Drought and weather concerns topped the Bayer CropScience Farm Progress Show survey this year about issues and opportunities facing farmers.
Not really surprising, given this summer’s challenging drought – 73 percent of respondents to Bayer CropScience’s daily survey noted climate and weather problems as the biggest challenge experienced on their farm this year. Weed resistance ranked second in terms of challenges this year, with 18 percent of growers reporting this to be of significant concern on their farms.
The grower survey was part of Bayer CropScience’s new “One World to Grow On” trade show exhibit that was unveiled in Boone, featuring a holistic approach to help growers identify ways to establish a healthy harvest which is vital to farming families and their communities, not only next season but for years to come.
I had the opportunity to chat with Bayer Head of Profiling and Market Support Harry Streck during a media luncheon on FPS, and we talked about the problem of weed resistance world wide and how that fits in Bayer’s “One World to Grow On” theme. The “profiling” part of Harry’s title refers to how Bayer screens compounds for crop selectivity and weed spectrum.
“Resistance is all over the world, wherever intensive row crop agriculture is being practiced,” Harry said. “In Europe, the problem is most acute in the cereals. In Latin America, Brazil and Argentina, they’re locked into the same agricultural dynamics as we are in the United States.” Basically, he says, anywhere you practice one weed strategy over and over again, that’s the common recipe for developing resistance, which is why they are getting the message of respecting the rotation out worldwide.
“We recognize there are similarities throughout the world and there are some platforms that combat problems that have similar angles,” he said. “But it’s a big world and there are lots of differences.”
Listen to my interview with Harry here: Harry Streck with Bayer CropScience