Agricultural assistance: Dr. Bernd Laber (right) analyzes the DNA of weeds to track down the mutations responsible for resistance to herbicides. In parallel to this, his colleague Dr. Hubert Menne (left) conducts greenhouse tests to determine which agents are still effective and to which substances the weeds have become resistant.
Weeds that develop resistance to crop protection agents can cause enormous economic damage for farmers. In the worst cases, whole harvests can be rendered useless. What’s more, the spread of these resistances has increased hugely in recent years and affects cultivation areas and crops in all regions of the world.
Great benefit for the environment
Scientists at Bayer CropScience are using state-of-the-art molecular biology methods to minimize the problem: they are combing through plant DNA for evidence of resistance and developing an efficient resistance management system. That not only saves farmers money but is also good for the environment. To find out how these agriculture experts are helping farmers around the world to safeguard their harvest yields and reduce herbicide use, read here.