You may get a whole lot more than you bargained for when you buy a used combine out of state.

Accurate identification of weedy Amaranthus species during early vegetative stages can be difficult. However, identification of the various species becomes much more reliable when reproductive structures are present (Figure 1).

Hopefully, most of our full-season soybean crop has been managed for weeds by this time of the summer and some growers have planted or are still considering double-crop. There is still time to ensure your soybean weed control programs worked by scouting those full-season soybeans for escapes and by selecting effective herbicides to control weeds in double-crop soybeans.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) continues to march across Kentucky. Initially this weed was thought to be present primarily in the west end of the state (Purchase region), but sightings have been reported within several Kentucky counties that border Tennessee and the lower Ohio River in the past few years.

Most people are aware that the first confirmed Palmer amaranth infestations were found in Iowa late in 2013. Infestations have been found in five Iowa counties, but we suspect there are more unknown infestations than known.

Planting progress may have been slowed by the recent precipitation, but weed emergence continues despite wet field conditions.

Palmer amaranth is native to the Southwest but has been expanding its range for at least 50 years. Most recently it has moved into the Midwest and has been reported in all Corn Belt states except for Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Ohio State University Extension has currently started the second year of a three-year partnership of ag industry, USB, and a number of land grant universities to provide education and resources for managing herbicide site of action and mitigating herbicide resistance.

A naturally occurring fungus may prove useful in the fight against Palmer amaranth, an aggressive southern weed that can grow at the rate of two inches a day and outcompete corn, cotton, soybean and other crops for resources, potentially reducing their yields.

Several people have submitted images of escaped "pigweeds" wondering whether the plants were Palmer amaranth. In all cases, except the earlier reported situation in Harrison County, the plants in question have been waterhemp, although at casual glance they could easily be mistaken for Palmer amaranth.