USA
December 19, 2016

Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmerii, has recently been found as an incidental seed in Revegetation and Rangeland kinds in Iowa and Minnesota. This is an annual plant native to the southern United States. It is undesirable and considered a noxious weed in Ohio and Minnesota.

The seed is visually indistinguishable from many other Amaranthusspecies, which causes concern for identification. Due to this we advise extreme caution when reporting Amaranthus species.  Seed analysts must take into consideration if possible the location of production, any available field inspection information, state where seed was produced, type of crop, etcetera when making species determination for Amaranthuscontaminants. If the laboratory has no access to this type of information and it is impossible for the laboratory to definitively determine if theAmaranthus in question is or is not Amaranthus palmerii, it is imperative that any Amaranthus be listed as Amaranthus sp. and classified as noxious on a Report of Analysis when reporting an All States Noxious Weed Test. A disclaimer stating that the species cannot be determined and may be Amaranthus palmerii should be included with this.  Inaccurate identification of Amaranthus sp. on a Report of Analysis may cause stop sales and further action by regulatory officials.

Efforts are being made to find a marker for PCR testing to identifyAmaranthus palmerii when found as a contaminant. However, this will take time. We direct you to report identification as described above to further prevent the spread of this undesirable weed.

SCST Executive Board

Website: http://www.aosaseed.com/

Published: December 19, 2016