Not Just Your Neighbor’s Problem — Pesticide Resistance: Case in Point

By Gracie Weinzierl, Account Manager (O+B | P)

OSBORN BARR (OBP)
Sep 6, 2018 · 5 min read

Farming is challenging. To raise a profitable crop, a farmer must be an agronomist, a mechanic, a business manager, an IT support specialist, an accountant, and a weather forecaster all rolled up into one. Then sprinkle a little bit of luck over all this expertise, get the crop in the ground, and hope for the best come fall.

Just as soon as farmers begin to get comfortable with the rhythm of the seasons — planting in the spring, scouting and protecting the crop in the summer, harvest in the fall, preparations for the next growing season in the winter — the next hurdles are thrown their way: crop prices, pest pressure, looming nutrient management regulations, and unpredictable weather, just to name a few. All of these factors contribute to shifts in farming practices over time. For example, we see many more cover crops and no-till fields than we did 20 years ago. No system is perfect, but farmers are always evolving as they learn what works and what doesn’t on their farms.

But while farmers are evolving, so are the weeds. Weeds were once taken care of with a pass of the plow, but the introduction of herbicides enabled farmers to adapt their field management practices, tightening the spaces between crop rows and eventually spending less time in the tractor pulling tillage equipment across the field or ceasing tillage altogether. We now know that less tillage reduces soil erosion and improves soil structure, and herbicides allow today’s farmers to adopt practices, such as no-till, to improve soil health and prevent additional erosion.

Since the WWII era, where farm labor shortages expedited the adoption of herbicides, the number of herbicides available for use in crop production systems grew exponentially, with only 15 herbicides available in 1940, to 25 herbicides in 1950, and 120 herbicides in 1969 (Weed Science, 2005). Today, farmers have a large arsenal of chemical weed control options, but that arsenal has shrunk in recent years — and not because of regulations, but the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds.

Herbicide resistance is not something to be taken lightly. A study by the Weed Science Society of America found that without the use of herbicides to control weeds, North American corn and soybean farmers would lose half their crop, costing them approximately $43 billion every year (Weed Science Society of America, 2013). Safeguarding existing herbicide technology is crucial to weed management. It’s been more than a decade since any significant new herbicide chemistries have entered the market, and no new sites of action are under development. And because herbicides take an average of 11 years to create and cost an average of $286 million to bring to market, that’s unlikely to change (CropLife America, 2016).

Time to Take Action

University weed scientists and members of the industry recognized that herbicide resistance was a growing problem but we're trying to address the same issue separately. It was clear to these individuals that a stronger, united platform was necessary to make an impact communicating to farmers about herbicide-resistance management.

Take Action Program

Conversations between these weed scientists, industry members, and commodity checkoff organizations resulted in the establishment of Take Action on Weeds in 2013, with program development led by the United Soybean Board. Take Action promotes diversified weed management practices, such as rotating and using multiple herbicide sites of action and using cultural practices like crop rotation, to slow the development and spread of herbicide resistance. As the primary communications contractor for USB, O+B | P was responsible for the branding and development of the Take Action program and continues to maintain the program today.

But just as soon as farmers begin taking back control of one problem, more appear. Like weeds, disease-causing pathogens and insects are living things that evolve with time. This evolution is apparent with the first signs of fungicide and insecticide resistance appearing across the country in recent years. Fortunately, many of the management practices that can slow fungicide and insecticide resistance development are similar to the practices promoted by the Take Action program for weeds. In 2016, Take Action expanded to include Take Action on Diseases and this year marked the launch of Take Action on Insects, with the purpose of helping farmers understand that resistance development is an issue and promoting best management practices to help them combat the issue on their farm.

Striking Up a Conversation

Pest Elimination Strategy and Tactics (PEST) Week Campaign

Communicating the exact same thing repeatedly wears down the effectiveness of the message. This summer, Take Action launched the first-ever PEST — Pest Elimination Strategy and Tactics — Week. The purpose of #PESTweek was to bring Take Action and pesticide resistance management front and center during a one-week blitz to promote awareness of the Take Action program, the issue of pesticide resistance, and how farmers can address the problem on their own farm. Take Action also promoted several resources, such as the popular Herbicide Classification Chart and new herbicide lookup tool mobile app.

Using a combined earned and paid media approach, Take Action was successful in getting people talking about resistance, with more than 100,000 impressions of the #PESTweek hashtag during PEST Week, along with exceeding website page view, social media engagement, and earned media placement objectives.

Pest Week’s Pest Madness Competiton

Think farmers won’t root for a menacing pest? Think again. Pest Madness was a hit during PEST Week, encouraging people to interact with Take Action on social media, but also providing us with important insights into what pests farmers are most concerned about. It was a close call between two weeds in the Final Four round, with a recent announcement of six-way resistant waterhemp confirmed in a field in Missouri, but the crown went to one of the most-recognized herbicide-resistant weeds: Palmer amaranth.

Moving Forward

No one can predict what the future of farming holds. We may very well replace tractors with swarms of robots that resemble Roombas one day, but one thing is certain: pesticide resistance is not going away. This is more than just your neighbor’s problem because insects will fly and weed seeds will spread between fields, disregarding property lines and fencerows. Pesticide resistance is a collective issue that will take effort from everyone involved in farming to keep it from building into a problem that could one day prevent farmers from growing crops.

Fortunately, all is not yet lost, but now is the time for farmers to be proactively thinking about and implementing management practices to prevent the development of pesticide resistance.

To find herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide resistance management resources, visit www.IWillTakeAction.com.

And if you’re interested in learning more ways to strengthen your brand’s engagement, O+B | P would like to help. Please contact John Meyer today at (John.Meyer@osbornbarr.com) or (314) 746–1999.

OSBORN BARR (OBP)

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OBP is a full-service agency that champions the rural spirit through integrated, innovative campaigns, helping brands tell their stories. >> obpagency.com

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