Weeds
Differentiate fact and fiction as you plan your weed control strategy
Differentiate fact and fiction as you plan your weed control strategy.
Hiding in pollinator mixes, Palmer amaranth makes its move.
You or your neighbors could be unknowingly planting Palmer amaranth anywhere Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) mixes are grown or pollinator mixes are established. Palmer amaranth seed in CRP planting mixes have been identified in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio. It could be in CRP mixes in other states, too, just not identified yet.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently expanded Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist Duo herbicide geography from 15 to 34 states.
Many grasses and annual weed seeds have a relatively short life, two to five years, but researchers are finding other seeds to be more resilient. The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) recently released a fact sheet with information about weed seed dormancy.
Waterhemp has quickly established itself as one of the nation’s most devastating weeds. Resistant to six herbicide groups, the weed can steal between 40% and 70% of yields, according to University of Illinois research.
Doctors don’t prescribe treatment without first diagnosing the ailment. Weed control should work the same way.
While all weeds are problematic, waterhemp, marestail, palmer amaranth, giant ragweed and Italian ryegrass are among the worst because they have documented cases of resistance to multiple herbicide groups, which makes them more difficult to control. In addition to resistance, they have the natural ability to evade herbicide control methods.
Getting rid of yield-robbers takes careful planning and multiple modes of action
Waterhemp, marestail, palmer amaranth, giant ragweed and Italian ryegrass have been found guilty. Their crime: stealing nutrients, sunlight and water from your crops, leading to lower yields and profits.
Stay one step ahead of mounting resistance issues by knowing how to identify and control
Use products with different sites of action to prevent resistance from cornering your fields.
Move over waterhemp, ragweed, lambsquarters and all your weedy friends. There’s a new rabble-rouser in cornfields this season: volunteer soybeans.
The next generation of weed scientists battle it out in the field.
In addition to tillage and herbicides, other basic practices can help farmers manage weed seeds.
Is it waterhemp or Palmer amaranth? Identification can be difficult but early detection is essential to reduce the potential for crop yield loss.
Team up with Weed Warriors to attack leafy field invaders.
Team up with Weed Warriors to attack leafy field invaders.
Team up with Weed Warriors to attack leafy field invaders.
Manufacturers are bringing new soybean trait systems to the market to help farmers combat weeds and boost yields.
Farmers who use several strategic control strategies will put the hurt on weeds and see payoffs both in crop yield and cleaner fields this season.
Kelli Bassett, Pioneer area agronomist, gives an update on pest and weed pressures in central Illinois as well as an update on the region’s wheat crop.
Scouting fields for weeds, disease and pests is one of the best investments you can make during the growing season.
New research finds that pigweed can be managed using a rye cover crop.
Herbicide-resistant weeds have been proliferating in southern Missouri. Farmers there have resorted to hand-removal, opening a new job market for migrant workers.
In the Missouri Bootheel, migrants come for the peaches, stay for the cotton and pick melons in between.
Apply the right herbicide at the right time to slam the door on resistant weeds and kick up yield.