If You Use Glyphosate, You Need FoliarBlend

FoliarBlend Offsets The Yield Dragging Effects Of Glyphosate

 

Research has shown that Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®, can suppress the formation of nitrogen nodules on soybean roots and temporarily weaken the plant’s immune response and defense mechanisms. This negative effect is further magnified when conditions place the plant under stress from environmental conditions or attack from pests or disease.

 

Hundreds of university and independent studies have shown there is a yield drag of 5 to 10% with Roundup Ready® (RR) varieties compared to comparable conventional varieties grown under similar and favorable conditions. Ongoing research on yield drag in RR soybeans points to the following four possible explanations detailed on the following pages.

 

First, Glyphosate is a strong chelating agent which binds divalent micronutrients in the plant, especially manganese and iron. Flashing or yellowing of young leaves of RR crops is often the result of glyphosate binding these divalent micronutrients.

 

Dark Areas Not Treated With Glyphosate


Photo from Dr. Don Huber

 

While FoliarBlend contains a variety of micronutrients, it may not be sufficient to overcome a severe nutrient deficiency in the soil or plant. Only soil testing and tissue analysis can determine the adequacy of available nutrients for optimum plant nutrition.

 

Second, Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®, can suppress the formation of nitrogen nodules on soybean roots. This reduction decreases the amount of nitrogen available to the soybean plant and can reduce yields. This effect from applied glyphosate is greater when the crop is under stress from conditions such as drought. The effect of glyphosate is likely on the suppression of rhizobium, the symbiotic bacteria required for nodulation, but it may also be from a broader effect on the normal physiology of the soybean plant.

 

Third, Glyphosate application temporarily weakens the RR soybean plant’s immune response and defense mechanisms, especially when conditions place the plant under stress from environmental conditions or attack from pests or disease. With the plant’s ability to defend itself at a weakened level, the plant is more susceptible to disease and insect pressure resulting in yield loss.

 

Fourth, In addition to suppressing the plant’s natural defense system, research indicates that glyphosate also promotes the proliferation of opportunistic disease causing pathogens in the soil, most notably the Fusarium and Pythium spp. Studies reveal that RR soybean plants treated with glyphosate have much higher levels of these pathogens on the roots compared to RR soybean plants not sprayed with glyphosate. While RR soybean plants are not normally killed by these diseases, the plants must use valuable energy to protect themselves from these pathogens, which likely contributes to yield reductions.

Fusarium Colonies on RR Soybean Roots


Research by USDA - ARS, Columbia, MO

In 2006 through 2008, research was conducted between the University of Missouri and the USDA-ARS in Columbia, Missouri. The purpose of this research was to track FoliarBlend’s impact on crop yield along with measuring its ability to reduce pathogenic Fusarium colonies around the roots of RR soybean plants. As evidenced by the photographs above, fungal populations around the roots of RR soybeans treated with glyphosate were significantly higher compared to the check RR soybeans not treated with glyphosate. However, on RR soybeans treated with both glyphosate and FoliarBlend, the fungal populations were comparable to the non-treated roots demon-strating FoliarBlend’s ability to reduce the pathogenic stress on RR soybean plants caused by glyphosate. In fact, this trend held consistent throughout the entire course of the study with FoliarBlend reducing fusarium colonies in 100% of the test strips in 2006 – 2008. The average count of Fusarium colonies on the soybean roots over the entire 3 year study was 103.1 CFU/100 cm of roots for the glyphosate control plot and 48.6 CFUs for the FoliarBlend treated plot.