The Penn State Weed Science extension-research program focuses on developing sustainable weed management practices for Pennsylvania’s field and forage crop production systems.
Our goals are to (1) communicate BMPs for stewarding herbicide technologies; (2) develop proactive, multi-tactic weed management strategies to reduce herbicide inputs and selection pressure for herbicide resistance; and (3) evaluate weed management tactics and tradeoffs within diverse cropping systems that employ conservation tillage and intensive cover cropping practices.
Our research applies weed science, plant ecology, and agroecology principles to current weed management problems. We conduct weed control trials, manipulated field experiments, on-farm trials, and multi-disciplinary cropping systems experiments. Our research spans input systems, including both conventional and organic production practices.
Our extension program aims to (1) address grower and agricultural support industry needs by developing recommendations for specific weed control problems, and to (2) foster participatory research and co-learning opportunities with growers to develop sustainable weed management practices and address barriers to adoption.