Ohio Weed Survey Results and Strategies

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Check-off

Each fall several Extension Educators assist Dr. Alyssa Essman, the OSU Extension State Weed Specialist, in conducting a statewide weed survey. “In 2024 waterhemp was the number one weed in Ohio,” said Dr. Essman. “This weed species is one that we have really been keeping an eye on in our survey in recent years. We have seen it creeping up the list.”

The statewide weed survey is conducted in the fall of the year prior to the harvest season. “When we looked at the top five weeds in this pre-harvest survey in terms of frequency. We rank those that are the most common in-field at the end of the season. This year waterhemp is one we are really concerned about,” said Essman. At the end of the season knowing how much seed it produces and some of the herbicide resistance issues we are having with water hemp got our attention as it was the number one weed species.”… Continue reading