When weeds invade your field, pasture, garden or lawn, you want to use the right
weapon for fighting back.
“Proper identification of weeds is important so that you choose an
appropriate and cost-effective method of control,” said Kevin Bradley,
University of Missouri Extension weed scientist.
There are hundreds of common weed species in Missouri, but an online tool
from the MU Weed Science program can help you narrow your list of
suspects.
The MU Weed ID Guide—available in desktop and mobile versions at weedID.missouri.edu and
weedID.missouri.edu/mobile—has information on more than 400
plant species that can show up as weeds of field and horticultural crops,
pastures, lawns, gardens, and noncrop or aquatic areas in Missouri and
surrounding states, Bradley said.
“The website has a keying system that allows users to identify an unknown
plant after they have selected the appropriate characteristics from a series of
drop-down boxes,” he said.
Pop-up illustrations help the user identify more obscure characteristics
such as the presence of ligules, auricles and petioles.
“If you have some idea as to what your weed species might be, you can
simply type all or part of the common or scientific name into the appropriate
text box,” Bradley said.
Once you’ve narrowed the possibilities to a reasonable number of
candidates, the site will display the names and photos of weeds that match the
characteristics you selected, with links to more information about each
plant.
Bradley said an improved mobile version of the website is in the works that
will better match the usability of apps for smartphones and tablet
computers.
MU Extension publications on weed management
Lawn and garden: www.extension.missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory.aspx?C=70.
Farms and fields: www.extension.missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory.aspx?C=57.
MU Extension Plant Protection Programs: ppp.missouri.edu.
MU Weed Science: weedscience.missouri.edu.
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