A new publication from Montana State University offers research
findings about post-harvest control of kochia.
The four-page guide by James Mickelson and other MSU weed researchers
describes kochia regrowth patterns in small grain fields and gives
recommendations for controlling the weeds before they produce seed and
establish high-density kochia carpets.
Kochia plants that have been cut by a combine do not “tumble,” so they
tend to drop all their seed in one spot, producing a thick mat of
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seedlings the following spring.
The report said these dense clumps are hard to control because their
concentrated, carpet-like mass resists effective herbicide coverage.
Cool temperatures also work against herbicides applied in the spring.
MSU researchers conducted Montana trials of 14 herbicide mixtures
applied near Huntley, Fort Benton and Havre in mid-August, early
September and mid-September.
They determined that herbicide should be applied in late August or
early September, when kochia plants are actively growing and have
produced enough leaf tissue for herbicide absorption. In the trials,
some treatments reduced kochia production by as much as 99 percent.
To read Post-harvest Kochia Management in Small Grains, click on links
in the news at www.producer.com. It is also available on the MSU
website at www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt200213.html.
