My visit to the new Heritage Center in 2014 was full of surprises. I was surprised to see two of the large galleries were not about the history of North Dakota at all, but rather about the history of this expanse of land which would someday become North Dakota.
I was surprised a third post-statehood gallery had a relatively small area devoted to farming and ranching. I had expected more. It was also surprising to me to see a significant percentage of this agricultural display had exhibits about modern agriculture, not about our agricultural heritage.
And there, among those exhibits of modern agriculture, was a jug of the herbicide Roundup. That surprised me, too. It seemed out of place. I wondered, “Why display something that represents what’s wrong with modern agriculture in the minds of many people?”
Thinking about it now, though, I realize the introduction of Roundup, a non-selective herbicide, revolutionized farming as much as the invention of the steel plow or hybrid corn. It changed everything.
Scientists developed crops that were “Roundup Ready.” Because it was non-selective, Roundup controlled everything growing in the field, except for the Roundup Ready crop that had been genetically engineered to survive.
The planting of Roundup Ready crops enabled, or at least accelerated the adoption of, no-till farming practices, which are now commonplace. With no-till, water infiltration has improved. Soil organic matter has improved. Soil erosion has been dramatically reduced. Yields have improved.
And the mix of crops we grow has changed. This year in North Dakota, there are as many acres of soybeans as wheat and enough corn to support several ethanol plants. Roundup Ready has, indeed, been revolutionary.
Today, the future of Roundup is anything but certain. Its maker has spent billions to defend it against legal challenges and may not be willing to spend billions more. Also, some weeds have become resistant to its “burndown” effect.
But its 50-year impact cannot be denied. Roundup herbicide transformed crop production. Perhaps it does belong in the Heritage Center, next to the steel plow it helped retire.
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Al Gustin is a retired farm broadcaster, active rancher and a member of Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative.
