Collaboration and research bring in herbicide to control Palmer Amaranth in sugar beet acres 

By Chabella Guzman

PREEC Communications / Dr. Nevin Lawrence, Nebraska Extension Weed Management Specialist

In 2019, Western Sugar Cooperative knew it had a problem when the herbicide-resistant weed Palmer amaranth became more common within its 135,000-acre sugar beet crop.

“Palmer amaranth can seed and begin to grow in under two weeks and grow two inches a day,” said Rebecca Larsen, Western Sugar's chief scientist. “It’s competitive and can crowd out the sugar beet plant before it can get established.”

Palmer Amaranth is a veritable weed powerhouse producing thousands of seeds per plant. It g...