» Weeds in the News

A combination of weather, changing tillage practices and herbicide resistance is creating trouble for farmers across the Southwest this summer. From South Texas, into the Texas High Plains and all the way into Kansas, weeds are proving difficult to manage. more »

Known by the name tumbleweed, it’s been romanticized in story and song. And when it’s called summer-cypress, it sounds downright exotic. No matter what you call it, the weed kochia cuts into crop yields and farmers’ profits. And it’s become harder to control. more »

Without careful stewardship, genetically engineered crops will do little to stop the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds. more »

An invasive weed that has put some southern cotton farmers out of business is now finding its way across the Midwest -and many corn and soybean growers don’t yet appreciate the threat, researchers report. Palmer amaranth germinates throughout much of the growing season more »

The axiom, “growing like a weed,” takes on new meaning in light of changes in gene expression that occur when weeds interact with the crops they infest, according to a plant scientist. Using sophisticated genetic-mapping techniques, the research team is documenting how corn and weeds influence one another. more »

Dandelions were brought to the new world as a medicinal herb and were considered a resilient, perennial forage plant. It is known mostly as a problem weed on urban lawns, but it can also cause big headaches for farmers. more »

Using high-powered DNA-based tools, a recent study identified soil microbes that negatively affect ragweed and provided a new understanding of the complex relationships going on beneath the soil surface between plants and microorganisms. more »

With the threat of a major glyphosate-resistant pigweed infestation lurking around the next corner, many anxious farmers are asking themselves, “How much yield can I sacrifice for better weed control?” more »

Renowned weed scientist Steve Powles, having had to find solutions and work-arounds in resistant weed-infested crops in his native Australia, has tried to prepare American producers for their own burgeoning resistance problems. more »

The biggest mistake farmers make in the battle against weed resistance is to simply wait too long to do anything about it. The one-more-year farmer tries to make another round with his current one-thing-fits-all herbicide management program, and it ends up being a costly decision. more »