Agriculture is facing a growing challenge: herbicide-resistant weeds and grasses are increasingly threatening crop yields. Herbicide resistance refers to the ability of plants to withstand the herbicides used against them.

Resistance in weeds and grasses occurs when herbicides with the same mode of action are repeatedly applied to an area. Plants that are naturally less sensitive to the herbicide survive and produce seeds. This gradually increases the proportion of resistant plants in the population, leading to control problems.

Several factors contribute to the increase in resistance, such as narrow crop rotations dominated by cereals, early sowing of winter crops and long-term, one-sided tillage. In addition, the lack of new herbicide modes of action over the past 30 years has exacerbated the problem. In Germany, common weed species such as blackgrass, wild brome, ryegrass species and barnyard grass are particularly affected by resistance. A notable example of herbicide resistance is glyphosate, one of the most widely used broad-spectrum herbicides in the world. Since the 1990s, the number of weed species resistant to glyphosate has increased significantly. Currently, more than 500 cases of herbicide resistance have been documented worldwide, threatening both agricultural profitability and food security.

The concept of Integrated Weed Management (IWM) has been developed to address this problem. This system aims to slow the development of resistance by combining different control methods. Mechanical weed control, crop rotation and the targeted use of herbicides with different modes of action play a central role.

Alternating herbicides with different modes of action can reduce the likelihood of resistance. In the long term, the development of new active ingredients and research into alternative weed control methods will be crucial. The use of digital technologies such as drones and robotics to accurately monitor and control weeds is also becoming increasingly important.

One alternative solution could be the Volt.apply system. This technology is based on pre-treating plants with a conductive liquid, followed by an electrical application that destroys plant cells and water-conducting tissues, causing the plants to die completely. Only through sustainable and innovative approaches can agriculture successfully combat resistant weeds.