As predicted, cotton farmers are dealing Roundup resistance in weeds. Palmer Amaranth has found a chink in roundup's defenses and is going nuts. The good news? Smother crops, a weapon of choice used by organic farmers for decades, saves the day.
Smother crops are where the farmer plants a field of dense vegetation (in this case rye), rolls, or mows it flat, and then plants his crops in little gaps. It's like growing your mulch in place! The 'mulched' crops then benefit from growing in a weed free environment. ALSO! a side benefit is the addition of organic matter to the soil which helps retain water an nutrients. Read: less fertilizer.
Killing two birds with one sustainable stone? That's how it's always been done on small scale organic farms.
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