Updated 2016 Ohio, Indiana And Illinois Weed Control Guide Now Available

Jan 27, 2016

By Tracy Turner

An updated weed control guide for three Midwestern states is now available in a new publication.

The 2016 Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana and Illinois is now available for $15.25 and can be purchased at Ohio State University Extension’s eStore, estore.osu-extension.org. It includes management tips from nationally known horticulture experts, including from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University,

The guide explains the importance of weed control and gives suggestions on herbicide management strategies for corn, popcorn, sweet corn, soybeans, small grains and forages. The guide also includes special sections on marestail, which is the biggest herbicide-resistant weed problem facing Ohio farmers, and Palmer amaranth, a glyphosate-resistant weed that has the ability to destroy entire crops.

The publication includes information from Mark Loux, an Ohio State University Extension weed specialist; Doug Doohan, a weed management expert and professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, who also has an appointment with the college’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; and Anthony Dobbels, a research specialist and weed scientist also in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science.

OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.

The guide includes information on:

* Weed control principles.

* Burndown herbicide programs for corn and soybeans.

* Corn herbicide management strategies.

* Popcorn and sweet corn weed management.

* Soybean herbicide management strategies.

* Weed management strategies for wheat.

* Managing weeds in legumes.

* Management strategies for permanent grass pastures, grass hay.

* Control of problem weeds.

* Control of marestail in no-till soybeans.

* Palmer amaranth biology, identification and management.

The 218-page book also includes an index to all tables regarding herbicides listed on the back cover for easy navigation and quick referencing. The guide also lists contact information for the Ohio, Indiana and Illinois poison information centers and includes color photos.

The guide may be ordered through OSU Extension county offices or online for $15.25 plus tax and shipping through OSU Extension’s eStore at go.osu.edu/WeedControl. A PDF version of the guide is also available for $9.99.

Source: purdue.edu

Video: How to fix a leaking pond.

Does the pond leak? Ummmm....possibly a tiny bit. Well, more than a bit...ok, the darn thing leaks like a sieve!

QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Damit is not plastic. Therefore, there are no microplastics. I wish I had not mentioned plastic, but that is a very common polymer and I mentioned it as an example of a polymer. A polymer is simply a chain of repeating molecules, or "monomers." Cellulose is a polymer of glucose molecules. Starches are also polymers of various molecules such as fructose, maltose, etc. We have many polymers inside our bodies. In other words, just knowing something is a polymer doesn't make it bad, toxic, harmful, etc. However, this also doesn't mean all polymers are safe.

The specific polymer used for Damit is a trade secret, however, it has been closely scrutinized by multiple health and safety authorities. This includes the governmental authorities of Australia, the USA, Europe, and Asia. Not only have they determined that is safe to use in earthen ponds, and not harmful to fish, but it is considered safe to use in human potable water systems in all of these areas. And of course, they know the exact makeup of the polymer when making this determination. I'm told that the same polymer is in use by many municipalities to keep potable water storage tanks leak free. I can't tell you exactly what the polymer is, because I don't know, but given the confidence with which the governmental authorities have authorized its use, I would bet it is made of a monomer that we are exposed to all the time, like fructose or something.

It also breaks down in a matter of years, and does not accumulate in the environment. The end products of breaking down are CO2, water, and base minerals like potassium. The SDS reports no need for concern with ingestion, inhalation, or contact. If in eyes, rinse with water.

End result, can I say for sure that it is 100% safe? No, I don't know exactly what it is. But given people who do know exactly what it is, and have scrutinized it, have approved it for use in human potable water systems, I'm pretty comfortable putting it in an earthen pond.