I guess the nasty noxious weed Palmer Amaranth does not know it is against the law to grow in Minnesota? I guess you should not joke about Palmer Amaranth being found in Minnesota again. This time it was Winona County. It was first found in Minnesota in 2016 and now it has been confirmed in 9 Minnesota Counties. Why do we want to make sure it does not get established in Minnesota. Well, one plant can produce 100,000 to 500,000 seeds and they are resistance to many different herbicides!

It was a crop consultant that saw several plants that they thought may be Palmer Amaranth in a soybean field. It was immediately reported to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA.) MDA staff scouted the area and removed 20 plants that genetic testing confirmed were Palmer Amaranth. The site will be monitored for up to 3 years to see if there are any more Palmer Amaranth plants.

The MDA is conducting an investigation to try and learn the source of the invasive weed. The MDA is asking all farmers, agronomists and crop consultants to report any suspicious weeds to the MDA's Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or the website: arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.

More From KDHL Radio