Northwest Iowa — Herbicide-resistant weeds are becoming a problem for farmers. But there are ways to manage them.
We talked to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Crop Field Specialist Joel DeJong. He says the two herbicide-resistant weeds that farmers are having the most trouble with are Water Hemp and Palmer Amaranth. He says we arrived at this destination due to the very common use of glyphosate herbicides like Roundup and Roundup-ready crops. He says unfortunately that helped us select for those strains of weeds that are resistant.
He says they have a few suggestions that should prevent more problems.
De Jong says water hemp is much more common than Palmer Amaranth, but “Palmer” is still a concern of some farmers in northwest Iowa.
He says sometimes it’s easier to manage “Palmer,” and sometimes it’s more difficult.
Again, if you have questions or need some help, call De Jong at the Plymouth County Extension office or call your local extension office.
Photo: Palmer Amaranth by Meaghan Anderson, ISU Extension Field Agronomist
