Having a clean seedbed and applying herbicides after planting are standard steps in keep new Conservation Reserve Program ground weed-free.

But there are two other steps to take that can help improve weed control, says Paul O. Johnson, South Dakota State University Extension weed specialist.

1. Buy clean seed. Buying clean seed is also very important to ensure that no new weeds are being introduced, thus creating a new problem. Read the seed tag closely to see what is present in the bag.

2. Identify weed seeds present in the CRP seed lot. Some seed tags may list a percentage of other weed seed. If weed seed is identified, you may want to request additional analysis. Common annual weeds that you already have may not pose a big problem, but noxious weeds are another story.

Though most labs can’t tell the difference between Palmer amaranth, other pigweed and waterhemp seed, some (such as the SDSU Seed Testing Lab) can tell you if the amaranth species is present in a seed lot. If amaranth species are present you may want to consider another seed source. The cost for the test at the SDSU Seed Lab is about $20.

Source: SDSU