Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), a member of the "pigweed" family, is one of the most troublesome weeds in many southern row crops. Seed can germinate all season and plants can grow to over 6 feet in height. Plants have either male flowers that shed pollen or female flowers that can produce up to 600,000 seed per plant. One Palmer amaranth per 30 foot of row can reduce cotton yield by 6 to 12%.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), a member of the "pigweed" family, is one of the most troublesome weeds in many southern row crops. Seed can germinate all season and plants can grow to over 6 feet in height. Plants have either male flowers that shed pollen or female flowers that can produce up to 600,000 seed per plant. One Palmer amaranth per 30 foot of row can reduce cotton yield by 6 to 12%.

Invasive exotic species are plants that are not native to a given area and have the ability to out-compete indigenous plant species. Invasive exotics are often brought into their non-native surroundings by humans with good intentions.

No-tillage corn production has been practiced in Virginia for more than 35 years (Jones et al. 1968), yet many producers have not used no-tillage to its maximum advantage. This publication addresses where no-tillage corn can and should be adopted, and where no-tillage production needs to be modified to reduce production problems associated with continuous use.

Moss is a very simple plant that can out-compete turfgrasses under persistently shaded, moist, acidic soils. This publication details the management strategies that make turfgrass more competitive and the chemical management options that help reduce moss populations. This publication also discusses how to propagate and manage moss as part of a shade landscape when turfgrasses are not an option for a lawn.

A perennial with slender, twining stems that may reach 10 feet in length.

A perennial from rhizomes with conspicuous spines on leaves and stems reaching 3 feet in height.

Perennial woody vine that may reach 40 feet or more in length.

This handbook represents a joint effort among Extension specialists and researchers from 15 land-grant universities in the U.S. who work in vegetable production. These specialists and researchers represent a wide array of disciplines: agricultural engineering, agribusiness, entomology, food safety, horticulture (vegetable production), plant pathology, postharvest physiology, soil science, and weed science. This handbook comprises up-to-the-minute information from research and Extension projects conducted throughout the southeastern United States. The key idea behind this handbook is to provide you with a practical resource that conveniently fits on your dashboard. It contains the information that you need to manage your vegetable crops, including which varieties to plant, planting dates, fertilizer recommendations, cover crop selection and conservation tillage options, pesticide selection, grafting, fertigation, plasticulture, postharvest handling, alternative pest management tools, and suggestions, as well as many other topics.

Hemp is a new crop to Virginia agriculture and available information about pest management and general crop production is lacking. This guide compiles the current known information about pest (insect and mite, disease and pathogen, and weed) management and crop production for hemp grown in Virginia. This is a first version and updates will occur in the future.

For small fruit growers, weed management is one of the greatest challenges they will face to successfully grow these crops. Factors such as climate, new weed species, weed species shifts, and years of agricultural activity have come together to select for weed species that are aggressive and persistent. Without management, weeds compete with crops for light, nutrients, and water, resulting in reduced vegetative growth of the crop plant, poor fruit quality and lower yield. Stressed crops are also more susceptible to disease and insect infestations, while excessive weed growth itself creates higher humidity in the crop foliage, enhancing disease spread and inviting unwanted insects. Weed management principles for the perennial small fruit crops are similar, with the exception of strawberries in the annual system. Grapes, brambles, blueberries and matted row strawberries are considered permanent plantings in which weed management must be addressed throughout the life of the planting. When compared to annual crops, perennial culture is a greater challenge, as weeds need to be managed through all seasons and perennial weed species increase in numbers and diversity. Understanding seasonal weed thresholds, and integrating cultural and chemical management becomes even more important in the year-round culture.

Combine harvesters can disperse weed seed, spreading them within a field and from field to field. Harvest Weed Seed Control (HWSC) is a method of weed control that concentrates, removes, or kills weed seeds that are retained on weed plants at the time of crop harvest. HWSC can be used to reduce the soil seedbank and thus future weed problems. It can also aid in herbicide resistance management, by killing or removing seeds produced by weeds that have escaped herbicidal control. This publication overviews current options to adopt HWSC and research results from Virginia.

This publication provides information on giant hogweed identification, including how to distinguish between look alike species, and what to do if you think you have found giant hogweed.

This publication reviews options for controlling common grassy weeds in grass forages including chemical and cultural management options. Specific weeds are discussed in detail including johnsongrass, Japanese stiltgrass, broomsedge, and foxtail species.