Weed Science Extension

Weed management resources

Our slideshows and videos address an array of weed management issues, such as herbicide resistance, pasture weed management, and off-target herbicide movement.

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What weeds are these?

Our Weed ID Guide will help you identify weeds in your crops, gardens, lawns, pastures and even ponds.

Identify your weeds

The Weed Science program at the University of Missouri administers extension, research and teaching programs to keep you informed of the latest findings in weed management.

Our online resources include a Missouri weed ID guide and a herbicide injury guide. Both of these guides are full of photos — to aid in the identification of a weed or the diagnosis of herbicide-caused crop injury, respectively. They are also available as mobile apps. In addition, we offer numerous publications, newsletter articles, videos and PowerPoint presentations on various aspects of weed control.

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ID weeds or herbicide injury on-the-go with one of our apps

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Mizzou Pest Management Field Day set for July 7

Published: Friday, June 17, 2022

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s 2022 Pest Management Field Day is Thursday, July 7, at the MU Bradford Research Farm, about 8 miles east of Columbia.Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. There will be opening remarks soon after 8 a.m. ...

Benefit of killing annual weeds in winter wheat depends on weed, yield loss

Published: Friday, April 22, 2022

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Killing common annual weeds in winter wheat may or may not be a good financial decision, especially when input costs are high, says University of Missouri Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley.Winter wheat is one of the most ...

Plan to kill toxic perilla mint this spring or summer

Published: Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole said he received a report recently of cows in southwestern Missouri being killed by perilla mint, a toxic plant. Cole urges producers to plan to destroy the ...

Cereal rye as a cover crop can reduce waterhemp

Published: Wednesday, July 28, 2021

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Cereal rye as a cover crop may reduce waterhemp populations without yield loss in soybean, according to a three-year study at the University of Missouri.MU Extension weed specialist Mandy Bish and a team of researchers studied how ...

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Publications

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Missouri Weed Seeds

Publication date: Nov. 1, 2018

Positive identification of pests, including weeds, is the first step in a sound integrated pest management program. Knowledge of plant morphological features, such as leaf and stem shape, flower type and color, and the presence of hairs make ...

Weed Identification and Herbicide Injury Guide for Corn and Soybean

Publication date: Nov. 1, 2018

$30.00

Check out our ID Weeds app to help identify weeds,Apple App for iPhones, iPads.Google Play Store for Android devices.Mandy BishDivision of Plant SciencesIn corn and soybean cropping systems throughout the Midwest, weeds represent an economically ...

Kochia Management in Soybeans

Publication date: March 1, 2018

Kochia is well adapted to the Great Plains and western regions of the U.S. and Canada. It can emerge as early as February in Kansas and March in the northern Great Plains, but germination can extend through August throughout the Great Plains states. ...

Velvetleaf Management in Soybeans

Publication date: March 1, 2018

Velvetleaf — also known as elephant ear, buttonweed and butterprint — is a common weed species found in most fields throughout the soybean belt. It can be extremely competitive with soybeans and reduce yields by 25 to 40 percent. This fact sheet ...

Herbicide-Resistant Horseweed (Marestail) Management in No-Till Soybean

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2018

Horseweed (marestail), which has two primary periods of emergence, competes with soybeans throughout the growing season and reduces crop yield. This fact sheet lists steps for managing horseweed in your soybean fields.

Palmer Amaranth Management in Soybean

Publication date: Jan. 1, 2018

Native to the southwestern United States, Palmer amaranth (aka Palmer pigweed) has become a devastating weed problem in the South and has recently spread to the Upper Midwest. This fact sheet provides guidance on how to manage this difficult weed in ...

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Comparison of Soybean Traits for the Control of Resistant Waterhemp (PDF)

Evaluation of “Recovery Treatments” for Dicamba-Injured Soybean (PDF)

2013 Field Day: Horseweed Stop (video)

MU Extension State Specialist Kevin Bradley discusses the importance of controlling marestail, or horseweed, prior to soybean planting at the 2013 Mizzou Pest Management Field Day.

2014 Field Day: Comparing Palmer Amaranth to Common Waterhemp (video)

MU Extension State Specialist Kevin Bradley shares characteristics that can help distinguish between waterhemp and Palmer amaranth at the 2014 Mizzou Pest Management Field Day.

2014 Field Day: Dicamba and 2,4-D Drift Injury on Soybean (video)

University of Missouri Extension State Specialist Kevin Bradley describes how little dicamba and 2,4-D are required to injury sensitive soybean at the 2014 Mizzou Pest Management Field Day.

2015 Field Day: Control of Marestail/Horseweed (video)

MU Extension State Specialist Kevin Bradley presents burndown programs for difficult to control marestail, or horseweed, at the 2015 Mizzou Pest Management Field Day.

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Weed ID Guide
- Identify weeds you encounter in your crops, gardens, lawns, pastures and even ponds.
What the research says
- Search for the latest MU field research results by year, herbicide, weed or crop.
Slideshows and videos
- View videos and PDFs of slideshows about weed management.

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Weed Science Extension

Weed management resources

What weeds are these?

Weed science fun facts

An average waterhemp plant typically produces around 300,000 seeds that are the size of a pin head.

Weed science fun facts

Scientists have discovered that earthworms contribute to the spread of giant ragweed by systematically collecting and burying its seeds in their burrows.

Weed science fun facts

After a walk, Swiss engineer George de Mestral observed burs from common burdock (Arctium minus) stuck to his wool pants and his dog’s fur. A few years later he patented Velcro, an invention inspired by the weed.

Weed science fun facts

Each acre of U.S. cropland contains 50 to 300 million buried weed seeds. Five to 10 percent of them germinate and emerge each year.

Weed science fun facts

Common ragweed plants typically release a billion pollen grains per plant from August through October, triggering allergic reactions for nearly 36 million Americans annually.

Weed science fun facts

Herbicides make it possible for American growers to use no-till production on 52 million acres, preventing 304 billion pounds of soil erosion annually.

Weed science fun facts

Ancient Egyptians wrapped their dead in the leaves of the giant reed (Arundo donax), now one of the worst riparian weeds in the U.S.

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Weed ID Guide

What the research says

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Weed Science Extension

Weed management resources

What weeds are these?

Weed science fun facts

An average waterhemp plant typically produces around 300,000 seeds that are the size of a pin head.

Weed science fun facts

Scientists have discovered that earthworms contribute to the spread of giant ragweed by systematically collecting and burying its seeds in their burrows.

Weed science fun facts

After a walk, Swiss engineer George de Mestral observed burs from common burdock (Arctium minus) stuck to his wool pants and his dog’s fur. A few years later he patented Velcro, an invention inspired by the weed.

Weed science fun facts

Each acre of U.S. cropland contains 50 to 300 million buried weed seeds. Five to 10 percent of them germinate and emerge each year.

Weed science fun facts

Common ragweed plants typically release a billion pollen grains per plant from August through October, triggering allergic reactions for nearly 36 million Americans annually.

Weed science fun facts

Herbicides make it possible for American growers to use no-till production on 52 million acres, preventing 304 billion pounds of soil erosion annually.

Weed science fun facts

Ancient Egyptians wrapped their dead in the leaves of the giant reed (Arundo donax), now one of the worst riparian weeds in the U.S.

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Weed ID Guide

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