Effective weed management is crucial for optimizing soybean yields and profitability; however, herbicide resistance poses a significant threat to efficient chemical weed control in soybeans. This proposed project directly addresses this issue through the development of new diagnostic tools, increased resistance screening capacity, and improved recommendations for resistance management. It represents a collaborative effort among some of the world's premier experts in herbicide resistance detection and management, spanning the eastern, southern, and northcentral U.S. soybean growing regions. Key objectives include developing rapid diagnostic tools for herbicide resistance detection, establishing diagnostic standards, discovering new herbicide resistance mechanisms for further diagnostic development, and translating these products directly to farmers. Funding will also provide training opportunities for six graduate students and two post-doctoral researchers, ensuring the development of the next generation of weed scientists. A major outcome will be the creation of a variety of diagnostic tools, which will be made available post-project through local universities across the soybean growing region. Ultimately, this collaborative approach aims to enhance communication and knowledge exchange among scientists, farmers, and agronomists, thereby strengthening the resilience of soybean production against herbicide resistance. If funds are awarded, they will be leveraged to obtain complementary support from private industry and the federal government to extend the proposed work. This project anticipates significant economic returns for soybean farmers, estimated at $87.5 million annually, by providing timely and effective weed resistance management solutions.

The proposed collaborative effort, spanning multiple soybean growing regions, seeks to address soybean growers’ needs by: i) Establishing a pipeline for identifying resistant weeds and setting diagnostic standards for confirming resistance, ii) Developing and deploying more rapid herbicide resistance diagnostics, iii) Discovering new herbicide resistance mechanisms for future diagnostic development, iv) Understanding how resistance manifests across pre- and post-emergence application timings, and v) Effectively disseminating information to soybean farmers and their advisors. Ultimately, this project aims to establish a broad and collaborative weed science workgroup to facilitate knowledge exchange and the development of decision support tools for local and regional weed management.

Objective 1) Develop standard greenhouse diagnostic protocols for resistance detection.
Objective 2) Create fast assays for known herbicide resistance mechanism detection.
Objective 3) Uncover novel resistance mechanisms for timely development of quick diagnostics.
Objective 4) Investigate resistance to pre- and post-applied herbicides in Amaranthus spp.
Objective 5) Disseminate findings, communicate with growers, and develop human capital.

Success will be evaluated by several metrics. First, PIs with extension appointments will incorporate results in their annual extension talks including explanations to growers that suspected resistant samples from soybean farms can be submitted for screening to either MSU or Miss State. The number of those talks, where they were located, and the number of attendants will be recorded. We will also include brief surveys at these meetings to check farmer understanding and willingness to use diagnostic services. Second, we will calculate how many samples are being submitted by soybean growers before, during, and after this project. As word spreads from extension talks about this project, we anticipate more growers being interested in testing. Furthermore, success in developing an herbicide resistance testing network for soybean growers will be measured by assessments conducted during the webinars and farmer panels at the North Central Weed Science Society (NCWSS), Northeastern Weed Science Society (NEWSS), and Southern Weed Science Society (SWSS) annual meetings. Third, we will work with our state soybean commodity groups to publish extension articles about this project and inform growers about herbicide resistance testing. We will measure growers understanding and awareness of testing in the first and last year of the project. Fourth, we will also keep track of the number of 1) protocols developed, 2) papers written, 3) extension articles written, and 4) students graduated that result from this effort. Finally, extension PIs will evaluate changes in growers’ response to putative resistance cases and the adoption of recommendations that are a result of discoveries from this project. All metrics will be collected and reported at the end of the third year of this project.

Updated August 1, 2025:
Our project, entitled “An integrated approach towards the detection, diagnosis, and response to emerging herbicide-resistant weeds in soybean” is off to a great start. We met as a group at Weed Science Society of America on February 25th, 2025 to begin planning our first steps and we chose the name “Hermon” (Herbicide resistance monitoring network) to talk about our project in brief.. Funds were received in March and subaward contracts and MTAs initiated immediately. Once funds were dispersed, the 11 PIs on the team were able to open positions at their respective universities and begin the hiring process to find personal to work on this project. Due to all of us working on the school year/student hiring cycle this meant most of us were hiring to start in the summer of fall of 2025. To date we have:
1. A research associate starting at Mississippi in September.
2. A research associate and student already working at Wisconsin
3. A master’s student at Texas
4. A post-doc and master’s student at Arkansas
5. A PhD student starting at Kansas state in September
6. A post-doc already started at Michigan
7. A post-doc already started at Pennsylvania

Those of us with extension appointments have been giving talks to soybean growers throughout the year, especially I the summer months about the importance of herbicide resistance testing and monitoring, and the importance of germplasm for Hermon. We expect several new populations to be received in late summer and early fall when weeds are putting out seeds. PIs Butts, Werle, Lancaster, and Sprague have especially been active in talks, hosting field days for soybean growers with herbicide demonstrations and appearing on local radio and on agriculture podcasts. Also in extension, PI Lancaster has started collecting interviews with the various PIs on this project as well as other knowledgeable weed scientists to be turned into short-form video essays about various important components of this project including a project overview, the importance of monitoring, the importance of getting your weeds tested, the importance of weed control and herbicide resistance management in general etc. We have developed a plan with USB, TakeAction, and GROW to publish these materials and amplify their impact.

In research we have made progress on several fronts. First we have begun collecting all the information about existing weed seed collections hosted at the various participating universities. This required a standardized database with inclusive fields to capture as much information about available germplasm as possible. With this we will begin sharing important seeds for bulk up and molecular investigation in the next steps of the project. We will also use this information to populate county-level maps with cases of confirmed and suspected herbicide resistance that will be made publicly available to growers. For this, we have begun meeting with the creators of EDDmaps, a powerful agriculture database that can generate up-to-date maps with ease. We are still working on what uploading our data will look like. We have supported their application for a symposium at the 2026 WSSA meeting which has been accepted and both PI Patterson and Lancaster will talk about the Hermon project and herbicide resistance monitoring.

PI Patterson and Tranel have also begun conversations with Corteva about the importance of the Enlist trait and monitoring and studying 2,4 D resistance in both Palmer and Waterhemp. While we have enough budget to tackle some of this resistance case, we have been talking to Corteva to leverage these funds and amplify our capacity to fully understand what drives 2,4D resistance in these species.

PIs Werle and Norsworthy have been working on extensive dose response greenhouse experiments looking at waterhemp resistance to PRE herbicides in Wisconsin and HPPD POST herbicides in Arkansas. The former being importance to protect PPO herbicides for Soybean and the later due to Bayer wanting to include HPPD herbicides in the upcoming HT4 soybeans. PIS Patterson, Werle, and Brunharo have also developing methodology to test for herbicide resistance in agar for Pre herbicides which will greatly accelerate and standardize pre-emergent resistance testing, PI Avila has been screening hundreds of grass weed samples (Goosegrass, Johnsongrass, and Lolium), developing standardized screening and populations for these important soybean weeds.

The remainder of the year will focus on germplasm sharing and bulk up, developing expanded collaborations both within and outside of Hermon, finalizing some of our extension materials, developing new assays for novel herbicide resistance cases, screening new cases of HR as they are discovered later this season, and a focus on methodology standardization.

Updated June 13, 2026:
*Please see attached document for a formated progress report with figures*

Our project, entitled “An integrated approach towards the detection, diagnosis, and response to emerging herbicide-resistant weeds in soybean,” continues to make strong progress as we move beyond the initial startup phase and into full project implementation. Since our initial planning meeting at the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) meeting in February 2025 and the receipt of funds in March, the Herbicide Resistance Monitoring Network (“HERMON”) has transitioned from planning and hiring to active research, extension, and coordination across institutions.

Over the past six months, all planned personnel hires have been completed and are now fully engaged in active research. Research associates, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students are actively working at Mississippi, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas State, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. With these positions now in place, laboratories and greenhouse facilities across the network are operating at capacity, allowing for coordinated screening, method development, and germplasm handling. This transition marks a major milestone, as the project is now executing its core scientific objectives rather than focusing on infrastructure and staffing.

Extension efforts have expanded substantially during this period. PIs with extension appointments have continued delivering presentations to soybean growers throughout the growing season, with a particular emphasis on late-summer and early-fall outreach as weed seed production approaches. These efforts have reinforced the importance of herbicide resistance testing, proactive monitoring, and the submission of germplasm to HERMON. PIs Patterson, Butts, Werle, Lancaster, and Sprague have remained especially active, hosting grower field days with herbicide demonstrations, participating in local radio programs, and appearing on agricultural podcasts. Patterson has appeared on the War With Weeds Podcast with PI Lancaster, several news articles have been written about the Hermon project, and short form video content produced. These activities have directly contributed to increased grower awareness and engagement, and we anticipate a notable increase in submitted weed populations during the upcoming seed collection window. PI Lancaster specifically has made significant progress on the development of short-form video content for extension and education. Recorded interviews with HERMON PIs and other leading weed scientists are now well underway and are being edited into concise video essays covering project overview, the value of resistance monitoring, the process and importance of weed testing, and best management practices for resistance mitigation. Coordination with USB, TakeAction, and GROW has advanced, and a clear dissemination plan is in place to publish and amplify these materials through established grower-facing platforms.
On the research side, substantial advances have been made. The standardized database for cataloging existing weed seed collections across participating institutions is now operational and populated with initial entries. This database captures detailed metadata on population origin, species, suspected or confirmed resistance traits, and available seed quantities. These efforts are enabling the first wave of coordinated germplasm sharing among institutions for seed increase, phenotypic screening, and molecular analyses. The database will also serve as the backbone for publicly accessible, county-level maps of confirmed and suspected herbicide resistance cases.

To support this mapping effort, PI Patterson and Lancaster have continued working closely with the EDDMaps development team to determine optimal data integration workflows. The first maps are now being produced with a fraction of the Hermon database for reference. While discussions are ongoing regarding data upload structure and data sharing permissions, progress has been made toward aligning HERMON datasets with EDDMaps standards. Importantly, a HERMON-focused symposium at the 2026 WSSA meeting has been accepted, where PIs Patterson and Lancaster will highlight the network’s approach to resistance monitoring and data-driven decision support.

Targeted research initiatives have also advanced. PIs Patterson and Tranel have continued discussions with Corteva to explore expanded collaboration on monitoring and mechanistic studies of 2,4-D resistance in Palmer amaranth and waterhemp, particularly in relation to the Enlist trait. Dozes of suspected 2,4-D resistant waterhemp and palmer plants have been studied and metabolism confirmed. Furthermore the exact metabolite has been identified that can be used as a resistance marker. These conversations aim to leverage existing HERMON resources with industry support to broaden the scope and depth of resistance characterization efforts.

Greenhouse and laboratory research is now producing actionable data. PIs Werle and Norsworthy have progressed extensive dose–response experiments evaluating waterhemp resistance to PRE herbicides in Wisconsin and POST HPPD herbicides in Arkansas. These efforts directly support stewardship of PPO herbicides in soybean systems and address emerging concerns related to potential HPPD use in forthcoming HT4 soybean technologies. Concurrently, PI Werle, has advanced the development of agar-based assays for PRE herbicide resistance testing, with preliminary protocols showing promise for accelerating and standardizing resistance diagnostics across laboratories. Agar based assays can now be confidently correlated with greenhouse dose. PI Avila has continued large-scale screening of grass weed populations, including goosegrass, johnsongrass, and Lolium spp., resulting in well-characterized populations that will serve as reference material for future soybean-focused resistance work.

Looking ahead, the remainder of the project year will emphasize coordinated germplasm sharing and seed increases, expanded collaborations both within and beyond the HERMON network, finalization and release of extension materials, and continued development and validation of novel resistance assays. Screening of newly submitted populations will intensify as seed collections increase, alongside a continued focus on methodological standardization to ensure consistency, reproducibility, and scalability across the network.

Key Accomplishments (Past 6 Months)
• Successfully transitioned HERMON from project initiation to full implementation, with nearly all planned research associates, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students hired and actively working across seven participating institutions.
• Established and populated a standardized, network-wide database cataloging existing weed seed collections, enabling coordinated germplasm sharing, seed increase, and downstream phenotypic and molecular analyses.
• Launched coordinated greenhouse and laboratory research efforts, including dose–response studies on PRE and POST herbicide resistance in waterhemp and large-scale screening of key grass weed species relevant to soybean production.
• Made significant progress toward standardized resistance-testing methodologies, including development of agar-based assays for PRE herbicide resistance to accelerate and harmonize diagnostics across institutions.
• Expanded grower-focused extension and outreach efforts through field days, regional talks, radio programs, podcasts, and the initiation of short-form educational video content in partnership with USB, TakeAction, and GROW.
• Advanced data-integration planning with EDDMaps to support public, county-level mapping of confirmed and suspected herbicide resistance cases, and secured acceptance of a HERMON-focused symposium at the 2026 WSSA meeting.
• Initiated strategic discussions with industry partners to leverage HERMON resources and expand research capacity focused on emerging resistance traits, including 2,4-D resistance in Palmer amaranth and waterhemp.

Updated June 13, 2026:
1. Introduction
Over the course of Year 1, the Herbicide Resistance Monitoring Network (HERMON) has made substantial progress across all participating institutions, defined above all by the emergence of a cohesive and collaborative scientific community. Across 11 universities and research labs, the network has simultaneously advanced our understanding of herbicide resistance mechanisms, developed and validated new diagnostic tools, expanded germplasm resources, and engaged thousands of stakeholders through extension and outreach activities. Research efforts have focused on weed species of major agronomic concern in the US, such as Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, Italian ryegrass, giant and common ragweed, among others, addressing resistance to a broad spectrum of herbicide chemistries including PPO inhibitors, ALS inhibitors, glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D, and HPPD inhibitors. The collaborations documented here, both within the network and with external partners in industry and academia, reflect a project that is already functioning as more than the sum of its parts (Figure 1).

2. Network meetings and coordination
Maintaining regular communication across eleven geographically distributed institutions has been a central priority for HERMON in Year 1. The network established quarterly all-hands meetings for sharing research updates, coordinating germplasm exchanges, and aligning priorities, complemented by two in-person gatherings at the 2025 NCWSS Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids (MI) and the 2026 WSSA Annual Meeting in Raleigh (NC). At WSSA 2026, Dr. Eric Patterson also delivered a dedicated oral presentation introducing the HERMON project to the broader national and international weed science community.

3. Research progress across institutions
In Year 1, HERMON-supported research activities encompassed more than 22 active projects distributed across all participating institutions. The following sections provide a summary of the key research activities and findings at each institution.

Michigan State University – Eric Patterson Lab
o Non-target-site 2,4-D resistance in waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. In collaboration with the Tranel Lab (UIUC), the Patterson Lab has assembled +10 resistant waterhemp and 4 resistant Palmer amaranth populations from across the US to preform transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to identify resistance responsible genes.
o PPO-inhibitor resistance in common ragweed. Greenhouse screening of Michigan common ragweed populations confirmed resistance to PPO-inhibiting herbicides in multiple accessions, with molecular characterization of both known and novel target-site mutations in the PPO2 gene. The functional significance of these mutations is being evaluated in collaboration with Dr. Aimone Porri at BASF, Germany.
o Germplasm development and database curation. The Patterson Lab maintained and expanded HERMON germplasm resources during Year 1, growing resistant and susceptible waterhemp, horseweed, and common ragweed populations for seed increase. Integration of these resources into the HERMON mapping platform is ongoing in coordination with the Ganske Lab at KSU.

University of Illinois – Pat Tranel Lab
o Glyphosate resistance mechanisms in waterhemp. The Tranel Lab has confirmed glyphosate resistance in multiple waterhemp populations suggesting non-target-site resistance mechanism. Ongoing work is examining uptake, metabolism, and translocation in these populations.
o Transcriptomic atlas of P450s and GSTs. The lab is developing a comprehensive transcriptomic atlas of cytochrome P450s (P450s) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, that is expected to be a widely used reference resource for the weed science community.
o PPO inhibitor resistance in giant ragweed. In collaboration with Dr. Karla Gage at Southern Illinois University, the Tranel Lab confirmed PPO inhibitor resistance in giant ragweed populations in Illinois, with both target-site and non-target site mechanisms.
o Group 15 resistance screening in waterhemp. In collaboration with the Werle Lab at the University of Wisconsin, the Tranel Lab screened several hundred waterhemp populations for resistance to group 15 herbicides. Results revealed a widespread distribution of resistance frequencies, with nearly every population containing some resistant individuals. Screening of archived 2010 populations confirmed the reliability of the methodology.

Purdue University – Bryan Young Lab
o Agar-based leaf disc bioassay for rapid resistance confirmation. The Young Lab is developing a rapid physiological assay for herbicide resistance confirmation that does not rely on molecular markers or greenhouse bioassays, transitioning from a liquid-buffer fluorescence approach to an agar-based system. Leaf discs placed on herbicide-infused agar produced clear visual results within 48 hours, successfully distinguishing susceptible from PPO-resistant waterhemp, with ongoing work to refine the protocol and extend it to additional herbicide classes.
Penn State University – Caio Brunharo Lab
o Field-deployable CRISPR-based molecular diagnostic for ALS resistance. The Brunharo Lab is developing a field-deployable diagnostic platform combining Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA), CRISPR/Cas12a detection, and lateral flow readouts for rapid, on-site identification of herbicide resistance mutations without laboratory infrastructure. During Year 1, the team successfully designed and validated an assay targeting the Trp574Leu mutation in the ALS gene of Palmer amaranth, optimizing all key parameters including primers, amplification conditions, Cas12a concentrations, and a simplified crude DNA extraction protocol.

University of Wisconsin – Rodrigo Werle Lab
o Agar Petri dish assay validation. The Werle lab developed and validated an agar-based Petri dish assay for S-metolachlor, fomesafen, and mesotrione in Wisconsin waterhemp populations. Across a dataset of over 6,000–7,000 Petri dishes and greenhouse bioassays have produced very strong correlations for all three herbicides. The methodology is considered validated and ready for blind testing with partner populations across HERMON.
o Group 15 resistance in Wisconsin waterhemp. In collaboration with the Tranel Lab, 3 waterhemp accessions in Wisconsin have been confirmed as resistant to group 15 herbicides (the first confirmed cases of this resistance type in the state). One PPO-resistant waterhemp population does not carry any known PPO target-site mutation, making the resistance mechanism in this accession unknown and a priority for further investigation.

Mississippi State University – Luis de Avila Lab
o Multi-species resistance screening across Mississippi. The de Avila Lab conducted large-scale resistance screening during the 2025 season, collecting and processing 92 Palmer amaranth, 50 Italian ryegrass, 21 Johnsongrass, and 17 goosegrass populations from soybean and cotton fields across Mississippi. For the 2026 season, 330 additional Italian ryegrass samples have already been collected.
o Italian ryegrass. All 50 populations were fully susceptible to S-metolachlor. Suspected resistance to paraquat was identified in 10 populations, to quizalofop in 22), and to clethodim in 11.
o Palmer amaranth. Pre-emergence screening identified suspected resistance in 17 populations to S-metolachlor, 11 to atrazine, and 5 to isoxaflutole. Post-emergence screening identified 13 populations with suspected dicamba resistance and 9 with suspected glufosinate resistance.
o Johnsongrass and goosegrass. Of the 21 Johnsongrass populations screened for glyphosate, 13 showed control failures. Additional testing for glufosinate, quizalofop, and isoxaflutole is ongoing. For goosegrass, all 17 populations were susceptible to paraquat; evaluations for glyphosate, glufosinate, and clethodim are ongoing.

Kansas State University – Ganske Lab
o HERMON resistance mapping. The Ganske Lab completed the HERMON common ragweed resistance map in February 2026, and efforts are currently underway to extend the mapping platform to the remaining weed species available in the HERMON germplasm database.
o Resistance screening in Kansas waterhemp. Greenhouse screening is underway for 2,4-D, dicamba, and glufosinate resistance in Kansas waterhemp populations. Plans to expand to residual herbicides (mesotrione, flumioxazin, and S-metolachlor) are in place for Year 2.
o Six-way resistant waterhemp characterization. In collaboration with the Jugulam Lab, the Ganske Lab identified and initiated characterization of a unique waterhemp population with resistance to six herbicide modes of action: glufosinate, glyphosate, HPPD inhibitors, PPO inhibitors, atrazine, and ALS inhibitors. PPO resistance has been confirmed as target-site. The glufosinate resistance mechanism is under investigation with radiolabeled studies supported by BASF.

Kansas State University – Jugulam Lab
o Multi-resistance characterization in Texas Palmer amaranth. The Jugulam Lab has characterized five Palmer amaranth populations from Texas for resistance mechanisms. Two populations show resistance to HPPD inhibitors, PSII inhibitors (atrazine), and glyphosate. Reduced sensitivity to mesotrione is also suspected, with ongoing ¹4C-mesotrione metabolism studies to confirm a metabolic basis.
o Non-target-site glyphosate resistance in Texas waterhemp. One waterhemp population from Texas showed glyphosate resistance without copy number variation, suggesting a translocation-based or other non-target-site mechanism. This population is also resistant to atrazine and ALS inhibitors.

Michigan State University – Christy Sprague Lab
o Waterhemp screening in the Michigan sugar beet region. The Sprague Lab has collected and initiated screening of more than 50 waterhemp samples from the sugar beet growing region in Michigan. Initial results suggest potential resistance to 2,4-D and possible glufosinate resistance in at least some populations. PPO resistance and additional modes of action are also being evaluated.
University of Arkansas – Jason Norsworthy Lab
o Palmer amaranth germplasm infrastructure and HPPD screening. Year 1 at the Norsworthy Lab was dedicated primarily to completing the organization of Palmer amaranth accessions, developing an inventory system for tracking populations, and cleaning and optimizing cold storage facilities. Additionally, screening of 115 Palmer amaranth accessions (including 52 newly collected 2025 accessions) for resistance to six HPPD-inhibiting herbicides has been completed.

University of Arkansas – Tommy Butts Lab
o The Butts Lab’s primary contribution to HERMON in Year 1 has been through extensive extension activities reaching growers and agronomists across Arkansas and beyond. More than 35 presentations were delivered over the past year, reaching over 3,500 direct contacts on herbicide resistance topics. Several newsletter articles on herbicide resistance were also published. The lab contributed to the HERMON video series, with a video on targeted sprays recently released and a video on drone applications expected imminently.

University of Missouri – Kevin Bradley Lab
o The Bradley Lab has contributed to the HERMON network primarily through seed provision to partner labs upon request, supporting resistance characterization work across the network.

4. Collaborations
A total of 5 active and planned within-network collaborations have been established, covering resistance characterization, germplasm sharing, diagnostic assay development, and resistance mapping (Figure 2, green arrows). The Tranel and Werle labs have also extended open invitations to HERMON partners to contribute populations for transcriptomic analysis and Petri dish assay validation, respectively (Figure 2, blue and orange arrows, respectively). External collaborations include Southern Illinois University, and BASF (Germany).

5. Publications
Year 1 of HERMON has yielded 1 peer-reviewed publication already published in Weed Science, 1 manuscript currently under review also in Weed Science, and a pipeline of 7 manuscripts in preparation or anticipated across multiple labs and institutions, reflecting the strong scientific productivity of the network in its first year.

6. Personnel
In Year 1, HERMON has directly supported more than 13 non-PI researchers across the network, including postdoctoral researchers, master's students, and undergraduate research assistants distributed across six institutions.

7. Extension and outreach
Year 1 extension activities reached thousands of stakeholders across multiple states through three main channels: in-person presentations and media, the HERMON video series, and the War on Weeds podcast.
o In-person presentations and media: A combined total of more than 80 presentations were delivered across the network, reaching an estimated 7,000+ direct contacts. Additional outreach included 10 newsletter articles and 4 radio interviews, covering herbicide resistance topics across Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Michigan.
o HERMON video series: Approximately 30 videos are planned or in production, with new releases published monthly. From December 2025 through June 2026, HERMON video content accumulated 8,609 total views and 255 interactions across YouTube and the Take Action promotional platform.
o War on Weeds podcast: Three HERMON-dedicated episodes were released in Year 1, generating a combined 1,196 downloads and featuring Dr. Pat Tranel, Dr. Karla Gage, Dr. Jason Norsworthy, and Dr. Eric Patterson.

8. Looking ahead to Year 2
The first year of the Herbicide Resistance Monitoring Network (HERMON) has demonstrated the value of a coordinated, multi-institutional approach to addressing one of the most significant challenges facing modern soybean production: the evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant weeds. By bringing together expertise from 11 universities and research laboratories across the United States, HERMON has established a collaborative framework that is accelerating the discovery of resistance mechanisms, improving diagnostic capabilities, expanding resistance monitoring efforts, and enhancing communication among researchers, industry partners, extension specialists, and growers.
Year 1 accomplishments include the characterization of resistance mechanisms in major soybean weed species such as Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, ragweeds, and Italian ryegrass; the development and validation of rapid resistance diagnostic tools; the creation and expansion of shared germplasm resources; and the initiation of a national resistance mapping platform. Equally important, HERMON has successfully established an active network of collaborations that leverages the strengths of individual institutions while avoiding duplication of effort and maximizing research impact.
For soybean farmers, the benefits of HERMON are both immediate and long-term. Improved resistance monitoring and mapping efforts will provide earlier detection of emerging resistance issues, allowing growers and advisers to make more informed management decisions before resistance becomes widespread. New diagnostic technologies under development have the potential to dramatically reduce the time required to identify resistant populations, enabling faster implementation of effective control strategies. Research into both target-site and non-target-site resistance mechanisms will support the development of more reliable weed management recommendations and help preserve the effectiveness of existing herbicide technologies.
The extension and outreach activities conducted during Year 1 have already delivered research findings directly to thousands of growers, consultants, retailers, and industry professionals through presentations, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and media engagement. These efforts ensure that scientific discoveries are rapidly translated into practical, field-level solutions that support profitable soybean production.
As HERMON enters Year 2, continued investment in collaborative research, diagnostic innovation, resistance surveillance, and stakeholder engagement will further strengthen the network's ability to address herbicide resistance challenges. Ultimately, HERMON is building the scientific foundation and decision-support resources needed to help soybean farmers maintain effective weed control, protect crop yields, improve production sustainability, and safeguard the long-term viability of herbicide-based weed management programs across the United States. Year 2 priorities include strengthening the collaborations between HERMON groups initiated in Year 1, advancing the germplasm database and resistance mapping platform, and continuing extension and outreach activities through the video series and podcast. A key milestone will be the development of a co-authored HERMON review paper on herbicide resistance diagnostics, bringing together contributions from all participating labs into a unified scientific publication.

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The first year of the Herbicide Resistance Monitoring Network (HERMON) has demonstrated the value of a coordinated, multi-institutional approach to addressing one of the most significant challenges facing modern soybean production: the evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant weeds. By bringing together expertise from 11 universities and research laboratories across the United States, HERMON has established a collaborative framework that is accelerating the discovery of resistance mechanisms, improving diagnostic capabilities, expanding resistance monitoring efforts, and enhancing communication among researchers, industry partners, extension specialists, and growers.
Year 1 accomplishments include the characterization of resistance mechanisms in major soybean weed species such as Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, ragweeds, and Italian ryegrass; the development and validation of rapid resistance diagnostic tools; the creation and expansion of shared germplasm resources; and the initiation of a national resistance mapping platform. Equally important, HERMON has successfully established an active network of collaborations that leverages the strengths of individual institutions while avoiding duplication of effort and maximizing research impact.
For soybean farmers, the benefits of HERMON are both immediate and long-term. Improved resistance monitoring and mapping efforts will provide earlier detection of emerging resistance issues, allowing growers and advisers to make more informed management decisions before resistance becomes widespread. New diagnostic technologies under development have the potential to dramatically reduce the time required to identify resistant populations, enabling faster implementation of effective control strategies. Research into both target-site and non-target-site resistance mechanisms will support the development of more reliable weed management recommendations and help preserve the effectiveness of existing herbicide technologies.
The extension and outreach activities conducted during Year 1 have already delivered research findings directly to thousands of growers, consultants, retailers, and industry professionals through presentations, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and media engagement. These efforts ensure that scientific discoveries are rapidly translated into practical, field-level solutions that support profitable soybean production.

There exists an urgent need for research that enables growers to swiftly diagnose herbicide resistance in their fields and access up-to-date information and recommendations for effectively managing emerging problems to maintain profitability and environmental sustainability in soybean production.