Abstract Surveying farmers and consultants provides valuable insight into emerging problems and shifts in crop production practices. University researchers and Extension personnel can use this information to direct research and Extension outputs to best meet on-farm needs. A survey of soybean farmers and consultants in the Midsouth region of the United States (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, southeast Missouri, and Tennessee) was conducted from October 2024 through March 2025 to understand common weed management practices, problematic weed species, and evolving herbicide resistance. The survey respondents represented 19% of the total soybean area in the Midsouth, accounting for over 900,000 soybean ha. Soybean cultivars resistant to glyphosate, glufosinate, and dicamba had the highest adoption rate, accounting for 62% of hectares planted in 2024 and projected to reach 66% in 2025. Among the survey respondents, S -metolachlor was the most widely used preemergence and postemergence residual herbicide, while dicamba was the most common postemergence herbicide. The most problematic weeds infesting Midsouth soybean were Palmer amaranth, prickly sida, barnyardgrass, morningglories, and Italian ryegrass. A significant portion of farmers and consultants suspected Palmer amaranth resistance to synthetic auxins (47%) or glufosinate (52%). Respondents cited controlling problematic species as the most needed research area and frequently requested research on herbicide resistance management and alternative cultural practices for weed control. Herbicide resistance is a key concern for farmers, and postemergence herbicide options are increasingly limited; yet, there is strong interest in integrated weed management and in adopting new technologies in soybean.
Halbrook et al. (Fri,) studied this question.