Majority of Canadian farmers agree: herbicide-resistant weeds impacting their bottom line
Ipsos poll examines growers' perceptions on weeds
MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 5, 2012 /CNW/ - According to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of BASF Canada Inc. (BASF), three out of four Canadian growers say herbicide-resistant weeds are impacting their bottom line.
The telephone poll, conducted in March 2012, included a sample of 500 farmers in Western and Eastern Canada with minimum acre thresholds.
"We are not surprised by these findings," says Michael Schaad, BASF Business Manager, Eastern Canada Crop Protection. "Resistance is becoming a bigger issue and growers are starting to understand the impacts."
Group 2 and triazine (Group 5) resistant weeds have been a nuisance to control for decades, and continue to rob farmers of yield. Most recently, Group 2 resistance has been discovered in Quebec for Eastern black nightshade (EBNS), ragweed and pigweed. Glyphosate resistance has been most prevalent lately with the discovery of glyphosate-resistant kochia in the Prairies, and Canada fleabane and giant ragweed in Ontario.
With the 2012 growing season in full swing, growers across the country are starting to scout for troublesome weeds. Even if you have missed your first opportunity to manage resistant weeds by changing your burndown practices, it is not too late to address the challenge with best practices and innovative chemistry solutions. There are opportunities for growers to be proactive.
According to the poll, one in two farmers say weeds in their fields are getting tougher to control and most "strongly agree" that they use herbicides from more than one group to manage their weeds.
"Rotate your crops and your herbicide chemistry groups, use herbicides with multiple modes of action and use full label use rates whenever possible," says Schaad. "BASF is committed to the long-term sustainability of Canadian agriculture. Through research and innovation, we are well positioned with a portfolio of products to combat tough weeds and improve yields."
Full tabular results of this poll are available at www.ipsos.ca.
About the BASF Crop Protection division
With sales of €4.0 billion in 2010, BASF's Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF's Crop Protection division is to be the world's leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfagro.
About the Ipsos poll
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between March 5 and 12, 2012, on behalf of BASF. For this survey, a sample of 500 farmers from Ipsos' producers panel was interviewed by telephone. To be eligible for the survey, producers in Western Canada had to grow a minimum 500+ acres of cereal, canola or pulse crops, and producers in Eastern Canada had to grow a minimum 250+ acres of corn and soybean. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-4.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the specified population of producers in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
© 2012 BASF Canada Inc.
Michael Schaad
BASF Canada Inc.
(289) 360-6029
[email protected]
Jo Ann Robinson
ON Communication Inc.
(519) 963-1946
[email protected]
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