 Recently, I read an article warning us of the threat of pigweeds to agriculture in South Dakota. The message seemed to be, make sure you get your chemistry right. If herbicides are the only tools in the farmer's toolbox to address this problem, I'd say we have a very scary situation. Now weeds are an ecological phenomenon older than agriculture itself. They are the pioneer plants tailor-made to cover and hold disturbed soils. This is what weeds do. And this is why tillage actually promotes weed proliferation. Weeds are also fast adapters. This is why when we use the same chemistry year after year, we actually breed herbicide-resistant weeds. As Dr. Dwayne Beck says, it's the most natural thing in the world. Albert Einstein said, we can't solve problems with the same thinking we use to create them. One of South Dakota's best kept secrets is Dr. Randy Anderson from the ARS facility in Brookings, South Dakota. This unassuming researcher possesses a profound understanding of the ecological function of weeds, the key to defeating them. Join me in the next three videos as Dr. Anderson explains some of the ecological tools the farmer can use to reduce weed populations and save a bundle on herbicides. See you soon.