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1 January 2012 Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management
David A. Mortensen, J. Franklin Egan, Bruce D. Maxwell, Matthew R. Ryan, Richard G. Smith
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Abstract

Agricultural weed management has become entrenched in a single tactic—herbicide—resistant crops—and needs greater emphasis on integrated practices that are sustainable over the long term. In response to the outbreak of glyphosate-resistant weeds, the seed and agrichemical industries are developing crops that are genetically modified to have combined resistance to glyphosate and synthetic auxin herbicides. This technology will allow these herbicides to be used over vastly expanded areas and will likely create three interrelated challenges for sustainable weed management. First, crops with stacked herbicide resistance are likely to increase the severity of resistant weeds. Second, these crops will facilitate a significant increase in herbicide use, with potential negative consequences for environmental quality. Finally, the short-term fix provided by the new traits will encourage continued neglect of public research and extension in integrated weed management. Here, we discuss the risks to sustainable agriculture from the new resistant crops and present alternatives for research and policy.

© 2012 by American Institute of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved. Request permission to photocopy or reproduce article content at the University of California Press's Rights and Permissions Web site at www.ucpressjournals.com/reprintinfo.asp.
David A. Mortensen, J. Franklin Egan, Bruce D. Maxwell, Matthew R. Ryan, and Richard G. Smith "Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management," BioScience 62(1), 75-84, (1 January 2012). https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.1.12
Published: 1 January 2012
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KEYWORDS
agriculture production
Agroecosystems
biotechnology
sustainability
transgenic organisms
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