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NEW WEED SPECIES DISCOVERED IN IOWA--ASIAN COPPERLEAF
Oct. 31, 2022
By Rhonda Brooks, Farm Journal
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| Asian copperleaf was found in an Iowa soybean field this summer. In 2016, the weed was found in an Iowa cornfield.
(Bob Hartzler, Iowa State University) |
During his career as an Extension weed scientist for Iowa State University, Bob Hartzler has seen a lot of weeds.
"After a few years in the business, you seldom encounter a weed you haven't dealt with before," he used to tell students.
This summer, a weed he first saw and identified in an Iowa cornfield in 2016 - Asian Copperleaf (Acalypha australis) - has been found in the state again. This time, the weed was found in soybeans.
"The plant is not included on the list of weeds considered a threat to the U.S., according to the Federal Noxious Weed Act. However, a USDA APHIS Report states the plant has potential to be harmful to row crops, and that the plant is adapted to survival in about 75% of the United States," Hartzler says, in the Integrated Crop Management article he wrote about the weed six years ago (see bit.ly/3FxtsJl).
It took several attempts for Hartzler to find someone who could identify the weed. He eventually shared images of the weed with a taxonomist who then sent the images to a spurge expert who was able to identify the plant.
The weed is native to China, Australia, Japan and other countries in the region.
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