Many no-till growers are reluctant to implement any soil disturbance due to concerns about negative impacts on soil health. However, a new study by Penn State researchers suggests that ploughing fields once after five years in a crop rotation that includes coverage with cover crops and perennials can maintain soil health and provide other benefits. “Although no-till has proven to be very good for soil health, and its wide adoption... has resulted in reductions in erosion and sedimentation, it has resulted in the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds because no-till farmers rely on herbicides to control weeds and terminate cover crops,” said team leader Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production/ecology. “And that has created a big weed-control problem.” Karsten pointed out that reliance on herbicides such as glyphosate may have negative environmental impacts and human health concerns. Instead, Penn State scientists advocate integrated weed management, which employs multiple weed-control practices. Mirage News

 

 

Monsanto has been hit with an $82 million verdict in a court case in which a Seattle jury awarded damages to parents, teachers and children who suffered brain damage after being exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, at their school. The trial, which began on Oct 25, is the sixth in Seattle's King County Superior Court against Bayer’s Monsanto Co. over exposure to PCB at the school, called Sky Valley Education Center, in Monroe, Washington. The trial involved a family of four, but the jury awarded damages to only one of the plaintiffs: $20.5 million in compensatory damages, and $61.5 million in punitive damages. Law.com (paywalled)

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible by readers’ donations. Please support our work with a one-off or regular donation. Thank you!