Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Agronomic: barley, canola, corn, cotton, cover crops, grass (misc. perennial), grass (turfgrass, sod), hay, medics/alfalfa, oats, peanuts, peas (field, cowpeas), potatoes, rice, rye, small grain, sorghum (milo), sorghum sudangrass, soybeans, sugarbeets, sunflower, triticale, wheat

• Natural Areas: other

Target Pests

Practices

• Pest Management: allelopathy, biological control, chemical control, competition, cultivation, cultural control, exclusion, flame, genetic resistance, habitat modification, mechanical control, monitoring/scouting, pesticide application timing, pesticide resistance management, pesticides, precision pesticide use, prevention, sanitation, weather monitoring, weed ecology

• Crop Production: application rate management, conservation tillage, continuous cropping, cover crops, crop rotation, cropping systems, double cropping, fallow, intercropping, no-till, strip tillage

• Production Systems: agroecosystems

Herbicide-resistant weeds are a growing threat to crop production and sustainability, with 237 confirmed cases in the North Central IPM Center region, including populations resistant to multiple herbicide groups. This trend underscores the urgent need for integrated weed management (IWM). Unfortunately, many farmers still believe new herbicides will solve the problem, creating a disconnect between research-based recommendations and real-world practices. To bridge this gap, extension specialists must adopt modern communication tools that meet changing audience preferences. Podcasts, such as War Against Weeds, offer an effective, accessible platform for delivering timely, science-based information.

Our project builds on the current success of the War Against Weeds podcast to share practical weed management strategies.  The podcast features expert interviews, covers topics like herbicide resistance and innovative technologies, and has reached over 73,500 downloads globally. Building on this success, we will enhance engagement, visibility, and listener insights through three strategies: soliciting topic ideas and listener questions via social media and email; strengthening our presence on YouTube with full episodes and short highlight videos, developing a robust website for easier access to episodes and resources, and using QR codes for targeted promotion; and conducting a comprehensive survey to better understand audience needs and improve content delivery.

The project aims to produce 30 new podcast episodes, including listener-suggested topics, and create 30 short videos summarizing key points for social media and YouTube. We will launch a new website to organize episodes and provide supplemental resources, offer quizzes for Certified Crop Advisor continuing education credits, and implement a listener survey to evaluate knowledge gains and practice changes.

In the short term, listeners will gain a clearer understanding of herbicide resistance and the importance of integrated weed management. Medium-term outcomes include greater adoption of IWM practices, reducing reliance on chemical solutions and slowing resistance development. Long-term, these changes will enhance economic and environmental sustainability across cropping systems in the NCIPMC region and beyond. Survey data already show that 25–26% of listeners have changed weed management practices based on podcast content, with another 26–31% considering changes. By expanding reach and improving accessibility, this project will amplify those impacts, fostering informed decision-making and resilience in agricultural systems.

Provide weed management information in an accessible and enjoyable format to a diverse audience.