Nutrien Ag Solutions invests in WeedSmart
Nutrien Ag Solutions, the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and farm services, has recently signed up as a silver partner of the WeedSmart herbicide stewardship program.
Robert Alderman, Nutrien Ag Solution’s Digital Ag manager, said their team of over 500 agronomists are committed to promoting sustainable herbicide use in Australia.
“Our sustainability strategy includes a commitment to assisting growers worldwide to adopt sustainable and productive agricultural products and practices,” said Robert. “This aligns well with the WeedSmart approach that promotes ‘more crop and fewer weeds’ through the use of both chemical and non-chemical tactics.”
“In our work with Australian farmers, we see first-hand the challenges they face with herbicide resistance,” he said. “Planning herbicide programs with clients is a large part of the work our agronomists do, and the WeedSmart Big 6 provides a useful guide to these discussions, ensuring that the plans growers implement are robust and effective.”
In Australia, Nutrien Ag Solutions maintains a national network of trial sites and follows national protocols to evaluate new herbicide products and use patterns in a range of environments before registration, so the company’s agronomists can provide detailed advice to their clients.
In welcoming Nutrien Ag Solutions as a silver partner, Jessica Strauss, WeedSmart project manager, said the program had long valued the vital role of herbicide retailers and agronomists in keeping sustainable herbicide use at the forefront of modern agricultural practice.
“WeedSmart is an industry-led initiative that brings together knowledge and experience from Australian research organisations, commercial entities, government, advisers and growers to ensure Australian farmers have access to leading-edge weed management technologies and practices,” she said. “In gaining the support of Nutrien Ag Solutions, WeedSmart is assured that our efforts to raise awareness of herbicide resistance and the tactics growers can use to keep weeds at bay are effective and valued.”
“Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomists have been wonderful supporters of our flagship annual event, WeedSmart Week, and generously provided their insights on weed management in their regions in various podcasts, webinars and articles on the WeedSmart website,” she said.
The WeedSmart Big 6 is an integrated weed management program that growers can apply across all cropping systems. Taking a diverse approach that includes several chemical and non-chemical tactics places downward pressure on the weed seed bank and reduces herbicide resistance risk.
Nutrien Ag Solutions have joined forces with existing platinum partner GRDC, gold partners Syngenta and Bayer, silver partners John Deere, Kelly Tillage, Seed Terminator, FMC, Nufarm, Adama, and bronze partners Goldacres, iHSD, Redekop, Pioneer Seeds, BASF, Croplands, Sipcam and Hardi to spread the WeedSmart Big 6 message amongst growers and advisors to tackle herbicide resistance in Australia.