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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248889
Title: Weed Community and Glyphosate Management in Soybean Crops

Author
item SCURSONI, JULIO - Universidad De Buenos Aires
item Forcella, Frank
item SATORRE, EMILIO - Universidad De Buenos Aires

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2010
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A concern to some conservationists is the loss of biodiversity of weedy plant species in the face of wide-spread adoption by farmers of transgenic crops that are resistant to broad-spectrum herbicides such as glyphosate. We studied weed biodiversity in both Argentina and the USA, the two countries where the acceptance of transgenic crops has been greatest among farmers and the general public. Weed biodiversity was compared in transgenic soybean crops using treatments that included a single timely glyphosate application, two timely glyphosate applications, glyphosate plus a more traditional herbicide, traditional herbicides, and a weedy check. Single glyphosate applications often allowed maximum crop yields to coexist with weed biodiversity that was as high as the weedy check treatment, and significantly higher than two glyphosate applications, glyphosate plus a more traditional herbicide, and traditional herbicides. These results suggest that the use of transgenic crops do not automatically result in loss of weed biodiversity. In fact, judicious use of a single and timely glyphosate application allows high crop yields to be attained and simultaneously permits a multitude of weed species to survive, albeit at low densities, to maintain levels of weed biodiversity higher than with traditional control strategies. These results assist in alleviating concerns of conservationists regarding weed biodiversity and farmers regarding weed-induced yield losses.