Reduce seed bank, layer herbicides and adopt alternative tactics to manage waterhemp’s resilience in Iowa crop fields.

Reducing waterhemp seed populations is critical to managing what has become one of the most challenging weeds infesting Iowa crop fields.

Effective strategies, such as layered residual herbicide management, crop rotation, harvest weed seed control and providing competition with cover crops, can significantly limit waterhemp’s ability to establish in fields, said Bob Hartzler, a retired Iowa State University Extension weed management specialist.

Hartzler shared...