Superweeds Winning The Battle Against Farmers
Farmers are losing their battle against superweeds. Glyphosate pesticides created by biotech giants like Monsanto, DuPont, Dow, Bayer, and Sygenta appear to no longer be effective against the rapidly growing and extremely tall weeds. When farmers are forced to apply more chemical pesticides and herbicides to their fields, the cost of produce can skyrocket as crop yields diminish.
Superweeds possibly caused by genetically modified plants and glyphosate herbicide and chemical pesticides are a growing problem, according to agriculture experts, with huge weeds becoming more prevalent in pastures and fields around the globe.
Increased exposure to chemical pesticides and to herbicide-resistant crops is being blamed for the growth of the superweeds, says Natural News. One weed, the Palmer amaranth pigweed, reportedly can grow 10 feet tall at a rate of one or two inches per day. Superweeds possess stems thick enough to damage robust farm equipment.
Some in the agriculture industry are now considering embarking on a controversial environmental practice to combat the continued growth of superweeds. Deep tiling of fields to fight the massive weeds that have become resistant to herbicides is a tact agricultural experts thing will work, but often causes backlash from environmentalists. The rapidly growing weeks choke crops and cause a significant financial loss to farmers.
Midwest farmers have been hit especially hard by superweeds which have become resistant to glyphosate – the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup Ready herbicide. University of Missouri weed scientist Kevin Bradley said this in a farm report, “Palmer amaranth is our No. 1 weed to watch in Missouri and the Midwest right now.” Bradley also informed farmers that deep tilling can remove the weeds but will also lead to soil erosion problems and possibly other environmental concerns.
Heavy tilling practices largely ended several decades ago when “no-till” farming became commonplace. Glyphosate may not cause soil erosion but multiple studies have stated that the chemical may be very destructive to honeybees. Bees pollinated approximately 80 percent of the food we eat, if all the honeybees die, the human race will not be far behind. Agricultural chemicals and GMO seeds have often been blamed for colony collapse disorder which impacts the nervous system of the bee making it nearly impossible for the insect to find its way back to the hive and causing lethargy that leads to starvation.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that 70 million acres of American farmland experienced glyphosate resistant weeds last year.
Do you think GMO crops and glyphosate are harmful to the food supply and honeybees?
[Image Via: Food Myth Busters]
