Weeds are always a problem for American farmers. 

But a warm spring and recent burst of wet weather in many parts of the country has created ripe conditions for everything from waterhemp and Palmer amaranth to Kochia and newly arrived species like Asian copperleaf. 

As farmers feel the pressure to use inputs sparingly due to cost while bringing in the biggest crop they can, keeping these weeds under control through good management will be even more critical this season. And with planting nearly completed and the crop widely emerged, options are changing rapidly. 

To help keep farmers informed on what’s out there, and what control options they should be thinking about now, we’ll hear today from DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins. 

Jason will start us off with an overview of conditions he’s seeing in the heart of the country right now, and what might be in the offing weed-, disease-, and insect-wise as a result. Then we’ll get into the strategies, discussing how farmers might want to think about their pest management strategies in terms of timing and modes of action to achieve peak effectiveness with the minimum amount of product applied. 

We’ll also talk about his last cover story on electrical weeders in Missouri, and discuss the outlook for non-chemical weed control options going forward. He’ll also walk us through what he’s watching right now in terms of new products, and new concerns that farmers should be keeping an eye on this year.