Farmers used to worry about weeds.
Then, herbicides solved that problem. At least for a while.
In 1997, there were 432 new patents for herbicides; by 2009, there were only 65.
Developing broad-spectrum glyphosate and “Roundup Ready” crops worked so well that people basically stopped looking for new herbicides.
But then the weeds started fighting back.
Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios.
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