Kochia

A number of key characteristics of kochia can make it especially difficult to control. The United Soybean Board reports kochia is tolerant to hot, dry conditions and soils with high salinity. It can produce up to 30,000 seeds per plant, its roots can extend down 15’ and measure 21’ in diameter and the weed itself can grow up to 6’ high. In addition, herbicide-resistant kochia rapidly evolves due to short seed life, high genetic diversity and heavy reliance on herbicides for control in minimum- and no-till cropping systems.

Kochia facts:

• It is an early-germinating summer-annual broadleaf weed species
• It can be found in crop fields throughout the Midwest
• It is capable of self- or cross-pollination, making it likely that glyphosate resistance could spread via gene flow
• After the plant has matured, kochia will break off at the ground and roll in the wind or in the direction of a slope
• As it rolls, seed is deposited in new areas, spreading the genetics from a single plant over great distances

Learn how to identify and manage kochia in this educational video with Joe Wuerffel, Ph.D., research and development scientist at Syngenta.

Manage and prevent kochia throughout the growing season with an application of Acuron^® or Acuron Flexi corn herbicides. Acuron has 3 effective modes of action (Groups 5, 15 and 27) and Acuron Flexi has 2 (Groups 15 and 27). Both herbicides contain bicyclopyrone, which is designed to complement the other active ingredients in the premix to deliver broader spectrum, more consistent control of tough weeds other products are missing.

For soybean growers, Syngenta offers effective weed control programs that can start with BroadAxe^® XC herbicide (Groups 14 and 15) for pre-emergence, long-lasting residual control of kochia.

Syngenta recommends an application of Talinor^™ herbicide for cereals, as it combines 2 active ingredients with 2 different modes of action for effective weed control (Group 27 and 6).

Visit ResistanceFighter.com to learn more about weed resistance management in corn, soybeans and wheat.

Sign up for the Know More, Grow More Digest to receive twice-monthly agronomic email updates pertinent to your area.

All photos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

Syngenta hereby disclaims liability for third-party websites.

No Comments