Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission will propose extending by 10 years its approval for glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. A transatlantic row over possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in the U.S., and in Europe has forced a delay to […] Read more
EU to propose 10-year licence renewal for glyphosate
Glyphosate clears Health Canada re-evaluation
Crop protection companies selling glyphosate have two years to make minor changes to parts of their product labels, as the 43-year-old herbicide formally clears Health Canada’s re-evaluation process. The re-evaluation, launched in late 2009 in a standard federal practice for registered pesticides in Canada, has ruled that products containing glyphosate — when used following the […] Read more
New study on glyphosate to feed into crucial EU vote
London | Reuters — Results of a new animal study into possible health risks of glyphosate will be published in time to inform a key EU re-licensing vote due by the end of 2017, according to the researcher leading the trial. A row over possible effects of glyphosate — an ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup […] Read more
EU chemical agency says glyphosate not carcinogenic
Helsinki | Reuters — Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, should not be classified as a substance causing cancer, the European Chemical Agency concluded on Wednesday, potentially paving the way for its licence renewal in the EU. A transatlantic row over possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in […] Read more
Monsanto ghostwrote Roundup studies, plaintiffs in U.S. suit say
Reuters — Employees of Monsanto ghostwrote scientific reports that U.S. regulators relied on to determine that a chemical in its Roundup herbicide does not cause cancer, farmers and others suing the company claimed in court filings. The documents, made public Tuesday, are part of a mass litigation in federal court in San Francisco claiming Monsanto […] Read more
Herbicide resistance is everywhere you look
This year it’s Alberta’s turn to be surveyed by Ag Canada — but researchers already know the news won’t be good
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’ve found herbicide-tolerant weeds in your field, you’re not in the minority. Weed resistance is increasing worldwide, so it’s really important that Prairie growers understand growing herbicide tolerance, says one of the country’s top resistance experts. “Group 2 really overshadows all the other groups in terms of weed resistance,” said Hugh Beckie, a research […] Read more
Minnesota probes Palmer amaranth’s sudden appearance
Chicago | Reuters — Minnesota has launched an investigation to find the source of seed mixes contaminated with weed seeds after the aggressive, herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth weed was found on 30 areas planted in a federal conservation program. The weed grows very fast, reaching up to eight feet in height and can hold back commercial […] Read more
This is not good — triple-resistant kochia has entered Alberta
Glyphosate-resistant kochia was bad but there’s a new strain that’s much worse
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kochia, one of Western Canada’s most abundant and economically devastating weed species, has won another major battle in overcoming herbicide. This summer, the first known Group 4 herbicide-resistant kochia was identified in a durum wheat field in southwestern Saskatchewan. And samples currently being tested from a farm in southern Alberta are also suspected to be […] Read more
WHO cancer agency asked experts to withhold glyphosate documents
London | Reuters — The World Health Organization’s cancer agency — which is facing criticism over how it classifies carcinogens — advised academic experts on one of its review panels not to disclose documents they were asked to release under U.S. freedom of information laws. In a letter and an email seen by Reuters, officials […] Read more
Controlling winter weeds now will pay off later
It’s cheaper to control winter weeds in the fall, and they won’t compete with your spring crop
Reading Time: 2 minutes You’ve been busting your butt during harvest and you’ve scouted your field many times during the growing season. But if you’re direct seeding, it’s worth scouting just one more time for winter weeds after you harvest. “It depends on what kind of production system a producer has,” said Mark Cutts, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture’s […] Read more
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