Spotted Knapweed Still Lingers

Oct 18, 2019

By Christine Gelley

On a drive to Zanesville yesterday I was unhappy, but not surprised to see spotted knapweed continuing to put out fresh, pretty, flowers along the roadsides. To do my civic duty, we will talk about spotted knapweed once more before the growing season ends. Tell your friends in the neighborhood watch program to keep this plant from going to seed. Frost is not far off, maybe some will meet their demise by the dropping temperatures, but I would not bet money on it.

The color of the flower is similar to that of red clover, the growth habit is similar to chicory, and the flower shape is similar to Canada thistle and ironweed. Two other plants that could be confused this time of year are New England Aster and Billy Goat’s Weed. However, the combination of growth habit, color, and flower shape is unique to spotted knapweed.

The best tools for spotted knapweed control are early detection and early action. Hand pulling and spot spraying young plants that are few and far between can be effective on new invasions. However, heavy infestations will likely take a more creative and lengthy approach to treat.

Knapweed is a forb that is responsive to multiple broadleaf herbicides. Mowing is marginally successful. It does help prevent the development of seed, but it is able to flower below the height of the mower deck. Chemical treatment has been successful in grass pastures of our region if timed appropriately. There are biological controls being developed for spotted knapweed too, but they are primarily used in the Western States that have been dealing with this weed for decades already. Demand is high and supply is low.

Knapweed is aggressive because it has few natural predators in Ohio. Animals are unfamiliar with it and it thrives on marginal soils. It can outcompete weak stands of desirable plants for nutrients. You can learn more about spotted knapweed in Ohio on YouTube. Extension Educators, Clifton Martin of Muskingum County and myself, broadcasted an informational interview about spotted knapweed as part of a video series called “Forage Focus” in September 2018. It can be viewed at www.go.osu.edu/knapweedohio2018.

If you come across something you suspect might be spotted knapweed, please contact your County Extension Office for assistance with identification. Consider enrolling in the STOP program.

The Spotted Knapweed Treatment for Ohio Producers (STOP) Project is funded through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Landowners of Noble, Guernsey, Muskingum, and Morgan County are eligible to apply for cost recovery funds to treat spotted knapweed in pasture and hayfields.

Source : osu.edu

Video: Seeing the Whole Season: How Continuous Crop Modeling Is Changing Breeding

Plant breeding has long been shaped by snapshots. A walk through a plot. A single set of notes. A yield check at the end of the season. But crops do not grow in moments. They change every day.

In this conversation, Gary Nijak of AerialPLOT explains how continuous crop modeling is changing the way breeders see, measure, and select plants by capturing growth, stress, and recovery across the entire season, not just at isolated points in time.

Nijak breaks down why point-in-time observations can miss critical performance signals, how repeated, season-long data collection removes the human bottleneck in breeding, and what becomes possible when every plot is treated as a living data set. He also explores how continuous modeling allows breeding programs to move beyond vague descriptors and toward measurable, repeatable insights that connect directly to on-farm outcomes.

This conversation explores:

• What continuous crop modeling is and how it works

• Why traditional field observations fall short over a full growing season

• How scale and repeated measurement change breeding decisions

• What “digital twins” of plots mean for selection and performance

• Why data, not hardware, is driving the next shift in breeding innovation As data-driven breeding moves from research into real-world programs, this discussion offers a clear look at how seeing the whole season is reshaping value for breeders, seed companies, and farmers, and why this may be only the beginning.