Compost can be a gardener's best friend. It can deliver dramatic improvements in soil quality and nutrients to nourish your plants throughout the growing season. But unless you use the right techniques, you may also find yourself with a bumper crop of weeds.

This week the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request a rehearing of the recent Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision defining pesticides as pollutants and requiring Clean Water Act permits before they can be applied in or near water sources. The Court's ruling overrides existing government regulations for pesticides that are based on extensive scientific analysis.

Nearly two dozen individuals from academia, government and private industry were honored by the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) for their outstanding contributions to the field of weed science. The annual awards were presented during WSSA's 49th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

When garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) was brought to North America from Europe more than a century ago, no one predicted it would carpet thousands of acres of forestland, choke out native plants and even disrupt the development of a rare native butterfly, Pieris napi oleracea. But now scientists are using an innovative computer program to find the perfect predator for garlic mustard and regain the upper hand.

Joint meeting of North Central Weed Science Society and Midwest Invasive Plant Network to be held December 8-11 in Indianapolis. The growing impact of weeds on farming, gardening and land management will be the focus of the first joint annual meeting of two leading Midwest weed science organizations.

The Weed Science Society of America is advocating an immediate change in the amendment to the 2008 Farm Bill to restore formula funding for the Extension IPM program. We encourage our members to contact elected and appointed government officials and other influential constituents in their state to discuss the benefits of Extension IPM programming, the damage the new funding model causes and the importance of maintaining a stable, efficient nationwide IPM network.

The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) has petitioned Congress to rescind a last-minute change to the recently approved 2008 Farm Bill that threatens Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs throughout the United States.

Are weeds sprouting beneath your backyard bird feeder? If so, researchers say the type of feed you use may be to blame. In studies at Oregon State University, scientists examined 10 brands of wild bird feed commonly sold in retail stores. The samples contained seeds from more than 50 weed species – including 10 ranked among Oregon’s most noxious weeds.

When scientists identified the function of the 25,000 or so genes that make up human DNA, they unleashed a new wave of innovation in healthcare that is allowing physicians to tailor the treatment of diseases for better outcomes. The same type of genetic research is helping scientists do battle on a very different front – learning how to better control the invasive weeds that harm crops, reduce harvests and impact our ability to feed a growing world population.

Scientists have discovered that “underground gardening” by earthworms is contributing to the spread of giant ragweed, a plant that causes sneezes and sniffles and is one of the nation’s most irritating weeds.

The 2008 floods were devastating to the Midwest (with an estimated $3 billion loss of crops in Iowa alone). A major issue for agriculture was the long-term unfavorable weather throughout the spring,

… more

Solving weed problems is key to increasing crop yields and improving the lives of women in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to Weed Science Society of America member Leonard Gianessi of the CropLife Foundation.

… more

The impact of weeds on agricultural systems, the environment and the global economy will be the focus of the 5th International Weed Science Congress scheduled for June 23-27 in Vancouver, Canada. Hundreds of weed scientists and students from nearly 50 countries around the globe are expected to attend the event, which will be held at the Westin Bayshore Resort and Marina. The Congress, held every four years, is a cooperative effort of the International Weed Science Society, the Canadian Weed Science Society and the Weed Science Society of America.

Glyphosate, a herbicide which is marketed under various names, is widely used around the world to control a broad array of weeds in agriculture, forestry, orchards, rightsofway and around the home. Glyphosate is an especially effective and simple weed management tool for some agricultural crops that can tolerate the herbicide. However, its widespread, repeated, and often sole use for weed management has selected weeds that have become glyphosate resistant and are thus not controlled by this herbicide.

Well-known garden plants such as carrots, parsnip and dill have cousins with some nasty characteristics. Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), common hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) and their hybrids were introduced into the United States from Europe in the early 1900s as showy garden ornamentals. But they can pack a painful punch.

Over the past decade, beetles have taken a major bite out of purple loosestrife, one of the world’s most aggressive weeds. Featured on "the most noxious weeds" list in 33 states, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is especially a problem in the Midwest where it clogs wetlands and waterways. In the early 1990s, researchers in Minnesota were among the first to try a biological-based approach for beating back the weed. They released two types of loosestrife beetles (Galerucella calmariensis and Galerucella pusilla) that love to munch on purple loosestrife foliage.

The aquatic invasive plant hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) not only is a costly nuisance impeding waterways and recreational lakes, it also may have deadly impacts on eagles and waterfowl.

Nearly 200 scientists and invasive plant management stakeholders from industry associations, professional societies, government agencies and private organizations all over North America will gather in our Nation’s capital to raise awareness about the severe economic and environmental impacts caused by invasive plants during the 9th Annual National Invasive Weed Awareness Week, February 24 - 29.

The Weed Science Society of America announces the winners of the prestigious Weed Science Society of America Awards, which were presented to members who displayed excellence in research, education and extension outreach activities related to weed science. Nominees were judged by their peers on the weight of their scientific accomplishments and the notable contributions they have made in their areas of expertise. These top honors were awarded on the opening day of the organization’s 48th Annual Meeting, held February 4 - 7, 2008, in Chicago.

The 48th Annual Meeting of the Weed Science Society of America will convene February 4 - 7 in Chicago, at the Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue. Orion Samuelson, Agribusiness Director for WGN Radio and host of the syndicated radio programs National Farm Report and Samuelson Sez, will deliver the keynote address. Nearly 400 scientists from ten countries will gather to share the latest weed science research exploring the agricultural, environmental, economic and ecological impacts of weeds and various aspects of weed management. In addition to more than three hundred professional posters and papers that will be presented.

Tropical Soda Apple. The name may not sound particularly threatening, but in the short time it has been known to be in the United States, Tropical Soda Apple has created a veritable crisis within Florida’s agricultural industries. From cattle ranchers to hay producers and grass seed harvesters, Tropical Soda Apple has infiltrated the ranks of these agribusinesses and poses a threat to the economies of these industries.

It’s a Cinderella story. Weeds, scorned and trod on for years and persistently excluded from the manicured gardens and uniform crops of respectable horticultural and agricultural society are fast becoming the darlings of a burgeoning biofuel industry. But not all fairytales have a happy ending.

Sure, the growing season is over and cooler weather is moving in, but don’t think the weeds in your lawn and garden are taking a little R & R. In fact, many of them, especially invasive weeds, are still vexing unsuspecting victims or are busy plotting their next move so they can come out swinging at the first hint of spring next year.

In the western states, where wildfires are most prevalent, the encroachment of resilient, invasive plants has paved the way for a succession of rampant rangeland and desert wildfires. Two culprits that play major roles in stoking the flames of these reoccurring western wildfires are Cheatgrass and Red Brome.