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Weeds can compete with crops for costly nutrients, Helena specialist says

A crop protection specialist with Helena says weed control and nutrient management go hand in hand.

Austin Anderson says each growing season needs a multi-pronged approach.

“From the standpoint of having different active ingredients doing different things (and) being able to rotate based on the susceptibility of weeds, but also at the same time we think about fertilizer prices as something that’s really staring us directly in the face. But the more weeds that you have out there, the less fertilizer that your crops are going to be able take up because the weeds are scavenging all that.”

Brownfield interviewed Anderson at the 2026 Farm Progress Show near Boone, Iowa Tuesday.