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A mindset shift to integrated weed management

A weed scientist at the University of Missouri says the future of combatting weed resistance is integrated weed management.

“The way I think about integrated weed management is to get rid of our herbicide centric way of thinking.”

Kevin Bradley says agriculture has been spoiled with good herbicides to control weeds, but that’s coming to an end. He says water hemp resistance has been especially bad this year.

“This year, I think we’re seeing some major warning signs of resistance that the main things we’re using to control water hemp aren’t working.”

He says technologies including electrocution, drones and on-combine seed destructors could help integrate weed management. Along with “some robotics. Having small devices that can go between rows and somehow kill weeds so they become more targeted. That’s an interesting future area, I think.”

He says herbicides are a tool in the weed management toolbox, but “why do we think a herbicide is going to solve a herbicide resistant weed problem?”

Brownfield interviewed Bradley at the Missouri Soybean’s Ag Innovation Field Day in mid-Missouri.