (GE) to tolerate 2,4-D. Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to glyphosate-based herbicides and are posing a problem for farmers. If finalized, ...
A new study from researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service provides information about runoff under different management practices and can help farmers choose the practice that is best for them. No-till management practices can reduce soil erosion, but evidence suggests they can also lead to increased runoff of dissolved phosphorus from soil surfaces. Meanwhile, farmers looking ...
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced agricultural grants for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to reduce the use of potentially harmful pesticides and lower risk to bees all while controlling pests and saving money. “These collaborative projects can provide innovative solutions to reduce pesticide risks to pollinators and crops,” said James Jones, ...
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, and FuturaGene, Inc., a world leader in the enhancement of yield and sustainability of woody crops for plantation forestry, bio-power, and biofuel markets, today announced that they have signed an agreement for FuturaGene to develop ...
Sometimes, the old-fashioned ways are the best ways. Back before chemical pesticides and herbicides, farmers had to come up with ways to kill the weeds that took over their fields. One method used “back in the day” was letting pigs loose in fields that were not being used for crops for a season and allowing the pigs to do what they do naturally: dig up the roots of weeds and ...