Genetically Modified Crops Resistant to Herbicides and Weed Control

Abstract

The adoption of genetically modified (GM) herbicide-resistant crops was an evolution in the management of weeds in agricultural crops. With these technologies, many non-selective herbicides began to be applied mainly in post-emergence of crops, without causing damage. All this has occurred through the improvement of some techniques such as the use of biotechnology, allowing the introduction of genes of interest in the genome of cultivated plants. In Brazil, the main crops with this technology are soybeans, cotton, and corn, cultivated on a large scale in the country. GM crops initially began to be developed with resistance to broad-spectrum herbicides, such as glyphosate and ammonium-glufosinate, and in some cases, the possibility of introducing more than one gene in the same cultivar conferring resistance to different herbicides. GM crops are important in weed management, especially in resistance management, due to the possibility of rotation of herbicides. However, these technologies will require greater knowledge of technicians and farmers, related to the different transgenic events, in addition to the management of resistant volunteer plants. The GM crops are and will be extremely important in weed management; however, the adoption of integrated management is essential to maintain the sustainability of chemical control and the longevity of these technologies.