When Crops Become Weeds: Competitive Potential of Volunteer roundup Ready Cotton and Soybean

摘要

Roundup Ready cropping systems, which feature plant varieties genetically enhanced to withstand application of glyphosate herbicide with minimal to no adverse effect on the crop, have proven to be effective and cost efficient for managing weeds in cotton and soybean. Increasing percentages of acreage devoted to Roundup Ready cotton and soybean increase the likelihood of "volunteer" Roundup Ready crop plants that germinate from a previous crop or remain after a crop failure. If left uncontrolled, these volunteer plants can compete with a subsequent crop in the same way traditional weeds do.