The end of the chemical era draws near for farms

Chemical herbicides have long been the jewel in the crown of weed management, but after seven decades of use, natural selection is turning back the calendar.

Herbicide resistance in weeds was first discovered in the 1980s and the problem has steadily increased. With no new chemistries introduced in more than 30 years, it’s clear that chemical weed management isn’t the answer many had hoped for in the 1970s, when glyphosate changed the field.

With a nod to this reality, the University of Manitoba hired Dilshan Benaragama earlier this year to fill a new Integrated Weed Management chair.

Funding for the position was led by the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), along with the Manitoba Crop Alliance, the Manitoba Canola Growers Association and the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers.