We often like to use the easy button on so many things. In some instances, this works for a time, but what can the long-term results be and do we attempt to understand how nature interacts and responds to the practices we do in farming? Controlling weeds is one of those easy buttons that I feel we need to take a deeper look at and understand what the weeds are trying to tell us.

Wild oats (Avena fatua) – they’re fast, sneaky and persistent. If you’re a small-grain producer, you already know this grassy weed can rob you of yield, quality and profits. But here’s the good news: With smart strategies, you can turn the tables.

“I’m an optimist, but I have seen fields overrun by kochia, and last year we learned that we have Palmer amaranth and waterhemp,” says Dr. Albert Adjesiwor, University of Idaho Extension weed scientist in Kimberly.

Every farming season brings us new challenges, and 2023 brought us glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth, a new type of pigweed in Idaho. The ramifications of identifying GR Palmer amaranth have the potential to alter current cropping systems in Idaho.

People can argue about anything, including the best definition of a weed. However, every land manager I know can agree about their loathing for invasive thistles. Unfortunately, a new species has made its way to North America and found an ideal habitat on the stark hillsides of Hells Canyon.

It's one thing to identify a weed, and another to know what to do about it. Find out what weeds to target in Madison, Ada, Twin Falls, Cassia and Bonner counties.

Which weeds are most problematic in Idaho's grain production systems? We asked.

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a semiaquatic perennial plant that is native to Europe and can be purchased (illegally) as an ornamental.

Clue: This plant resembles an alfalfa plant after a migration of grasshoppers has stripped all the leaves off.