Protecting crops from weed damage is a job no grower takes lightly. When scouting for weeds, it’s important to know what to look for and where to look.

Found in reduced tillage fields, common ragweed thrives in low fertility soil and undisturbed seedbeds. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is also a broadleaf weed showing resistance to multiple herbicide modes of action, mainly in corn and soybean crops. This makes effective management in rotation crops like wheat extremely important. Since a mature plant can produce 32,000 to 62,000 seeds, resistance can spread quickly.

Common ragweed can grow up to 8’ tall, with leaves that alternate from smooth to hairy and split into many lobes. Its pollen is the primary cause of hay fever. If at all possible, control the weed before emergence, because once common ragweed pops through the ground, management becomes very difficult and impact to yield significant. In addition, any escapes that mature will likely scatter thousands of seeds in your wheat fields, creating issues for next season.

For best control of common ragweed, consider the following management practices:

• Control weeds before planting with tillage or pre-plant burndown herbicide applications
• Scout fields regularly before and after planting
• Apply post-emergence herbicides Talinor® and Axial® Star, which are excellent tank-mix partners for 1-pass control of yield-robbing broadleaf and grass weeds with additional modes of action

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