Make resistance management a priority this year

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Responsible use and stewardship of crop protection chemistries are essential to ensure that these tools are effective and continue to perform on Canadian farms. Even without an identified problem, taking a proactive approach to resistance management is the best way you can delay the development of resistant weeds, diseases and insects.

It’s safe to say Eastern Canadian farmers likely have herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane in their fields or in surrounding areas. One of the first herbicide-resistant weeds identified in Ontario, Canada fleabane has been adapting over the years, with herbicide-resistant waterhemp coming up as the next ‘weed to watch for’.A proactive approach to resistance management means anticipating that your fields could have the ‘one in a million’ resistant biotype and building a crop protection plan to avoid developing resistance on your farm.

Keep weeds, diseases and insects off balance by incorporating resistance management tools to prevent adaptation.

Without a plan to incorporate diversity and adopt best practices into a farm’s pest management approach, you risk losing technology and tools. Start by making a plan for rotating crops, mixing and rotating herbicides, fungicides and insecticides (by incorporating multiple modes of action), and following recommended application and timing instructions.

Relying exclusively on one mode-of-action is one of the greatest risks for resistance development.

Planning takes time as does sourcing the latest information. The good news is there are plenty of resources available to help you take practical steps to build a pest management program that covers weed, disease and insect control.

Here’s a list of resistance management resources to help you develop a proactive plan:

Don’t forget that every good plan requires a backup, or plan B, because weather can easily interrupt application timing and current supply chain challenges are expected to create challenges too. Need more information? A trusted agronomic advisor, retailer or Corteva Retail Territory Manager are also great resources for advice on developing resistance management plans.

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