Crops Are Not The Only Things Emerging In Fields

May 14, 2015

By Russel Higgins

I encourage farmers to scout planted fields to evaluate crop stands, planter performance, and look for emergence issues. It is also an important time to evaluate the performance of pre-emergence herbicides. Waiting until we finish with soybean planting may leave fields with weeds that have already exceeded the size where they can successfully be controlled with post herbicide applications.

Scouting at the NIARC we are finding abundant Lambsquarters and Giant ragweed. The weeds are present in fields that have yet to be treated, and in cases, those that have already received herbicide applications.

This week in the Illinois Bulletin Dr. Aaron Hager reported that a scouting trip last Thursday to the University of Illinois Palmer amaranth research location near Essex in Kankakee County revealed that Palmer amaranth plants had begun to emerge. Aaron shared that early and accurate identification of Palmer amaranth plants is an important component of an integrated management program, but doing so among seedling-stage pigweed plants sometimes can be difficult. As plants become larger and reproductive structures are present, identification becomes easier. He has provided photographs on the Illinois Bulletin web site that might help renew your pigweed species identification skills. I encourage you to visit the Bulletin web site to test your expertise. In a few days Dr. Hager will repost this story with the species identified.

Source: illinois.edu

Video: Wisconsin Corn and Soybean Weed Management Updates and Considerations for 2026 and Beyond

Dr. Rodrigo Werle, associate professor and extension weed scientist, UW–Madison, shares the latest updates and future considerations for corn and soybean weed management in Wisconsin. This presentation covers herbicide resistance trends in waterhemp, including newly confirmed cases of HPPD and S-metolachlor resistance, and emphasizes the importance of residual herbicides and strategic tank mixes for consistent control. Rodrigo also introduces upcoming technologies like Vyconic soybeans and new herbicide products, discusses integrated weed management strategies such as planting green with cover crops, and highlights practical recommendations for 2026 and beyond.

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