[timlin]

> Now that lots of weed are resistant, farmers will have to figure out how to farm without > this shortcut. Roundup is obsolete, so nothing of value will be lost.

I'm a part-time farmer. My father and I manage about 35 acres, half in corn and half in soybeans. We no-till our fields which is very helpful for preventing soil erosion and fertilizer/manure runoff. We are located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed so we have to (and want to) pay close attention to farming best practices regarding excess nutrients and runoff.

We use Roundup for both a burn-down in the spring and for post-emerge weed management (1 quart to the acre). It continues to work well for us. Based on what I've heard, round-up resistant weeds mostly commonly occur in fields where crops are not rotated. Some farmers do plant corn on corn, year after year. I can see where that would lead to significant problems.

So, I'd say that your unqualified statement above "roundup is obsolete" is true for me although it may be partially true depending on the application.

[teslabox]

What could you grow in your area that isn't corn and soybeans [c&s]?

How does the profitability of c&s compare to, say, silage? I was friends with a grass fed beef farmer in teh college, and learned from him that many weeds are actually a pretty good source of protein for cattle.

Have you thought about farming fruit or trees? My grandmother was going to devote some of her acres (Illinois) to black walnut trees (iirc), but she'd moved away from her parents' farm in the 1940's and just managed it from afar after her parents passed away.