Cultivars of soybean and cotton that are tolerant of dicamba and glyphosate have been a big hit with growers, allowing them to treat broadleaf weeds throughout the growing season – without damaging their crops. But what about neighboring crops that are sensitive to the two herbicides?

A team of researchers from North Dakota State University decided to explore the potential impact of off-target movement of dicamba and glyphosate on Russett Burbank potatoes grown from seed tubers. 

They began by treating potato plants with dicamba, glyphosate or a combination of the two herbicides. Seed tubers from these mother plants were then planted the following year to explore the impact of the two herbicides.

Researchers found that exposure of the mother plants to dicamba, glyphosate or a mixture of the two reduced emergence of second-generation plants by up to 84, 86 and 87 percent, respectively.  In most instances, the height of emerged plants was also reduced. Total tuber yield was reduced by as much as 67 percent by dicamba, 55 percent by glyphosate and 68 percent by dicamba plus glyphosate.

The study shows how important it is to prevent off-target movement of dicamba and glyphosate. If you use these two herbicides, take steps to avoid volatility, particle drift and spray tank contamination.

Want to know more? You can explore the full text of the article, “Response of Russet Burbank Seed Tubers Containing Dicamba and Glyphosate” in Vol. 33, Issue 1 of the journal Weed Technology.