Resistance Fighter Promotes Sustained Herbicide Performance
Since the 1990s, the Resistance Fighter program has been raising awareness of the weed resistance issue and leading the way in fighting measure to combat it.
In the late 1990s, Syngenta weed-control experts began hearing puzzling reports of marestail surviving herbicides.
“We recognized a significant issue was brewing,” says Dane Bowers, technical product lead of herbicides at Syngenta. “That’s when Syngenta founded the Resistance Fighter® program.”
Syngenta began sharing resistance-management strategies with growers, although not everyone embraced the program. “We took a lot of criticism from people who said glyphosate resistance would never be a problem,” Bowers says.
Syngenta persisted, though, and teamed up in 2005 with Stephen Powles, Ph.D., director of the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative at the University of Western Australia, to help resellers and growers learn more about managing resistance.
“Exclusive reliance on one product like glyphosate is a recipe for resistance,” says Powles, a world-renowned expert who has traveled the globe studying weed resistance. “Conversely, wherever there’s diversity in the ways weeds are controlled, resistance is not an issue.”
Syngenta has developed regional herbicide recommendation sheets as a starting point for tailoring the optimal weed-management program for each unique operation. “Resistance Fighter is ingrained into everything we do with regard to weed management,” Bowers says. “The goal is to protect the viability of our herbicides so growers can continue to have tools to effectively and economically manage weeds.”
“We recognized a significant issue was brewing,” says Dane Bowers, technical product lead of herbicides at Syngenta. “That’s when Syngenta founded the Resistance Fighter® program.”
Syngenta began sharing resistance-management strategies with growers, although not everyone embraced the program. “We took a lot of criticism from people who said glyphosate resistance would never be a problem,” Bowers says.
“Resistance Fighter is ingrained into everything we do with regard to weed management. The goal is to protect the viability of our herbicides, so growers can continue to have tools to effectively and economically manage weeds.”
Syngenta persisted, though, and teamed up in 2005 with Stephen Powles, Ph.D., director of the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative at the University of Western Australia, to help resellers and growers learn more about managing resistance.
“Exclusive reliance on one product like glyphosate is a recipe for resistance,” says Powles, a world-renowned expert who has traveled the globe studying weed resistance. “Conversely, wherever there’s diversity in the ways weeds are controlled, resistance is not an issue.”
#ResistanceFighter program at @SyngentaUS continues to promote sustained herbicide performance.
The Resistance Fighter program continues to promote this message by sharing the latest research, local recommendations and a comprehensive herbicide portfolio to help growers and resellers effectively manage resistant weeds in their areas. “Good weed control can still be achieved,” Powles says. “It just requires attention and creative solutions.”
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Syngenta has developed regional herbicide recommendation sheets as a starting point for tailoring the optimal weed-management program for each unique operation. “Resistance Fighter is ingrained into everything we do with regard to weed management,” Bowers says. “The goal is to protect the viability of our herbicides so growers can continue to have tools to effectively and economically manage weeds.”
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