MSU Extension Has New Publications Addressing Weeds

Montana State University Extension has released two new publications, one to identify weed seedlings and one to answer frequently asked questions about herbicides and noxious weeds to help Montana’s farmers and ranchers keep weeds in check.

The first publication, “Weed Seedling Identification Guide for Montana and the Northern Great Plains,” includes descriptions of seedling shape, leaf arrangement, attachment and surface, as well as identification tips and a picture of the mature plant.

“Many weed identification tools focus on conspicuous traits of mature plants, but this guide is unique in that it covers key features of seedlings and juvenile plants, which are often very difficult to identify,” said Jane Mangold, MSU Extension noxious weed specialist.

The 160-page, spiral-bound, color guide features 73 species, including 60 broadleaf and 13 grass species. The introduction includes basic tenets of weed management and terminology with graphics.

“This is a powerful tool for rapid and accurate identification of weeds, enabling farmers and ranchers to make weed management decisions when the weeds are most vulnerable,” said Fabian Menalled, MSU Extension crop weed specialist. “Weed seedling identification is essential to a successful weed management program.”

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weed Trust Fund, Montana Wheat and Barley Commission, MSU Extension Integrated Pest Management and the Western Integrated Pest Management Center have collaborated to provide the first 2,500 print copies at no charge. There is a limit of five free copies per customer. To order a hard copy, or access an electronic version of the guide, contact Montana State University Extension Publications at (406) 994-3273 or at http://store.msuextension.org.

The second publication, “Herbicides and Noxious Weeds: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions,” is a 10-page, color brochure that presents an overview of commonly asked questions focused around the use of herbicides to control noxious weeds on non-crop sites, such as rangelands and pastures, forests and roadway rights-of-way. The free bulletin is produced by the Montana Noxious Weed Education program, with funding by the Montana Department of Transportation, USDI-Montana/Dakotas Bureau of Land Management and USDA-Forest Service Region 1.

To order this or other publications on noxious weed management and herbicides, contact Montana State University Extension Publications at (406) 994-3273 or at http://store.msuextension.org.