What 128 Farmers Told Us About Glyphosate Stewardship

You Can’t See Hardness – You Have to test for it

One of the biggest takeaways from our open days was that many farmers didn’t know how to test water hardness, though we did get some comments that strip tests are tricky to interpret and not accurate to give meaningful results.

That’s why we handed out free TDS meters at each event, helping farmers to measure total dissolved solids and assess whether they’re at risk of reduced glyphosate performance. Above 150 ppm, you’re into the danger zone where calcium, magnesium and iron can start tying up glyphosate and reducing uptake.

Not All Conditioners Are Equal

We also heard from farmers using ammonium sulphate (AMS) as their go-to conditioning solution. While AMS does offer something, we showed how it works mainly by outcompeting cations – it doesn’t eliminate the risk of lock-up altogether. In hard water, glyphosate can still bind with free calcium or magnesium ions, reducing its activity.

We even came across a few growers using citric acid – and explained why this is risky. Although it may seem like a cheap fix, citric acid, fulvic and humic acids compete with glyphosate uptake into the plant, potentially causing even bigger problems.

Why a True Water Conditioner like X-Change makes the difference

That’s why we demonstrated the benefits of using a true water conditioner, like X-Change. Unlike partial solutions, X-Change is designed specifically to:

• Bind and neutralise hard water cations like calcium, magnesium and iron
• Prevent glyphosate lock-up at the source
• Simplify mixing and reduce variability in performance

With a simple test and correct dose, growers can maximise glyphosate uptake, prevent survivors, and protect the investment in every application. This we were able to demonstrate with Italian Ryegrass plants treated with 3 L/ha glyphosate (360 gai) using hard water at 650ppm. Where there was no water conditioner used (left plant in image) we can see regrowth of the ryegrass. Where X-Change was used (right plant) we have complete kill of the Ryegrass and no regrowth.

Thinking About Your Water Source

Beyond tank water, we also spoke to growers using rainwater collections systems – often assuming it’s always soft and safe. But that’s not always the case. Rainwater stored in tanks can pick up minerals, organic matter or even contamination from roofing materials, especially if tanks aren’t cleaned regularly. Beware of metal tanks and the risk of rusty ladders.

We encouraged farmers to test rainwater just as they would mains or borehole water. The message is simple: don’t assume rainwater is risk-free. Test it, condition it if necessary, and store it in clean, covered tanks to avoid introducing other spray problems.

The TakeAway?

Water might look clean, but that doesn’t mean it’s clean of hard water metal ions and fit for glyphosate. You simply can’t see hardness – and if you’re guessing, you’re probably losing out by either under-dosing a water conditioner, or over-dosing and spending out unnecessarily.

With glyphosate resistance an increasing concern, every drop in the tank must work harder. Conditioning your water correctly is one of the simplest, most effective steps you can take to protect performance and if you have hard water, you need to treat your water every time, not just sometimes.