Lewis, 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 this Friday, April 7 from 2-4 PM. The workshop is being hosted by the Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Field Agronomist Aaron Saeugling and East Pottawattamie County Extension. The two-hour workshop will be held on April 7 at the ISU Armstrong Research Farm, 53020 Hitchcock Ave, Lewis.

“With Palmer amaranth discoveries quickly increasing across the state, proper identification is key to controlling infestations and preventing movement to crop fields,” said Saeugling. 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

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 Saeugling.

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, Saeugling 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 April 6, by calling the East Pottawattamie County Extension office at (712) 482-6449.  For more information, please contact Aaron Saeugling at 641-344-5704 or clonz@iastate.edu.