Corn Growers Warned To Watch For Yellow Nutsedge

Dr. Tim Waters with Washington State University-Extension is warning row crop growers to be on the lookout for Yellow Nutsedge this season. He noted they’ve already seen a lot of this difficult weed across the Columbia Basin.

“One of the places in the rotation where you can do a better job of controlling it is in corn.  So as growers are planting corn, if they have a field that has had yellow Nutsedge in it it’s a good opportunity to apply some herbicides and try to get a better handle on that weed before you go into a more susceptible crop like potato or onions or even carrots where you have fewer options to manage it.”

Waters said Yellow Nutsedge looks like a grass as it comes out of the ground with a triangular stem. Moving equipment from field to field can spread Nutsedge very easily, so if you’re borrowing equipment, make sure you know where it’s been.

“So, it’s really important if a field has history of Yellow Nutsedge, or you think it might, to clean tillage equipment or planting equipment as you go from field to field, so you don’t spread that weed.”

If you have questions about Yellow Nutsedge contact your local extension office.

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