Bill to curb invasion of 'super weed' on Iowa farms gets state Senate OK

Palmer amaranth, a so-called "super weed" from southern states that has been invading Iowa farmland, would be declared a noxious weed and eradication efforts would be authorized under a bill approved Wednesday by the Iowa Senate.  House File 410, which was managed by Republican Sen. Dan Zumbach, a grain farmer from Ryan in northeast Iowa, passed on a  50-0 vote. But the bill must return to the Iowa House for reconsideration because it was amended by the Senate.Palmer amaranth is a species of edible flowering plant that is aggressive and invasive, crowding out corn, soybeans, and other cash crops. The plant which can grow to 7-feet tall, has been found in at least 49 Iowa counties.Farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and some other Midwestern states have learned that the native grasses and prairies planted to help butterflies and other pollinators inadvertently have spread the noxious weed. It has overrun and choked fields across the southern United States, where it has proved resistant to several herbicides, including widely used glyphosate.