The right weed management strategy can lift much of the burden off corn growers’ shoulders while helping them save both time and money. But to find the best management solution, they must first understand the problem weeds in their fields. Water-hemp and Palmer amaranth, both species of pigweed, can deposit 10,000 to 1 million seeds per plant into the soil. As a result, a weed seed bank can develop and take over crops thereby reducing yields. Marestail, one of the first glyphosate-resistant weeds identified in U.S. row crops, contains highly mobile seeds, which results in the weed spreading rapidly. Morningglory seeds, on the other hand, have extremely hard coats, allowing them to remain viable in the soil for more than 50 years.

Project: lllustration.
Client: Agriculture magazine Thrive