“Keep Palmer amaranth off your farm” workshop to be held in Oskaloosa
Iowa State University Extension
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Palmer amaranth, a new weed to Iowa and a serious threat to production agriculture, has now been discovered in at least 48 of Iowa’s 99 counties Farmers, crop consultants landowners, and those interested in learning to identify and manage this new threat will want to attend the “Keep Palmer amaranth off your farm” workshop in Oskaloosa. The workshop is being hosted by the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe and Mahaksa County Extension. The two-hour workshop will occur on March 21 at the Mahaska County Extension Office at 1:30 p.m.
“With Palmer amaranth discoveries quickly increasing across the state, proper identification is key to controlling infestations and preventing movement to crop fields,” said Vittetoe.
This workshop will discuss new discoveries of Palmer amaranth across the state, key traits to differentiate the common amaranth species in Iowa from Palmer amaranth, and management in both crop and non-crop areas. Handouts about Palmer amaranth identification will be provided.
Palmer amaranth is one of several pigweed species found across Iowa. Other pigweed species found in the state include waterhemp, redroot pigweed, Powell amaranth, and spiny amaranth.
“At a quick glance there are many similarities among the weedy pigweeds, but knowledge of what specifically to look for simplifies differentiating Palmer amaranth from the other pigweeds species in the state,” said Vittetoe.
Farmers and scouts should be observing high-risk areas for Palmer amaranth, including areas with significant equipment movement, suspicious-looking waterhemp infestations, newly-seeded conservation plantings, and areas near animal agriculture operations, Vittetoe said.
This meeting is free and open to the public. Certified Crop Advisors CEUs will also be offered with the meeting. Please re-register for the workshop by noon on March 21 with the Mahaska County Extension office by calling 641-673-5841.
The Mahaska County Extension Office is located at 212 N I St., Oskaloosa.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Vittetoe at 319-653-4811 or rka8@iastate.edu.
