Unexpected Consequences
finally acknowledged. Since then, thirty-five glyphosate-resistant weed
species worldwide have been documented, sixteen in North America.
In thirty-eight states and four Canadian provinces, common weeds like
pigweed, horseweed, and ragweed are back with a vengeance.
As superweeds were taking over the environment, chemical-seed
companies like Monsanto and DowDuPont adopted a different
strategy—new seeds engineered to withstand older, more-toxic legacy
chemicals. Because of known environmental and health risks, EPA
classifies such chemicals as “restricted use.” On their list: dicamba.
No sooner was dicamba rolled out than the complaints began. Recall
that federal approval for genetically modified seeds and treatments
is based on company-provided data, not independent studies. When
dicamba-resistant seeds came on the market, most, if not all, university
extension scientists had played no role in their evaluation.
Farmers who had never used dicamba-resistant seeds suffered crop
damage from neighbors who applied dicamba. When sprayed, the
product was drifting. One university scientist estimated over three
million acres were affected. Missouri’s largest peach farm, in the heart
of soybean country, suffered extensive damage and filed a lawsuit.
Monsanto countered that farmers were to blame for not following
directions.
In a greenhouse in Arkansas, a university scientist demonstrated how
pigweed could develop full-blown resistance to dicamba in just three
generations. Other scientists, having looked at patterns in damaged
fields, suspected it was more than drift. Trays of dirt from a sprayed
soybean field were placed between rows of an unsprayed soybean
field. Dicamba was not staying in the soil but was turning to gas and
dispersing. As it evaporated, surrounding soybeans were damaged—the
product was volatile. Arkansas passed a law limiting its usage. Monsanto
filed suit. As of this writing, restrictions are being considered in other
states, and the legal battles continue.
EPA’s response has been to tweak its rules while continuing to green-
light dicamba usage. At stake for Monsanto, DowDuPont, and BASF is
billions of dollars in revenues. Paradoxically, farmers who had no plans
to use dicamba may be forced to buy dicamba-resistant seeds at premium
prices just for protection. Farmers who crafted markets around non-
GMO crops may suffer the greatest losses.