Reconsidering Roundup

Our country roads cut through vast farmland, teeming with agriculture, so it’s no surprise to anyone how well stuff grows here—including weeds. Roundup—a glyphosate-based herbicide created and sold by Monsanto—is heavily used by farmers, gardeners and municipalities to control unwanted growth. Health effects of the product are contested, so you may want to consider an alternative to the weedkiller. Here are some options to explore:

Integrated weed management techniques can reduce herbicide use by 80 percent (see tinyurl.com/IWM-Calif).

Steam weeding pressurizes water to boiling and then targets weeds with an applicator.

Efficient planting techniques including native plants, crop rotation and choice of crop species.

Allelopathy, used on U.S. and German soybean farms, cultivates plants that produce chemicals to prevent unwanted growth.

Sources: Environmental Working Group, Seattle Times and Friends of the Earth Europe