Why We Must be Concerned About Invasive Plants

An invasive plant species is a non-native organism that takes root in a new ecosystem and starts causing trouble. Before they become invasive, the species of plant or animal may have been brought into the country intentionally, sometimes unwittingly, before eventually becoming invasive. Bear in mind that many of our plant species were introduced into […]

Protecting Forests from Invasive Plants

Forests occupy one-third of our land area and play an important part in sustaining life on earth.Forests  and their ecosystems help stabilize climate, regulate the water cycle, and provide food and shelter for thousands of life forms. All these benefits are collectively referred to as ecosystem services for which the forest understory is important. However, […]

Late-Season Aquatic Vegetation Management

Aquatic vegetation consists of plants that grow in or around water and is a natural part of lake and pond ecosystems. Aquatic vegetation can be found in every lake and pond and there is plenty of good as well as bad that can happen with it. Contribution of aquatic vegetation to the environment Aquatic vegetation […]

Getting Ready to do Battle with the Soil Seedbank

As the fall season gets into full swing and winter approaches, the soil seedbank is receiving fresh deposits from plants that are dying or going into dormancy as. This yearly event happens without fail and creates challenges, sometimes nightmares, for many. In agriculture, the fresh supply of weed seeds replenishes the soil seedbank, a process […]

Cleaning Irrigation Systems Properly

At the end of the growing season crops are harvested and some of the farming equipment is stored. Tractors, harvesting equipment, sprayers, and tillage equipment is hauled into sheds for winter. While in storage, these pieces of equipment get maintenance checks to fix one thing or another in preparation for the next growing season. However, […]

Best Weed Management Strategies for Turfgrass

Many areas with turfgrass, from home lawns to sports fields to golf courses, have one common aspect they share the occurrence of weeds. Whether it is dandelion on a home lawn or goosegrass on a golf course green, their mere presence is aesthetically displeasing leading to the adoption of control measures. Control of weeds is […]

UsingSurfactants to Improve Disease Control

There are over 50,000 destructive diseasesthat affect the growth of their respective plant species.  As agriculture struggles to support the rapidly growing global population, plant disease reduces the production and quality of food, fiber, and biofuel crops. To ensure the safety of our food, fiber, and biofuel supply plant diseases must be controlled. The most […]

Staying a Step Ahead of Invasive Weeds in Pasture

About 27% of the US (528 million acres) is designated as pasture, which is land that provides forage for grazing livestock.  The vegetation in pastures consists of grasses, legumes, forb, and shrubs which usually grow in mixtures. The importance of pasture Forage for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and other domestic livestock. Many […]

Postemergence Weed Control on Golf Courses

One of the most challenging problems for a golf course manager is keeping weeds out. Regardless of the region or seasonin the US, a major priority for every golf course manager is to make sure that weeds do not take over a golf course.                       […]

Insect Control in Citrus

Every crop has insects that it evolves or coexists with, and citrus plants are no different. There are numerous insects of citrus that are harmless, some are beneficial while some are harmful. The harmful insects garner the most attention because if they are not managed they can devastate the citrus industry. Insects can infest flowers, […]