​Past, present and future of weed science at CBCPD

Tuesday (23) began with a beautiful review of the science of weeds, under the command of American researcher Phillip Westra, from Colorado State University, who brought reports from the beginning of attempts to control invasive plants, carried out manually and which required a large concentration of workers, ending with a conscious analysis of the challenges currently faced and the prospects for the future.

For him, the future lies in seeking new herbicides from new sources; explore the genetic advantages of weeds in order to improve productivity; promote management focused on weed biology; maintain relationships with large companies and encourage exchanges between students and companies. “And we need to continue to encourage gender equality, so that we have more and more women and the best possible professionals in the field of weed science”, concluded Phillip Westra.

The challenge of bringing new herbicides to producers

Regarding the future and the challenges faced by researchers and the agribusiness industry in seeking to deliver better - and new - solutions for farmers, Harry Strek, from Bayer Germany, was categorical in stating that the challenge of feeding a constantly growing global population becomes even more difficult due to herbicide-resistant weeds. “Right now, producers need a variety of tools and availability of products and agronomic practices to combat the spread of resistance,” he pointed out.

Among the points discussed, Streak highlighted that the long registration process for new products, which can take up to thirteen years in some countries, added to the high cost of research and development, has made it difficult to deliver new alternatives to the market.

10 years of RR technology

To complete the rescue of solutions that have been essential for combating weeds in recent years, it is impossible to leave out RR technology, which has completed a decade of use on Brazilian lands.

Certainly one of the innovations that was most quickly applied in the field, RR technology has made the lives of countless producers easier by guaranteeing glyphosate-resistant cultivars and thus facilitating weed control. As everything has two sides, the excessive use of herbicides ended up accelerating the resistance process in invasive plants as well. “This demonstrates that the resistance problem can happen with any technology, as long as it is misused. Misuse, in this case, is applying the same product continuously, in the same area for a prolonged period of time. Even if this product is one of the best herbicides ever created, as in the case of glyphosate”, says Fernando Adegas, president of the CBCPD 2016 organizing committee and researcher at Embrapa Soja.

The event continues with the scientific program throughout this Wednesday (24), with emphasis on the integrated management of weeds, resistance to herbicides and new herbicides.