Country Selector
Please enter a valid location
Seven Yield-Robbing Weeds of 2025 How to Defend Against Them in 2026
In 2025, farmers faced a familiar, but intensifying, battle against weeds. Resistant broadleaf weeds such as Palmer amaranth, marestail and giant ragweed continued to test management strategies. In the coming year, a range of herbicide and trait technologies will be available to help farmers regain the upper hand. By layering residuals with multiple modes of action (MOA), farmers can stay ahead of evolving resistance and maintain stronger post-emergent control.
Weed Science Society of America data highlight several weeds that were the most troublesome in 2025. In preparing for the coming year, we’ll look at seven of these agronomic threats — what makes them so problematic and management practices worth exploring.
Control options to consider
Corteva has a full portfolio of herbicides to help farmers tackle the toughest of weeds, and the above are no exception. From waterhemp to kochia, these herbicides are equipped to bring the fight to a range of broadleaf pests:
CLEAN START
The best defense is a good offense. For both corn and soybeans with the Enlist® trait, Enlist One® and Enlist Duo® herbicides with Colex-D® technology can both be part of an effective start to the season when used for burndown. For soybeans, both Enlist One herbicide and Enlist Duo herbicide can be applied up through the R1 growth stage. For corn, both herbicides can be applied up to V8 growth stage or 30 inches tall and can be applied with drop nozzles from 30 inches to 48 inches tall.
Farmers will likely continue to battle these troublesome weeds in 2026, but they are not without powerful tools. The Corteva herbicide portfolio paired with its Enlist® traits provides layered, multi-MOA strategies designed to deliver season-long control and help extend the life of existing chemistries. By combining residuals with trait-enabled post-emergent herbicide applications, farmers can stay ahead of resistance and protect yields against even the most aggressive weeds. These solutions position farmers to move into the new season with confidence.
1 Tim Seipel and Lovreet Shergill, “Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus): Biology, Identification, and Management,” MontGuides, June 2022, https://apps.msuextension.org/montguide/guide.html?sku=MT202211AG.
2 Bob Hartzler, “Palmer amaranth: ID, Biology and Management,” Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, July 7, 2025, https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/palmer-amaranth-id-biology-and-management.
3 Kevin Bradley and Mandy Bish, “Morningglory Management in Soybeans,” United Soybean Board, 2016, https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/Pub/pdf/miscpubs/mx1131.pdf.
4 Nick Arneson, et al., “Ragweed (Giant),” GROW, accessed December 5, 2025, https://growiwm.org/weeds/giant-ragweed/.
5 Eugene Law, “Lambsquarters (Common),” GROW, last updated January 2022, https://growiwm.org/weeds/common-lambsquarters-2/#.
6 United Soybean Board, “Kochia,” I Will Take Action, accessed December 5, 2025, https://iwilltakeaction.com/weeds/identification/kochia/.
The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. POWERCORE® is a registered trademark of Bayer Group. POWERCORE® multi-event technology developed by Corteva Agriscience and Monsanto. LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of BASF. ®Roundup and Roundup Ready are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. Always follow IRM, grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your seed representative for the registration status in your state. Following burndown, Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® herbicides with Colex-D® technology are the only herbicides containing 2,4-D that are authorized for preemergence and postemergence use with Enlist® crops. Consult Enlist® herbicide labels for weed species controlled. Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides are not registered for use or sale in all states and counties; are not registered in AK, CA, CT, HI, ID, MA, ME, MT, NH, NV, OR, RI, UT, VT, WA and WY; and have additional subcounty restrictions in AL, GA, TN and TX, while existing county restrictions still remain in FL. All users must check “Bulletins Live! Two” no earlier than six months before using Enlist One or Enlist Duo. To obtain “Bulletins,” consult epa. gov/espp/, call 1-844-447-3813, or email ESPP@epa.gov. You must use the “Bulletin” valid for the month and state and county in which Enlist One or Enlist Duo are being applied. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you have questions about the registration status of Enlist® herbicides in your area. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO USE ANY PESTICIDE PRODUCT OTHER THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS LABELING. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. USE OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, 2,4-D-CONTAINING PRODUCTS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITH ENLIST CROPS, MAY RESULT IN OFF-TARGET DAMAGE TO SENSITIVE CROPS/AREAS AND/OR SUSCEPTIBLE PLANTS, IN ADDITION TO CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. Additional product-specific stewardship requirements for Enlist crops, including the Enlist Product Use Guide, can be found at www.traitstewardship.com. Elevore®, Enversa™, EverpreX®, Kyber® Pro, Kyro®, Resicore® REV, Sonic®, Sonic® Boom, SureStart® II and Trivence® are not registered for sale or use in all states. Enversa, Kyro, Resicore REV and SureStart II are not available for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the state of New York. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. © 2026 Corteva. 034050 LC (1/26)
