superweed
Unkillable agricultural nuisance
A superweed is a weed that has developed resistance to herbicides, making it extremely difficult to control.
The term emerged as farmers discovered that repeated use of the same weedkillers—particularly glyphosate—had selected for resistant strains: Superweeds are spreading through cotton fields across the South.
The word sometimes extends to any aggressively invasive plant that outcompetes crops.
Cultivated agricultural plants
- farmerOne who cultivates land
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- monocultureSingle-crop agricultural system
- tillageSoil preparation for planting
cultivation · rotation · infestation · no-till · soil · harvest · sustainability · biodiversity
Broad-spectrum systemic herbicide
- 2,4-DSynthetic auxin herbicide
- applicationFormal request document
- sprayingDispersing liquid as mist
- driftGradual movement, no direction
residue · toxicity · dosage · treatment · control · chemical · rotation · burndown
Willingness to accept difference
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
gene flow · hybridization · crossbreeding · fitness · survival · selection pressure · cross-resistance · genetics
Encroaching without welcome
- spreadTo distribute widely
- outcompeteBeat in rivalry
- seed dispersalTransport of plant embryos
- persistenceContinuing despite difficulty
aggressive · colonize · biodiversity loss · native species · environmental impact · contamination · feral · proliferation
crop
Cultivated agricultural plants
- farmerOne who cultivates land
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- monocultureSingle-crop agricultural system
tillage · cultivation · rotation · infestation · no-till · soil · harvest · sustainability · biodiversity · ecosystem
glyphosate
Broad-spectrum systemic herbicide
- 2,4-DSynthetic auxin herbicide
- applicationFormal request document
- sprayingDispersing liquid as mist
drift · residue · toxicity · dosage · treatment · control · chemical · rotation · burndown
tolerance
Willingness to accept difference
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
natural selection · gene flow · hybridization · crossbreeding · fitness · survival · selection pressure · cross-resistance · genetics · hardiness
invasive
Encroaching without welcome
- spreadTo distribute widely
- outcompeteBeat in rivalry
- seed dispersalTransport of plant embryos
persistence · aggressive · colonize · biodiversity loss · native species · environmental impact · contamination · feral · proliferation · establishment