Event charts new directions for weed treatment

Today the scientific program of the thirtieth edition of the Brazilian Congress of Weed Science ended. The event is promoted every two years by the Brazilian Society of Weed Science with the aim of debating the main challenges for weed science and analyzing the prospects for the sector. This year, it was joined by the joint organization of Embrapa Soja, EPAGRI, Fundação ABC, PUC - PR, IFC, IFRS, UEM, UENP, UFPR, UTFPR, UFSC Curitibanos and UFPEL.

Concern about resistance to herbicides was a recurring theme in the discussions, which addressed not only resistance to Glyphosate, but also to ACCAse inhibitors and Protox inhibitors (PPO). To complete the range of discussions on resistance presented throughout the event, Terry R. Wright, from Dow AgroSciences USA, presented, this Thursday morning (25), an overview of the use of auxin-mimicking (hormonal) herbicides.

Since Monday, more than a thousand participants have seen a program with more than 30 lectures and debates that provided a complete overview of the issue of weeds in the country. For the organizing committee, the Congress exceeded expectations. “Just because we were able to bring together representatives from all sectors involved in this issue - students, researchers, industry representatives, consultants and rural producers - it was worth it”, says Embrapa Soja researcher and president of the commission, Fernando Adegas.

In addition to the issue of resistance, the event discussed the diversity of possible actions to control weeds, such as the need to alternate between herbicides with different active ingredients, the need (and difficulty) faced by the sector to deliver new chemical products to producers and the influence regulatory aspects on this point. The importance of seeking alternatives to chemical control, such as integrated weed management, was also a hotly debated topic during the event.

The broad debate resulted in new directions for the weed science sector. “We leave here with the certainty that chemical control continues to be important in combating weeds, but it cannot be seen as the only solution. We have management alternatives that need to be considered and have been widely debated. We understand that prevention is infinitely better than cure and that we need a lot of knowledge, a lot of technology and, above all, knowing how to adapt this technology and make it reach the rural producer. We have a big challenge, but we can overcome it together”, concludes Adegas.