Much has transpired in the weed control world over the past 40 years and Brian Woolley has seen it all.
With farming roots in Port Dover, Ont., the Syngenta Canada territory sales representative is getting ready to close the book on a 40-year career in weed control. In this interview with RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin, Woolley looks back at key technology developments and products that have moved the market during his four decades in the business, including 2,4-D, atrazine, glyphosate, pursuit in soybeans, and dicamba.
Woolley also reflects on his graduate school days at the University of Guelph where he worked with Dr. Clarence Swanton on the weed scientist’s ground-breaking research to identify the critical weed-free control period in field crops.
When it comes to the evolution of weed control, Woolley notes the ebb and flow of the product pipeline and dynamic developments that have produced an ever-changing weed control toolbox for farmers. From limited herbicide options in the 1970s, to the chemistry and product explosion of the 1980s and 1990s, and how the arrival of easy-to-use and cost-effective Roundup Ready crops changed the game.
And weed control continues to evolve as more farmers now tussle with herbicide-resistant weeds. Today, weed scientists and product representatives like Woolley emphasize the need to combine chemistries, and employ multiple modes of effective action, to ensure control and prevent further resistance.
Looking ahead, Woolley expresses his concern for resistance and the potential impact of weedy invaders like palmer amaranth, and advocates for crop and herbicide rotation to maintain effective weed control. Watch the video below.
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