OVER THE PAST four decades, much of the no-till acreage increase that has taken place across North America has been due to the development of glyphosate herbicide and glyphosate-resistant corn and soybeans. But at the same time, the continued use of glyphosate has led to serious concerns about the future of this highly effective weed control product.

Despite strong opposition from farm organizations to the original version of the federal government’s Clean Water Rule, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers went ahead and released updated rules on May 27. While the 1972 Clean Water Act dealt mostly with larger rivers, lakes and bays, a major worry with the new rules is that farmers may now need government permits to deal with fairly simple matters such as on-farm ditches, ponds and even puddles.