James E. Tillman, Sr., Georgia state conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has announced that the NRCS will provide $150,000 in financial incentives for a project in the Ocmulgee River Soil and Water Conservation District to control glyphosate-resistant palmer amaranth, more commonly known as pigweed. 

The counties in the district are Bibb, Crawford, Dooly, Houston, Macon, Peach, Pulaski, Taylor and Wilcox.

The project is being funded via the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and is targeted to cotton farmers.

Pigweed is particularly troublesome to cotton crops. Applications must be received by March 4, 2011 to be considered for funding.

This is a partnership project among the NRCS, the Georgia Cotton Commission and the UGA-Cooperative Extension Service.

Participants will work with NRCS to design a conservation plan and agree to implement several practices that will assist with the control of the glyphosate-resistant pigweed. 

General criteria include:

• Participants must meet the regular EQIP eligibility requirements.

• Individuals, groups of landowners or non-government organizations are eligible, but must have evidence of control or ownership of land.

• Payment rate will be up to $75 per acre for two years.

• The contracts are for three years with a minimum of 100 acres of cropland owned and a maximum of $13,000 per contract.

Interested producers should contact their local USDA Service Center for additional information. More information is available at: http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov.