From trait to transformation

Three decades ago, weed control in row-crop production was a careful balancing act—part science, part timing and part luck. Farmers relied on complex herbicide programs, multiple passes across the field and, in many cases, tillage to stay ahead of competition.

Then came a trait that transformed everything.

Roundup Ready soybeans were commercially launched 30 years ago this spring, and their influence still shapes how farmers manage weeds today. The promise of this breakthrough technology was both straightforward and exciting: apply glyphosate over the top of a growing crop and control a broad spectrum of weeds without damaging yield. 

“Roundup Ready laid the foundation for biotechnology in crop production—a foundation that’s had a lasting impact,” said Doug Spaunhorst, MFA Incorporated director of agronomy. “All the other traits have been building on top of it. That technology is still the basis of the Xtend and Enlist systems growers are using today.”

Through genetic modification, Roundup Ready technology gave growers the ability to rely on a single, highly effective herbicide and dramatically simplified weed management. The appeal wasn’t just about convenience. Herbicide-tolerant crops delivered measurable advantages across the farm. 

Instead of juggling multiple chemistries and tight application windows, farmers gained flexibility—both in timing and in approach. Fewer trips across the field meant savings in fuel, labor and time. And the technology encouraged conservation tillage and no-till systems by enabling farmers to replace plowing with a highly effective post-emergent glyphosate application, helping to retain soil moisture, too.

Tony White, Bayer soybean technical solution strategy lead, was in graduate school at Iowa State University when Roundup Ready crops were launched. He recalls the debate over whether the technology would be commercially successful, specifically a professor who thought it wouldn’t “make it.”

“That was kind of an enlightening moment for me as a student, but I thought it had opportunity. And he turned out to be completely wrong,” White said. “The way Roundup Ready technology launched right out of the gate was like no other. It was—and still is—a great product.”

Adoption was indeed swift. Roundup Ready soybeans—and soon thereafter cotton and corn—rapidly came to dominate seed and herbicide markets. Within a decade, use exceeded 90% of planted acreage. According to USDA Economic Research Service data, in 2025, herbicide‑tolerant soybean acreage reached 96%, cotton 93% and corn 92%.

Early on, the technology seemed nearly flawless. Articles in Today’s Farmer following its release reflected widespread enthusiasm. Farmers and agronomists marveled at clean fields. Concerns about yield drag faded.

But the very simplicity that made Roundup Ready systems so successful also set the stage for their greatest challenge—weed resistance. After repeated reliance on a single herbicide mode of action, weeds such as waterhemp, giant ragweed, Palmer amaranth and marestail began surviving applications that once controlled them easily. They spread quickly, leaving fewer susceptible plants behind.

“People fell into the trap that Roundup would just take care of it,” Spaunhorst said. “But every time we mess with Mother Nature, plants are going to adapt to what we throw at them. A lot of Roundup Ready’s benefits eventually brought unintended consequences.”

What had once been viewed as a near-universal solution became a reminder of a fundamental agronomic principle: no single tool stays effective forever if used alone.

Since 1996, glyphosate resistance has evolved in 62 weed species across 31 countries. The first U.S. case tied to genetically modified crops emerged in 2000 with marestail in Delaware. Missouri saw its first resistant weed—common ragweed—in 2004, followed by glyphosate-resistant waterhemp in 2005.

“Unfortunately, we learned a lot because we used Roundup way too much,” White said. “We also started using it in multiple passes. To me, as a weed scientist, that was the first major lesson in recognizing that we have to maintain the utility of the technology.”

The shift didn’t happen overnight, but the impact was profound. Weed-control programs grew more complex again. Chemical use, which had been declining, began to rise as alternative herbicides and higher rates were needed. Tillage returned to many fields to combat resistant weeds, and drift concerns resurfaced.

In response, seed and crop protection companies accelerated efforts to develop stacked-trait systems that incorporated multiple modes of action. Among the latest is Bayer’s Vyconic trait, targeted for release in 2027. It offers tolerance to dicamba, glufosinate, glyphosate, 2,4-D and mesotrione—an industry-first five-way combination designed to boost control of resistant waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.

These stacked systems represent the evolution of the original Roundup Ready concept. Rather than relying on one herbicide, they support a comprehensive strategy that includes residuals, overlapping applications and sound stewardship, along with agronomic recommendations that emphasize both efficiency and long‑term sustainability.

“We know integrated pest management is best from a stewardship standpoint, but there are a lot of factors involved,” Spaunhorst said. “Still, we know we can’t rely on a single solution. We understand weeds better now. One thing MFA has pushed heavily is using overlapping soil residuals. We’re promoting strategies that help manage resistance.”

As agriculture continues to evolve, herbicide-tolerance technology remains a key weed-control tool—but it’s no longer the whole toolbox. Future advancements will likely pair genetics with intensive management strategies and advances in modern machinery.

But the future must also reflect three decades of experience. Durability depends on diversity. Spaunhorst said that remembering those hard-earned lessons is especially important for younger farmers and agronomists who have never known a world without resistant weeds.

“It’s hard to say what the next chapter looks like,” Spaunhorst said. “We’ve got the Vyconic trait coming out next year, and a PPO-tolerant trait in the pipeline is expected to be released around 2030. New modes of action are being developed, and we’re seeing expanded uses for herbicides we’ve had for years. Equipment manufacturers are also part of the solution. We’re already seeing that with John Deere’s See and Spray and the Smart Spraying Solution from BASF. We may have to use more strategic cultivation and integrate cover crops to help suppress weeds. It won’t fit every grower or every situation, but we may be pushed in that direction.”

As new traits and technologies come forward, the industry now has a clearer understanding of what it takes to preserve the tools that make effective weed management possible. 

“We learned that waiting for a problem to blow up is never the answer,” Spaunhorst said. “I compare it to a tire that’s going flat. When you see it start to look a little low, make a change sooner rather than waiting until it goes completely flat. How do we spot the problem earlier? How do we adjust our management to steward the technology longer? Wouldn’t it be great if we could get another 20 years out of Roundup Ready, Enlist, Xtend or LibertyLink?”

White shares a similar sentiment, grounded in experience and hindsight.

“If we could go back and try to better educate farmers on mixing up modes of action and using herbicides other than Roundup at the time,” he said, “I think we would be in a better place today.”