Farm Journal
Roundup Ready was the belle of the ball in the mid-1990s, feted as the eternal guest of honor, until she lost her luster when the clock struck midnight. Despite warnings to the contrary from weed scientists, the presumption, by many both in and out of agriculture, was of permanent herbicide efficacy—a costly fantasy.
When the Roundup Ready revolution blitzed cropland during a stunning group of historically unprecedented crop releases, particularly a chain from 1996-1998 in soybeans, cotton, and corn, weed control suddenly appeared to be relatively simple. And it was for several years—until reality bit back and glyphosate-resistance began surfacing in a handful of weed species across multiple states, notably in Palmer amaranth and waterhemp by 2005, followed by the loss of full efficacy for nearly every chemical concoction in the tank.