Third annual BASF poll finds farmers recognize herbicide resistance is a problem, but less than half suspect they have it

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 18, 2014 /CNW/ - According to the third annual herbicide resistance poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of BASF Canada Inc., 86 percent of growers say weed resistance is increasingly becoming a concern and most (89 percent) agree they will adjust their growing practices to prevent herbicide resistance on their farm. Interestingly, less than half of those polled (44 percent) suspect they have troublesome weeds.

The telephone poll was conducted between December 14 and 23, 2013, among a sample of 500 farmers in Western and Eastern Canada with minimum acre thresholds. The first poll was conducted in 2011.

"Growers are increasingly concerned with herbicide resistance – they are even telling us they know how to manage the problem," said Danielle Eastman, BASF Brand Manager - Western Herbicides & Clearfield. "But according to recent poll results, some still don't think it affects them directly."

Ian Heap, Ph.D., a global weed scientist and the director of the International Survey of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds, is monitoring the incidence of herbicide-resistant weeds from around the world with his team.

"There are 416 different herbicide-resistant weeds that occur around the world and Canada now has 59," said Heap. "One of the most important things farmers can do to reduce the occurrence of herbicide resistance is mix things up – either by crop rotation, tank-mixing or by simply using different modes of action in sequence."

According to the poll, growers do know how to combat the problem. Half of those polled agreed glyphosate alone is no longer effective in controlling weeds. The majority (96 percent) also indicated they used herbicides from more than one herbicide group to manage weeds and 98 percent said they used crop rotation as an effective herbicide-resistant weed management strategy.

Over the past few years, the BASF innovation pipeline has introduced eight new active ingredients and 25 new products to aid in the fight against tough weeds. Currently, BASF has more than 10 modes of action in its Eastern Canadian portfolio and seven different modes of action with 14 active ingredients in Western Canada.

"Through innovative solutions, agronomic support, and industry best practices, BASF is committed to helping growers in the fight against resistance," said Eastman.

Full tabular results of the poll are available at www.ipsos.ca. For more information on BASF crop protection products in Canada, visit www.agsolutions.ca  and visit www.weedscience.org  to learn more about the International Survey of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds.

© 2014 BASF Canada Inc.  

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Canada, located in Mississauga, Ontario is a subsidiary of BASF SE, and an affiliate of BASF Corporation. BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,600 employees in North America, and had sales of $18.5 billion in 2012. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.us. To find out more about BASF's activities in Canada visit www.basf.ca or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfcanada.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

SOURCE: BASF Canada Inc.

Christina Stroud, BASF Canada Inc., Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Jo Ann Robinson, ON Communication, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]