Weed resistant to key herbicide glyphosate found in UK for first time
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A glyphosate-resistant weed has been found in the UK for the first time in what comes as another headache for British farmers. Glyphosate is the most effective herbicide for clearing vegetation before planting crops, but it is also used in other settings like domestic gardens, car parks, pavements, vineyards and orchards.
Scientists have now confirmed that the weed killer was not effective on Italian ryegrass found in multiple fields on a farm in Kent. Glyphosate-resistant weeds have been detected across the world numerous times in the past, but this is the first time a case has been identified in the UK.
While unlikely to affect food prices, herbicide glyphosate resistance has a significant financial impact on individual farmers and risks stalling the transition to more regenerative farming practices. Scientists are now briefing industry stakeholders about the development while biosecurity measures have been ramped up in the local area.
It comes as farmers begin to prepare fields to establish spring crops for 2025 against a backdrop of rising input costs, unfair supply chains, tightening margins, increasingly severe climate impacts and anger at the Government for introducing inheritance tax on farm businesses.
Weed science consultant John Cussans, who identified and confirmed the Kent case, said the resistant species is unlikely to spread because herbicide glyphosate resistance was probably caused by natural selection. But scientists still expect to detect more cases of randomly mutated Italian ryegrass on British farms in the short term as they increase monitoring.
