HERBOLOGIA - anubih

Herbologia Vol. 7, No. 1, 2006.
HERBICIDE-RESISTANT CROPS - ADVANTAGES AND RISKS
Zvonko Pacanoski
Faculty for Agricultural Sciences and Food, 1000 Skopje, R. Macedonia
zvonkop@zf.ukim.edu.mk
Abstract
Revealing of genetically modified, herbicide-resistant crops (HRCs)
at the end of the 20 th century brought many controversies. At one side, HRCs
enable the farmers to more effectively use reduced or no-tillage cultural
practices, eliminate of troublesome weeds resistant to some herbicides, using
nonselective herbicides, usually glyphosate and glufosinate as
“environmentally friendly” herbicides, decrease of expenses for crop
production, and finely, more economically and effectively manage of weeds.
At the other side, there is fear of possibile developing of weed resistant to
non-selective herbicides, appearance of volunteer HR crops, invasion of the
environment beyond the farm boundary, influence of HRCs to biodiversity,
exchange of genetic material between related HRCs and wild progenitors,
conventional crops, and weeds. The coming period should clarify the
eventual impact of these powerful new tools on weed science, weed
management, environment and human health.
Keywords: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), herbicide-resistant crops
(HRCs), glyphosate, glufosinate, weeds
Introduction
Weed control obtained a new dimension with recent revealing and
practical application of plant growth regulators. From that moment chemical
industry in collaboration with science have focused on creation of new
herbicide active ingredients with large efficacy, selectivity and possibility for
use in all crops against almost all weed species. In that period has developed
opinion that weed problem would be dissolved forever, without investing
efforts in finding and development alternative methods for weed control.
However, a long period did not pass when the first problem appeared -
resistance of some weeds to some herbicides, on which, until that moment the
weedd had been susceptible. The number of resistant weeds to some
herbicides continuously have increased. According HRAC and WSSA, about
182 weed species worldwide (109 broad-leaved and 73 grass weeds)
developed resistance to large number of different herbicides from all mode of
action groups. In the beginning, increasing the herbicides rate was one of