Weed Control in High Plains: Current Challenges and Future Outlook

The use of herbicides and herbicide-resistant (HR) crops have allowed to reduce or eliminate tillage for weed management, thereby benefitting soil and water conservation in the semi-arid High Plains. However, the widespread adoption of glyphosate-resistant crops, repetitive use of herbicides with the same mechanisms of action, and lack of diversity in production practices resulted in evolved resistance to herbicides in major cropland weed species, including horseweed, kochia, Palmer amaranth, common waterhemp, and Russian thistle. Managing HR weeds is complex and varies both within and between regions. Further complicating management is lack of community-wide concern and unified approach to management, lack of flexibility in government programs, and current commodity prices makes it difficult to change. This seminar will illustrate some of these challenges and will also highlight novel weed control strategies that may fit well in the no-till cropping systems of the High Plains for controlling HR weeds.