Waterhemp got you worried? WiscWeeds' been there, done that

Jump on the Wisconsin waterhemp whistlestop tour through local weed science research efforts to combat this wicked weed.

Prepared by Nicholas J. Arneson, WiscWeeds Outreach Program Manager, UW-Madison

This resource is paired with  "The Six R's of Waterhemp Management in Soybeans: What it Takes to Stay on Top " , and  "What We Have Learned from 5 Years of Waterhemp Research" , two WiscWeeds outreach publications recently released by the UW-Madison Cropping Systems Weed Science Program.

The following 3-part resource intends to provide a recipe for YOU (the grower, producer, agronomist, or educator) on how to battle waterhemp in corn & soybean production fields

The Waterhemp Diet: Well Balanced to Get the Job Done

Part 1 - The Appetizer:

What is waterhemp and why has it become the driver of weed management decisions in Wisconsin (and beyond)?

In this section you will learn:

  1. How to identify waterhemp from its close relatives (e.g., palmer amaranth, redroot pigweed, smooth pigweed, etc.)
  2. About the window of the growing season that waterhemp emerges
  3. Where we have identified herbicide-resistant waterhemp accessions & what types of resistance have been documented in your region

Part 2 - Meat & Potatoes:

What chemical tools are available for waterhemp control and how do we protect them through stewardship?

In this section you will learn:

  1. The basics about the 'layered-residual' approach which is fundamental to achieve season-long waterhemp control
  2. Which PRE herbicides are most effective on controlling germinating waterhemp
  3. Which POST herbicides are most effective on eliminating emerged waterhemp that escaped residual control

Part 3 - Don't Forget the Veggies:

What non-chemical tools are available and how can we successfully adopt them to delay the onset and spread of herbicide resistance?

In this section you will learn:

  1. How to use your cash crop as an additional tool for waterhemp management
  2. Of the relative value of a high biomass cereal rye cover crop can bring to an integrated weed management strategy
  3. How to limit the spread of weed seeds from field-to-field through targeted cleaning of harvest equipment