Posts

More Palmer Amaranth Found in ND

/in , /by
Palmer amaranth was confirmed in Barnes and Cass Counties in North Dakota this past week. A crop specialist noticed some suspect plants in a Barnes County field and notified the landowner. The landowner worked with a North Dakota State University Extension specialist, who submitted samples for DNA analysis to the National Agricultural Genotyping Center, where it was confirmed as Palmer amaranth. In the Cass County case, a NDSU Extension specialist found it within the city of Fargo, and it was confirmed in the same way.
 
Palmer amaranth is native to the southwestern U.S. but was accidentally introduced to other areas and has devastated crops in the South and Midwest. It is a prolific seed producer that can emerge throughout the growing season. It grows rapidly at 2-3 inches per day in optimum conditions and is prone to herbicide resistance and multiple modes of action. It is a highly invasive weed that can dramatically cut crop yields.
 
These are the third and fourth findings this year, with the other findings being in Benson and Stutsman counties. Additional information on palmer amaranth and other noxious weeds are available here. To report a suspect plant, go to https://www.nd.gov/ndda/pa or contact your local county weed officer or North Dakota State University Extension agent.

Two Palmer Findings in Two Weeks

/in , /by
Palmer amaranth has been confirmed in Stutsman County, North Dakota. A county weed officer noticed some suspect plants in a field and notified the landowner. One week prior, the noxious weed, along with large amounts of waterhemp, were identified in a Benson County, North Dakota soybean field. It’s not exactly known how the weed got there, but the Benson County Extension agent thinks the weeds may have been there for many years.
 
Palmer amaranth is native to the southwestern U.S. but was accidentally introduced to other areas and has devastated crops in the South and Midwest. It is a prolific seed producer that can emerge throughout the growing season. It grows rapidly at 2-3 inches per day in optimum conditions and is prone to herbicide resistance and multiple modes of action. It is a highly invasive weed that can dramatically cut crop yields.
 
Additional information on palmer amaranth and other noxious weeds are available here. To report a suspect plant, go to https://www.nd.gov/ndda/pa or contact your local county weed officer or North Dakota State University Extension agent.

Another Palmer Amaranth Confirmation

/in , /by

Palmer amaranth has been confirmed in Emmons County in south central North Dakota.This is the second finding of the noxious weed in North Dakota this year. Last year, the weed was confirmed in five counties. Those sites continue to be monitored for Palmer amaranth. Read more.

New Palmer Amaranth Findings

/in , /by

Palmer amaranth has been found in Grant County in western North Dakota. According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the likely source of infestation was millet seed. Farmers are encouraged to scout fields during harvest and clean equipment between fields to prevent unintentional spreading. So far, Palmer amaranth has been confirmed in five North Dakota counties since 2018.

The noxious weed has also been found in Minnesota’s Lincoln County in a field that was planted to a cover crop contaminated with Palmer amaranth. The company that sold the contaminated seed self-reported the violation to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Potential Palmer Findings in North Dakota

/in , /by

New potential cases of Palmer amaranth are being investigated North Dakota. NDSU Extension Weed Scientist Joe Ikley looked at two different fields in the last two weeks, one in Benson County and the other in Nelson County. “I walked fields and found plants that looked like Palmer amaranth. Samples have been collected and sent to the lab to confirm if it’s Palmer,” says Ikley. “We want to confirm before we put an action plan in place because it’s a noxious weed.”