By Jamie Martin
The Weed Science Society supported a new regenerative agriculture pilot program announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The project carried a funding value of $700 million and focused on improving soil health, protecting water quality, and strengthening long-term farm productivity.
The program aimed to improve food security and food affordability while supporting sustainable farming systems across the nation. Weed science leaders explained that strong weed control remained one of the most important parts of regenerative agriculture success.
"Weed control is what will make regenerative agriculture possible, as practices that help to improve soil health and water quality will also minimize reliance on tillage," said Lee Van Wychen, WSSA Executive Director of Science Policy. "Without tillage, weed control can become quite challenging, and farmers will need technical help from weed scientists and weed-science research to succeed."
The program planned to form a 15-member council to guide development. Weed science leaders recommended that at least one science-based representative should be included to provide guidance on weed management strategies and define regenerative agriculture goals.
Government support was described as helpful when programs were easy to use and economically practical. Stanley Culpepper, Ph.D., WSSA past president, said, "Implementing practices to improve soil health and farm sustainability are a priority for family farms as they strive to better the farm for the next generation." He also said, "Including an applied weed scientist in the development and implementation process would help address these challenges and ensure weedy pests are not overlooked."
The GROW network provided tools such as cover crops, precision sprayers, and harvest weed seed control. Farmer-led education programs also helped share knowledge.
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Categories: National