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Weeds & Invasive Plants

All Weeds & Invasive Plants Content

Gardeners browsing a tablet computer while visiting a garden center.

Home Horticulture Resources for Gardeners

Horticulture is the branch of plant agriculture dealing with garden crops. In addition to our website, there are many horticulture resources available on the web to provide research-based information to help every gardener succeed.

A green Palmer amaranth weed surrounded by various other green plants.

Palmer Amaranth Confirmed in Turner County: Is this weed in your fields?

Palmer amaranth has recently been confirmed in Turner County. Currently, the estimation of Palmer amaranth infestations has been confirmed in 18 counties across South Dakota

A green field bindweed with a white flower at top.

In a Bind With Field Bindweed?

It’s August and field bindweed, one of our most-persistent perennial weeds, is flowering. Although field bindweed is not statewide noxious, it’s locally noxious in Bennett, Bon Homme, Clarke, Lake, Stanley, and Yankton counties.

Wheat plants infected with wheat streak mosaic virus.

Volunteer Wheat and Kochia Management With Herbicides Will Likely Require Two Passes

Wheat curl mites, which carry wheat streak mosaic virus, use volunteer wheat and grass weeds as secondary hosts to infest recently planted winter wheat crops. Therefore, effective management of these plants before winter wheat planting is critical.

Combine harvesting wheat.

Weed Management After Wheat Harvest

Most of the winter wheat has been harvested in South Dakota and spring wheat harvest is underway. While the growing season is over for the wheat, post-harvest weed management is important to minimize the amount of weeds that are present in the spring

Instructor leading a proctored exam in an agriculture classroom.

South Dakota Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification Testing

New commercial pesticide applicators and those that have allowed their licenses to lapse must pass commercial pesticide applicator exams to receive certification. Learn about some some helpful resources, contacts, and tips to help you be successful in your certification testing.

Weeds growing abundantly between rows of soybean in a research plot.

Suspect Herbicide Resistance in Your Fields? SDSU Can Help!

Submission form to screen weeds for herbicide resistance in South Dakota.

True armyworm caterpillar on a corn leaf.

Reports of Pyrethroid Failures for True Armyworm Caterpillar Management

True armyworm caterpillars reached thresholds in oats and wheat in many areas of South Dakota recently. Management efforts to reduce populations had varying levels of success, with SDSU Extension receiving numerous reports of pyrethroid insecticide failures.

Green Canada thistle with whitened leaves at the top. Various green plants throughout.

White Thistle Disease: Biological management at work

White thistle disease can be seen among many Canada thistle plants throughout South Dakota this growing season. Plants infected with the disease exhibit significant reductions in both growth and seed head compared with non-infected plants.

A picture of a green, smooth crabgrass plant with a white background.

Late-Season Crabgrass Control

At the start of August, crabgrass is often prevalent in lawns. Ideally, this weed should be controlled earlier in the season, but if early management was missed, a post-emergence herbicide can help control it before it produces more seed.