Andrew Kniss

Defining Agroecology

May 20, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Agroecology (ag´ rō i kol´ ə jē), n. An ecosystems approach to agriculture. Agroecology. It’s an unfamiliar term to many people. And even people who are actively engaged in some aspect of agroecology sometimes disagree about what it means. I have to admit, even though the term is pretty important to me, I was fairly oblivious (or at the very least, indifferent) to the ambiguity until very recently. But it seems more and more I find myself trying to define …

UW’s hybrid of agricultural science

May 20, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

This article was written by Dr. Robin Groose and originally published in the Casper Star-Tribune on September 14, 1993. It has been reproduced here with the author’s consent. UW’s hybrid of agricultural science “Agroecology.” You won’t find the word in Webster’s. But someday you will. Today “Agroecology” appears with increasing frequency in the scientific literature, and even in new book and journal titles. And you’ll find a new program in Agroecology at the University of Wyoming. My department, Plant, …

Fitness of herbicide resistance genes revisited

March 22, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Last August, an article was published in New Phytologist that claimed a transgene added to rice could increase the fitness of a weedy relative. The paper was covered in the media pretty widely. When I read the paper, I didn’t think the authors presented nearly enough data to support their conclusions. You can find my criticisms in detail here. I think it is worth revisiting this paper now for a couple of reasons. The first is that two formal criticisms …

The “failure” of biotechnology to increase crop yield

February 26, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

For some reason, over the last few days I’ve heard a lot of people criticizing GMOs for not increasing crop yields. This criticism certainly isn’t new. I don’t really understand the reason for the sudden resurgence of this claim, but it does provide an excuse to address the topic with some actual data. GMOs can claim some successes, but a widespread quantum leap in the yield of important food crops is not one of them. – Jonathan Foley If you take a …

Are herbicides responsible for the decline in Monarch butterflies?

February 10, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

The monarch butterfly is in bad shape. The number of monarchs returning to their overwintering sites in Mexico has been declining steadily for at least a decade. The consensus suggests there are several reasons for this decline, including loss of their overwintering habitat and unfavorable weather patterns. But the purported cause of monarch decline that seems to get the most coverage is the loss of milkweed (Asclepias spp) in the midwestern US migratory path. The evidence seems clear that the number …

Does the debate about genetically modified food matter?

January 12, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Over at Grist, Nathanael Johnson has been writing an excellent series of pieces on genetically engineered crops, called “Panic-free GMOs.” The series as a whole has been excellent, and that is not just my opinion. Keith Kloor, another journalist who has often waded in to the GMO debate, said of Johnson’s Grist series: The overwhelming consensus judgement of science journalists is that Johnson has done a spectacular job of sifting through all the claims and counterclaims and the technical density of …

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 2,4-D Resistant Corn and Soybean Released

January 3, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

USDA-APHIS has just released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 2,4-D resistant corn and soybean. The 2,4-D resistant crops were developed by Dow AgroSciences using genetic engineering. The corn and soybeans will be marketed to growers as the “Enlist” weed control system. Crops with the Enlist trait will not only be 2,4-D resistant, but will also have stacked traits that make the crops resistant to glyphosate and glufosinate. The ability to use three very effective herbicide modes of action will …

The Wild Radish Song

December 15, 2013February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

I just became aware of this gem, and had to share. The song is a parody of the Gotye song “Somebody I used to know” and was written by Bill Long, a farmer and ag consultant in Australia. Enjoy! Hat tip: Joe DiTomaso

Cotton growers continue to battle herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth

December 12, 2013February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

A new press release from WSSA was released a few days ago. The post is related to my recent post on cotton yields in the South. From the WSSA piece: “The current model simply isn’t sustainable,” says Stanley Culpepper, Ph.D., a professor in crop and soil science at the University of Georgia and member of WSSA. “Growers have gone to war, and they are making progress from a weed management perspective, but not from an economic or environmental perspective. We …

Large-scale impacts of herbicide-resistant weeds

December 2, 2013February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

As I was updating information on herbicide resistant weeds for class this week, I wanted to find some hard numbers on the large-scale impact herbicide-resistance can have. Obviously, my first thought was to find information on cotton production in the South. Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth has been something of a poster child for the potentially devastating impacts of herbicide resistant weeds in the last few years. It has been dubbed a “superweed” by many, including Nature News, the New York Times, …