Surveys Show Horseweed is a Persistent and Unpredictable Foe in Soybean Crops

Nov 22, 2021

Horseweed is one of the most common and most troublesome weeds in soybean production—shown to cause yield losses of up to 39 percent in the Midwest growing region. A single horseweed plant can produce up to 200,000 seeds that can be easily spread across vast distances. In addition, herbicide resistance has made horseweed increasingly difficult to control.

In an article featured in Volume 69, Issue 6, of the journal Weed Science, researchers share findings from a large-scale study to assess the late-season occurrence of horseweed in 49 Ohio counties where soybeans are grown. Surveys were conducted annually over a period of five years to determine the frequency, level of infestation and distribution of horseweed over time and to identify significant clusters and movement trends.

Researchers found there was a marked increase in infestations over the five-year period of the study. Horseweed was encountered in each county during each year of the survey—in as many as 38 percent of fields overall. Unfortunately, though, there was no distinct, year to year pattern of distribution or movement to help forecast areas susceptible to future infestations.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.