picture by Melissa Gregory
If you’ve traveled across the midwest recently, then you may have noticed fields of purple in the countryside. No, that’s not a new cover crop you’re seeing, it’s actually a weed. That splash of early spring color you’re seeing is more than likely Henbit or Purple Dead Nettle. Aaron Hager, Weed Sciences Professor at the University of Illinois, notes the mild winter has provided ideal growing conditions for winter annual weed species. While the purple fields may look pretty to passers-by, they can be a headache for farmers. Hager notes the vegetation can attract unwanted pests to a field. He also says those fields will either require a thorough application of herbicide, or some intensive tillage work before they’ll be ready to plant this spring. According to Hager, late fall tillage could alleviate some of the hassles of winter annual weeds. However, he notes spring burn down applications of herbicides also work well for farmers wanting to control erosion. Either way, he says producers should be sure to limit as much early season weed pressure as possible for their crop. As the month of April progresses, midwest farmers are hoping the recent wet weather relents soon so they can begin seed bed preparation, and of course planting of the 2017 crop.
