Posted on April 23, 2018 by southernipmcenter
by Dee Shore, NC State University
Commonly referred to as pigweed, Palmer amaranth is one of the biggest production challenges farmers in the Southeast face. At NC State, scientists and graduate students are making progress toward lessening the weed’s impact in a range of crops.
Two of those students, Cole Smith and Nicholas Basinger, were recognized recently at the Weed Science Society of North Carolina for research they’ve conducted on Palmer amaranth and other destructive weeds. Smith won the society’s M.S. outstanding graduate student award, while Basinger won the Ph.D. student award. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: Extension, graduate student awards, NC State, Palmer amaranth, pigweed, weed control, weed management | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 15, 2018 by southernipmcenter
Kansas State University researchers have discovered how weeds develop resistance to the popular herbicide glyphosate, a finding that could have broad future implications in agriculture and many other industries.
Their work is detailed in an article that appears in the March 12 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, known as PNAS and considered to be one of the most-cited journals for scientific research in the world. According to its website, PNAS receives more than 21 million hits per month. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: glyphosate resistance, herbicide resistance, Kansas State University, Palmer amaranth, plant genetics, resistant waterhemp, waterhemp, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 21, 2018 by southernipmcenter
The Southern IPM Center will spend $309,653 to address agricultural and urban issues during the next year with its IPM Enhancement Grant. Out of 32 proposals submitted to the program, a review panel outside of the region selected 11 for funding.
IPM Enhancement Grants are relatively small grants (up to $30,000 for most) to address an integrated pest management issue. Most publicly funded organizations are eligible to apply as long as they reside in one of the 13 states or territories covered by the Southern IPM Center. Continue reading →
Filed under: featured | Tagged: cover crops, invasive species, invasive weeds, IPM Enhancement Grant, metolachlor, Palmer amaranth, red maple, spotted wing drosophila, varroa mite, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 11, 2017 by southernipmcenter
In Southeast Farm Press
An onslaught of the weed Palmer amaranth in the southeastern United States has left many farmers wondering if they should continue using environmentally friendly cover crops and conservation tillage or switch to conventional tillage.
Palmer amaranth is aggressive, drought tolerant, a prolific seed producer, and capable of developing resistance to glyphosate, known as Roundup. Because of that, thousands of acres in Alabama and elsewhere are at risk of being converted to conventional tillage, which may better control the weed, but increases soil erosion and threatens long-term soil productivity. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: Agricultural Research Service, ARS, conservation tillage, conventional tillage, herbicides, Palmer amaranth, pigweed, USDA, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 5, 2017 by southernipmcenter
In Southeast Farm Press
What if a cotton producer needed to spray early in the morning or late in the afternoon or at night? Does the time of day a herbicide is applied make a difference in how well it works? A group of weed specialists studied this and what they found surprised them.
The group included scientists from the University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: 2 4-D, cotton herbicides, glyphosate, herbicide resistance, herbicides, Liberty, Palmer amaranth, Roundup | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 15, 2017 by southernipmcenter
Last summer, farmers in the Midwest got an unwelcome surprise after planting native seed on Conservation Reserve Program acres. Palmer amaranth is an aggressive and hard-to-kill weed. As a possible solution, some states declared Palmer a noxious weed, which prohibits its sale and transport.
The typical testing method involves growing a sample of seeds until the plants are large enough to be identified, but this is a slow and potentially unreliable process. Pat Tranel, molecular weed scientist at the University of Illinois, said growers are calling and telling him, their businesses are up in the air because of this.” Unless they have a way to certify their product is Palmer-free, they can’t sell it,” said Tranel. There is a company that tests individual seeds using DNA sequencing, but charges $100 per seed. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: herbicide resistance, Palmer amaranth, Palmer amaranth seed, Palmer amaranth seed test, pigweed, University of Illinois | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 8, 2017 by southernipmcenter
A new National Pest Alert for Palmer Amaranth has been released. This pest alert has been approved by the national leadership of USDA NRCS to address the recent problems with Palmer Amaranth seed inclusion in wildflower and pollinator seed mixes. Ultimately, decisions must be made at the local level to address the issue of Palmer amaranth in pollinator habitats, field edges and conservation plantings.
http://ncipmc.org/action/alerts/palmer.php
Filed under: news | Tagged: invasive species, invasive weeds, Palmer amaranth, pigweed, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 8, 2017 by southernipmcenter
In Southwest Farm Press
by Muthu Bagavathiannan, Josh McGinty, Vijay Singh, Peter Dotray , Texas A&M AgriLife
Palmer amaranth and waterhemp are two pigweed species that have become problematic in row crop production fields in Texas. Palmer amaranth is widespread in the High Plains, Rio Grande Valley, Coastal Bend and Central Texas regions, whereas waterhemp is predominantly found in the Upper Gulf Coast as well as the Blacklands regions.
Herbicide resistance in these two species is an emerging issue and Extension specialists have emphasized the need for diversifying weed management tactics to prevent or delay resistance. Because pigweeds produce enormous amounts of seeds, preventing seed production from the escapes is a critical component of sustainable resistance management. Research has shown that a single Palmer pigweed plant can produce in excess of 1.5 million seeds under good growing conditions. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: Palmer amaranth, pigweed, Texas A&M, Texas AgriLife, waterhemp, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 16, 2017 by southernipmcenter
On Wednesday, February 15, Muthu Bagavathiannan, specialist in weed ecology and agronomy, presented a new tool for consultants, extension specialists and agents, and growers to assist with management decisions regarding Palmer amaranth, named PAM. Based in Microsoft Excel, the tool allows the user to input their rotation schedule, chosen varieties and other management practices. From those entries, the tool calculates the amount of weed seed present over a 10-year period, as well as the economic gains or losses during that period. In addition, it calculates the risk of the combination of practices and allows the user to compare up to 6 different management scenarios. The tool calculates risk based on the amount of weed seed present, which has been concluded to be the main reason for pigweed-related crop failures.
You can get to the tool from this link.
If you would like to see Dr. Bagavathiannan’s presentation, follow this link to the YouTube recording. During the 60-minute video, he demonstrates how to use the tool and how to interpret the results.
Filed under: featured | Tagged: Muthu Bagavathiannan, Palmer amaranth, PAM, pigweed | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 14, 2017 by southernipmcenter
Herbicide resistance in Palmer amaranth (known as Palmer pigweed) is a serious issue in the Southern US and is spreading to several other states. Repeated use of a few herbicide mechanisms of action (MOA) without sufficient management diversity is the common cause of this resistance. A proactive resistance management strategy that integrates diverse chemical and non-chemical tools will help prevent/manage resistance and preserve the utility of available herbicide options.
This webinar provides a general overview and demonstration of a new Microsoft-Excel based decision support tool that guides informed decision making for effective management of this weed, with particular focus on soil seedbank management and profitability. Users can build their own management programs and see for themselves how effective their pigweed management program is, as well as overall economic outcomes associated with their options. This tool also predicts the likely risk of resistance for the management program built by the user.
Date and time: Wednesday, February 15, at 3 PM Eastern time Continue reading →
Filed under: featured | Tagged: decision-support tool, herbicide resistance, Palmer amaranth, pigweed, weed control | Leave a comment »
