War Against Weeds

Sarah, Joe, and Alyssa are three Extension weed scientists on a mission to help their audience understand what it takes for farmers to fight the war against weeds. Funding for the podcast is provided by the North Central IPM Center, on of four regional centers funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to promote and facilitate the adoption of effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. You can also find our episodes at https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/.

S9 E12 - Non-GMO Soybean 04/16/2025

S9 E12 - Non-GMO Soybean We are joined by Rodrigo Werle and Andy Bensend this week to talk about Non-GMO Soybeans! A few links our guests wanted to share with listeners: You can find Rodrigo on X @WiscWeeds /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/36187925

S9 E11 - Dichlorprop-P 04/09/2025

S9 E11 - Dichlorprop-P This week we have Dan Beran and Bob Bruss on to talk about dichlorprop-p. They cover the history and potential future of this active ingredient. Listen now! To find more information about Nufarm go here: https://nufarm.com/uscrop/ /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/36069520

S9 E10 - Fertilizers as Herbicide Carriers 04/02/2025

S9 E10 - Fertilizers as Herbicide Carriers This week Alyssa and Sarah chat with Caleb Wepprecht and Aaron Hager with University of Illinois about using fertilizers as carriers for herbicide applications. /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35975110

S9 E9 - Potato Production 03/26/2025

S9 E9 - Potato Production This week on the War Against Weeds Podcast we have Dr. Andy Robinson on to chat about all things potatoes. He covers weed management, planting, harvesting and where you can find most of our potato production here in the states! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35867595

S9 E8 - Drones Update 03/19/2025

S9 E8 - Drones Update It's a bird... it's a plane... it's drones!! Join us this week as Alyssa and Joe discuss all things drones with Dr. Steve Li. If you or anyone you know is interested in drones for agricultural use, consider attending the 2025 Spray Drone End User Conference. For more info on the conference: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/2025-spray-drone-end-user-conference/ /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35722340

S9 E7 - Johnsongrass 03/12/2025

S9 E7 - Johnsongrass This week we have Dr. JD Green on the podcast to cover everything Johnsongrass. He covers the history of Johnsongrass and how to manage it. Available now! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35652375

S9 E6 - Targeted Tillage 03/05/2025

S9 E6 - Targeted Tillage This week we have Dr. Michael Walsh with Charles Sturt University on the podcast to talk about the “weed chipper”. The weed chipper is a mechanical weeding implement that could be an answer to herbicide resistant weeds. Listen now to find out how the weed chipper works! To see the weed chipper in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1nI6Gh9khI /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35531990

S9 E5 - Henbit 02/26/2025

S9 E5 - Henbit This week Sarah and Joe chat with Dr. Bill Johnson from Purdue University about henbit. They cover why controlling henbit is important and how to manage it in corn and soybean production. Listen now! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35408075

S9 E4 - Short Corn 02/19/2025

S9 E4 - Short Corn This week our host Sarah and co-host Joe chat with Dr. Erin Burns (Michigan State University) and Dr. Dan Quinn (Purdue University) about short corn. What makes it different from standard corn? What does weed control look like? Listen to find out! Erin’s Links: Dan’s Links: X: @PurdueCorn /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35348660

S9 E3 - Pasture Weed Management 02/12/2025

S9 E3 - Pasture Weed Management Welcome back to the War Against Weeds Podcast! This week we are joined by guests Kevin Bradley (University of Missouri) and Dwight Lingenfelter (Penn State University) to discuss weed management in pasture systems. They cover the different weeds found in pastures, non-chemical methods, and the importance of fertility. Kevin’s Links: X: @ShowMeWeeds Dwight’s Links: General Weed ID references: Weeds of the Northeast (2nd ed. 2023) - great reference >500 weed species with images and descriptions Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide (or similar others) Toxic plant databases and info: University of Wisconsin Canadian Colorado Cornell University of Illinois USDA (Logan, Utah) and /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35254400

S9 E2 - Spray Solution Quality 02/05/2025

S9 E2 - Spray Solution Quality This week on the War Against Weeds Podcast, we have special guest Dr. Tom Wolf joining us to talk about water quality and its impact on herbicide applications. You can find Tom on X: @nozzle_guy Additional helpful links: 2025 ND Weed Guide: /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35162415

S9 E1 - The IR-4 Project 01/29/2025

S9 E1 - The IR-4 Project Welcome back to season 9 of War Against Weeds! We are so excited to be back, and to start our season off with Roger Batts to discuss his work with the IR-4 Project. Learn about what IR-4 is and what services it provides for farmers across the United States. /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/35071950

S8 E15 - Weed Management Economics 12/18/2024

S8 E15 - Weed Management Economics For our final episode of season 8, we have agronomists Kyle Okke, Jason Hanson and Jeff Nagel on to discuss the economics of weed control for growers. They cover their major weed challenges and how additional inputs like machinery cost, fertility, and pest management are all factored into planning for ’25. Let’s wrap up this season by reflecting on ’24, and looking into ’25! You can find Jason and Kyle on X at: @rocknrollagrnmy and @okkefromuskogee And find their podcast Agronomists Happy Hour at And on X @AgHappyHour You can find more information about Keystone Cooperative here: Thank you all for another great season! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/34179725

S8 E14 - Novel Genetic Methods for Pigweed Control 12/11/2024

S8 E14 - Novel Genetic Methods for Pigweed Control Dr. Todd Gaines with Colorado State University joins us this week to talk about some novel genetic methods to control weeds! He covers the genomic timeline and how things have changed through the years, and how genomics helps understand herbicide resistance by identifying target site genes and mutations. Some links that Dr. Gaines wanted to share: /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/34038237

S8 E13 - Herbicide Supply Chain 12/04/2024

S8 E13 - Herbicide Supply Chain Welcome back to the War Against Weeds Podcast! This week we are joined by guests Jeremy Safranski (Director of Strategic Planning at CHS Inc.) and Mike Bjertness (Management at C-W Valley Co-op) to discuss the herbicide supply chain and their experiences in the United States. You can find these two guests here: And the links they provided for more information: /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/34036932

S8 E12 - Herbicide Discovery Process 11/20/2024

S8 E12 - Herbicide Discovery Process This week on the War Against Weeds Podcast, we have special guests Drs. Cara McCauley and Jason Adams on to chat about the herbicide discovery process. They cover the many things involved in creating new chemistries for farmers to use in the war against weeds! If you want to reach out to either of our guests, you can find them here: Thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/34033946

S8 E11 - Enhanced Degradation of Triazine Herbicides 11/13/2024

S8 E11 - Enhanced Degradation of Triazine Herbicides This week on the War Against Weeds Podcast, we have Drs. Dale Shaner and Tom Mueller joining us to discuss enhanced degradation of triazine herbicides! You can find more information on this topic at these links below provided by our guests. Thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33916637

S8 E10 - Palmer Amaranth Update from Tennessee 11/06/2024

S8 E10 - Palmer Amaranth Update from Tennessee This week Joe and Alyssa chat with Larry Steckel from the University of Tennessee! We are partnered with Crop Protection Network (CPN), so check out their page for more great information, and thanks to our sponsor North Central IPM Center for their support! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33821050

S8 E9 - Pumpkins 10/30/2024

S8 E9 - Pumpkins This week we are talking pumpkins! Dr. Marty Williams and Dr. Alan Walters chat with Sarah and Alyssa about pumpkin production in Illinois. Jack-o’-lanterns, processing pumpkins, and gigantic pumpkins oh my! You can find more information about our guests at: and Marty's Reference Table: Table E-4 shows crop rotation planting restrictions for a long list of herbicides. (Click on link below!) /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33687892

S8 E8 - Laser Weeding 10/23/2024

S8 E8 - Laser Weeding This week on the War Against Weeds Podcast, Sarah and Joe chat with Lynn Sosnoskie (Cornell University) and Thierry Besançon (Rutgers University) about LASER WEEDING! Some highlights from the episode include how these machines work, their utility in different cropping systems, and how this could change weed control in the future! Lynn can be found on X @LynnSosnoskie and Instagram @specialtycropweedscience Thierry can also be found on Instagram @thierrybesancon For more information about Carbon Robotics you can find them here: https://carbonrobotics.com/ Thank you for listening! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33582717

S8 E7 - Witchweed 10/16/2024

S8 E7 - Witchweed Witchweed! This spooky parasitic weed is the topic of this week’s episode. Alyssa and Joe chat about witchweed's biology, history and economic impact with Dr. Bridget Lassiter and Dr. David Nelson! You can find more information about Dr. Nelson at , and here are some additional links that our guests mentioned in the episode. /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33484037

S8 E6 - Desiccation 10/09/2024

S8 E6 - Desiccation This week’s topic is desiccation! Joe and Sarah discuss fall desiccants in various bean crops with Dr. Shawn Conley (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Dr. Jeremy Ross (University of Arkansas)! You can find them both on X and their university websites! X: @badgerbean X: @.arksoydoc /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33390212

S8 E5 - Wild Oat 10/02/2024

S8 E5 - Wild Oat This week our host Joe Ikley and co-host Sarah Lancaster discuss everything “Wild Oat” with guests Kirk Howatt and Breanne Tidemann. They cover biology, spread, and management of wild oat in North Dakota and various parts of Canada. You can find Breanne on Instagram @lacombweedsci, and on X @breanntidemann. More info on the wild oat action committee can be found here: Kirk can be found at NDSU’s website, and more information about wild oat in North Dakota can be found here: /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33298612

S8 E4 - Burcucumber 09/25/2024

S8 E4 - Burcucumber This week our host Alyssa Essman and co-host Joe Ikley chat with Dr. Dwight Lingenfelter from Penn State University about burcucumber. They discuss seed characteristics, where it’s problematic for farmers, and how to control it. We are partnered with Crop Protection Network (CPN), so check out their page for more great information, and thanks to our sponsor North Central IPM Center for their support! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33201417

S8 E3 - EPA ESA Update 09/18/2024

S8 E3 - EPA ESA Update This week our host Sarah Lancaster and co-host Alyssa Essman discuss the final version of the herbicide strategy plan in accordance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). They are joined by special guests Bill Chism and Ashlea Frank to chat about the timeline for implementation of these strategies, and what this means for farmers and applicators in the years to come. A few helpful links our guests provided for any questions regarding the ESA. We are partnered with Crop Protection Network (CPN), so check out their page for more great information, and thanks to our sponsor North Central IPM Center for their support! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33108082

S8 E2 - Cover Crop Trade-Offs 09/12/2024

S8 E2 - Cover Crop Trade-Offs This week our host Alyssa Essman and co-host Sarah Lancaster chat with Logan Simon (Kansas State University) and Travis Legleiter (University of Kentucky) about cover crops. They cover the trade-offs of having cover crops in their states, and their most commonly asked questions by farmers. Our guests can be found on X @SWKSAgronomy and @TravisLegleiter More information about their universities and programs can be found here: /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/33021587

S8 E1 - 2024 Summer Recap 09/04/2024

S8 E1 - 2024 Summer Recap WELCOME BACK to season 8 of the War Against Weeds Podcast! Our first episode of the season we have three special guests on to recap their summers. The whole team chats with guests Kody Came (Kansas), Austin Sundeen (North Dakota), and Greg McGlinch (Ohio) about the wins, losses, and lessons learned from the summer of 2024. /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/32896072

S7 E15 - Weed Control in Mint 04/24/2024

S7 E15 - Weed Control in Mint Our last topic for the season is weed control in MINT! Our guests this week are Dr. Stephen Meyers with Purdue University, and Dr. Pete Berry with Oregon State University. They chat about the challenges in growing mint, and share some other interesting facts about growing this specialty crop! Dr. Stephen Meyers and his lab can be found at the links below: Dr. Pete Berry can be found at this link: /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/30969143

S7 E14 - A Canadian Perspective on Harvest Weed Seed Control 04/17/2024

S7 E14 - A Canadian Perspective on Harvest Weed Seed Control Welcome Back to the War Against Weeds Podcast! This week Joe and Sarah discuss harvest weed seed control with Breanne Tidemann. Breanne is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada with her focus on weed management and field agronomy. Listen in to learn all about harvest weed seed control up in Canada! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/30874213

S7 E13 - A Conversation Between Plants 04/10/2024

S7 E13 - A Conversation Between Plants Join us this week as Joe and Sarah chat with Dr. Clarence Swanton with the University of Guelph, while he delves into the intricacies of plant growth! /episode/index/show/waragainstweeds/id/30765918

War Against Weeds

TOPICS