Now is the Time to Control and Manage Waterhemp in Corn and Soybean Fields

 

Waterhemp is an annual weed species in the pigweed family capable of producing greater than 1 million seeds/plant and due to a limited number of effective herbicides, especially in sugarbeet and soybean, is difficult to control compared to most weed species. In addition to the production of large quantities of seeds, continual germination throughout the growing season and an increased frequency of herbicide-resistant biotypes adds to the degree of difficulty in keeping this weed species under control. The good news is that the longevity of waterhemp seeds in the seedbank is relatively short compared to most species (1-12% survival after four years), meaning complete control (zero seed production) of all plants over a three to four year time period should significantly reduce the waterhemp seed bank densities, allowing the farmer to take control of this difficult weed problem.