Stewardship

Monsanto considers product stewardship to be a fundamental component of customer service and responsible business practices. As leaders in the development and stewardship of Roundup® agricultural herbicides and other products, Monsanto invests significantly in research to continuously improve the proper uses and stewardship of our proprietary herbicide brands. This research, done in conjunction with academic scientists, extension specialists, and crop consultants, includes an evaluation of the factors that can contribute to the development of weed resistance and how to properly manage weeds to delay the development of resistance. Visit www.weedtool.com for practical best practices–based advice on reducing the risk for development of glyphosate-resistant weeds. Developed in cooperation with academic experts, the website provides options for managing the risk on a field-by-field basis.

Glyphosate is a Group 9 herbicide based on the mode of action classification system of the Weed Science Society of America. Any weed population may contain plants naturally resistant to Group 9 herbicides. The following general recommendations help manage the risk of weed resistance occurring. More specific recommendations are outlined in each Roundup Ready®crop section in the Technology Use Guide (TUG), distributed to all growers who own a Technology Use License.

Weed Resistance Management Practices:

  • Scout your fields before and after herbicide application.
  • Start with a clean field, using either a burndown herbicide application or tillage.
  • Control weeds early when they are small.
  • Add other herbicides (e.g. a selective and/or a residual herbicide) and cultural practices (e.g. tillage or crop rotation) as part of your Roundup Ready cropping system where appropriate.
  • One method for adding other herbicides into a continuous Roundup Ready system is to rotate to other Roundup Ready crops.
  • Use the right herbicide product at the right rate and the right time.
  • Control weed escapes and prevent weeds from setting seeds.
  • Clean equipment before moving from field to field to minimize spread of weed seed.
  • Use new commercial seed as free from weed seed as possible.

Monsanto is committed to the proper use and long-term effectiveness of its proprietary herbicide brands through a fourpart stewardship program: developing appropriate weed control recommendations, continuing research to refine and update recommendations, education on the importance of good weed management practices, and responding to repeated weed control inquiries through a product performance evaluation program.

Report any incidence of repeated non-performance on a particular weed to the local Monsanto representative, retailer, or county extension agent.

Control of Glyphosate-Resistant Weed Biotypes

Monsanto actively investigates and studies weed control complaints and claims of weed resistance. When glyphosate-resistant weed biotypes have been confirmed, Monsanto alerts growers, and develops and provides growers with recommended control measures, which may include additional herbicides or tank-mixes or cultural practices. Monsanto actively communicates all of this information to growers through multiple channels, including the herbicide label, www.weedscience.org, supplemental labeling, the TUG, media and written communications, our website, www.weedresistancemanagement.com, and grower meetings.

Growers must be aware of and proactively manage for glyphosate-resistant weeds in planning their weed control program. When a weed is known to be resistant to glyphosate, then a resistant population of that weed is by definition no longer controlled with labeled rates of glyphosate. Roundup agricultural herbicide warranties will not cover the failure to control glyphosate-resistant weed populations.