As fall harvest begins, maintain strong weed-control practices: a few seed-producing plants can add massive numbers of seeds to the soil, and some seeds may remain viable for decades. Key introduction pathways include manure, bedding, hay/straw, contaminated seed and unclean equipment. Seeds may be viable two to three weeks after flowering, so remove escapes before seed set—hand removal or physical control is often necessary. Also announced: the Ohio State Organic Grains Conference, Jan. 7–8, 2026, with registration details at go.osu.edu/OrganicGrains.
Don’t Let Fall Harvest Let Weeds Win: Prevention Tips & Organic Grains Conference Registration
As fall harvest begins, maintain strong weed-control practices: a few seed-producing plants can add massive numbers of seeds to the soil, and some seeds may remain viable for decades. Key introduction pathways include manure, bedding, hay/straw, contaminated seed and unclean equipment. Seeds may be viable two to three weeks after flowering, so remove escapes before seed set—hand removal or physical control is often necessary. Also announced: the Ohio State Organic Grains Conference, Jan. 7–8, 2026, with registration details at go.osu.edu/OrganicGrains.
10:30 PM, 11/11/2025Environment
Keep Weed Control a Priority During Fall Harvest
Harvest demands time and attention, but maintaining weed control through the fall is critical. Letting your guard down now can allow persistent weeds to carry over into the next season or enable new species to become recurring problems.
Small numbers of seeding plants create big problems. A few plants that go to seed can add hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of seeds to the soil seed bank. Depending on the species, seeds may remain viable for several years — and in extreme cases for three to four decades.
Emily Unglesbee of the G.R.O.W. Network (Get Rid Of Weeds) highlights these risks and recommends using the network’s weed-seed prevention tool (growiwm.org/prevention). The tool includes scenarios for both crop and livestock producers so farmers can evaluate their operations, identify strengths, and find simple, practical changes to reduce seed introduction.
Common pathways for introducing weed seeds
- Manure and bedding: Weed seeds are commonly spread through manure and can remain in manure spreaders.
- Hay and straw bales: Viable seeds often survive in baled materials.
- Equipment: Seeds cling to mowers, combines and other implements; failing to clean equipment between fields spreads seeds.
- Purchased seed: Contaminated crop seed can introduce weeds.
- Natural vectors: Wildlife, wind, and unmanaged ditches, waterways and rights-of-way move seed across the landscape.
Prevention and effective responses
The goal of integrated weed management is to prevent weeds from producing seed and to stop viable seed from entering the soil seed bank. Whenever possible, eliminate escapes before they set seed. Remember that seeds can become viable within two to three weeks after flowering, so early detection and action matter.
If you discover plants already bearing viable seed, hand removal is the most reliable way to prevent further seed deposition. Once a weed is flowering and setting seed, tillage is often ineffective; at that stage, consider mowing, hand pulling, electrical removal, or other direct physical methods.
Routine practices that reduce seed spread include cleaning equipment between fields, inspecting and sourcing clean manure and bedding, checking hay/straw for contamination, and managing field margins and waterways to limit seed movement. Although these measures can be time-consuming, consistent small actions can greatly reduce long-term weed pressure.
Registration Open: 2026 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference
The fourth annual Ohio State Organic Grains Conference will be held January 7–8, 2026, at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio. The event is designed for experienced organic growers, those transitioning to organic, and the consultants and educators who support them.
Featured speakers include Willie Hughes (W. Hughes Farm, Janesville, WI), Dr. Matt Ryan (Cornell University), Dr. Aaron Wilson (Ohio State climate and agricultural weather specialist), and Nate Powell-Palm (Organic Agronomy Training Service, OATS). The two-day program will include panels and presentations covering agronomic and management topics for organic grain systems.
The conference is presented by Ohio State University Extension’s Farm Office and the Organic Food & Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program, with planning input from land-grant staff, researchers and organic farmers from Ohio and neighboring states.
Registration: Pre-registration is $140 per person through Dec. 5; $175 from Dec. 6 through Dec. 26. Attendees may also pay at the door for an additional fee. Continuing education credits will be available for Certified Crop Advisors. For details and registration, visit go.osu.edu/OrganicGrains.
Contact: Frank Becker, Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension – Wayne County, Certified Crop Adviser. Phone: 330-264-8722. Email: becker.587@osu.edu.
CFAES provides research and related educational programs on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu.