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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » Natural Products Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #353784
Research Project: New Weed Management Tools from Natural Product-Based Discoveries

Location: Natural Products Utilization Research

Title: Herbicides

Author
item Duke, Stephen
item DAYAN, FRANCK - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2018
Publication Date: 10/15/2018
Citation: Duke, S.O., Dayan, F.E. 2018. Herbicides. In eLS. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester. https://doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a002526.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a002526

Interpretive Summary: Herbicides represent about 60% of the pesticides used worldwide. Bioherbicides are a growing portion of the herbicides used, but the several hundred commercial synthetic herbicides represent most of the herbicide market. Since their introduction about 70 years ago, weed management has been dominated by synthetic herbicides because of their efficiency and economic benefits to farmers. These herbicides have only about twenty modes of action, and resistance has evolved to most of them. New modes of action are needed for resistance management, but only a single new herbicide modes of action has been introduced in the last 30 years. Crops made resistant to the non-selective herbicide glyphosate through transgene technology have helped to make glyphosate the most used herbicide worldwide, but evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds is reducing reliance on glyphosate. New technologies, such as precision agriculture, will reduce herbicide use in the future.

Technical Abstract: Herbicides represent about 60% of the pesticides used worldwide. Bioherbicides are a growing portion of the herbicides used, but the several hundred commercial synthetic herbicides represent most of the herbicide market. Since their introduction about 70 years ago, weed management has been dominated by synthetic herbicides because of their efficiency and economic benefits to farmers. These herbicides have only about twenty modes of action, and resistance has evolved to most of them. New modes of action are needed for resistance management, but only a single new herbicide modes of action has been introduced in the last 30 years. Crops made resistant to the non-selective herbicide glyphosate through transgene technology have helped to make glyphosate the most used herbicide worldwide, but evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds is reducing reliance on glyphosate. New technologies, such as precision agriculture, will reduce herbicide use in the future.