Embrapa identifies another invasive plant resistant to glyphosate

Date:03-13-2020

Embrapa Soja and the cooperative, Cooperativa Agropecuária e Industrial (Cocari), have identified another plant species (Euphorbia heterophylla) resistant to glyphosate, a herbicide applied on a large scale on transgenic grain crops around the country.

According to a note from Embrapa Soja released on Tuesday, 10th March, the newly-identified plant is the tenth weed of grain crops in Brazil that has developed resistance to glyphosate, a herbicide developed by Monsanto, an American company acquired by the German company, Bayer.

"Although restricted to just one area, it is worrying researchers, technicians and producers, especially because of the economic effects that it could have if similar cases are found in other regions of the country," said the note from Embrapa. The data are available in the technical statement, titled, "Euphorbia heterophylla: A new case of glyphosate resistance in Brazil."

The first suspicions of resistance was observed in the 2018/2019 harvest, when weeds survived even after glyphosate was applied on a property in the Vale do Ivaí region of Paraná, where Cocari is located.

Other plants that have already developed resistance to glyphosate and are found mainly in soybean crops are asthmaweed, ryegrass and sourgrass. According to Embrapa, soybean production costs can rise from 42% to 222% due to spending on herbicides other than glyphosate, and also because of the loss of oilseed productivity.

According to Fernando Adegas (Researcher at Embrapa), the values increase, on average, between 42% and 48% for isolating asthmaweed and ryegrass infestations, respectively, and up to 165% if there is resistant sourgrass.

He also calculated that the average cost in Brazil to control weeds is R$120 per hectare, adding that in conditions of mixed infestations of weed species resistant to glyphosate, the increase in control costs can be greater, and in areas with asthmaweed and sourgrass infestation, the cost can reach R$386 per hectare, a 222% increase.

The original Portuguese version of this article is from Canal Rural.