PSP OUTLINES GROWER’S RESPONSIBILITIES & FEDERATED’S COMMITMENT

To enable delivery of “consistent weed control … while assuring the safe and proper use of crop protection products,” Federated requires growers to annually sign the Product Service Policy (PSP). This document clearly defines the responsibilities growers must accept and the commitment Federated makes to ensure “safe and proper use of crop protection products.”

While the basic tenets of the policy have not changed, this year the PSP includes two items worth noting. It is the growers’ responsibility to:

Manage weeds with trait technology, which entails choosing a seed trait that allows you to apply herbicides that will control your problem weeds.

Understand herbicide resistance, which involves learning and implementing practices to prevent herbicide resistance.

“Herbicide resistance” is the “buzz word of weed management,” as evidenced by its frequent use in Federated Agronomy Update articles, said Craig Gustafson, Federated’s director of agronomy operations. And “while understanding resistance is everyone’s responsibility,” growers need to take the time to understand the implications of this complex issue. In the end, as the PSP states, “poor weed control due to herbicide resistance is the growers’ liability.”

Federated Agronomists are here to help you understand and take ownership of weed resistance issues on your own farm. This link offers good information on managing herbicide resistance, and can spur conversations with your agronomist.

“We will help you design a complete weed control program, which will help prevent herbicide resistant weeds,” said Gustafson. Your Federated Agronomist will contact you soon to review the 2021 PSP and help outline your weed control plan.