By Tracy Turner
Weed scientists in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University have developed several digital weed identification and management guides for growers and are now offering them on both Android and Apple operating platforms.
The guides, written by members of the Ohio State University Weed Team, help growers identify weeds in order to manage them before they take over their fields, said Mark Loux, an Ohio State University Extension weed specialist. OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of the college.
“The guides were adapted to be added to the Android platform after we heard from farmers that they wanted to have both options,” Loux said. “The Noxious Weeds of Ohio guide was also updated with more photos and descriptions of an expanded Ohio noxious weed list.”
The publications are:
* The 2015 Ohio State University Guide to Weed Identification, available as an iBook that can be downloaded for $9.99 through Ohio State’s Digital Bookstore at digitalbookstore.osu.edu/book/ohio-state-university-guide-weed-identification. It can be downloaded for $9.99 through the Google Play store at: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Bruce_Ackley_The_Ohio_State_Univ ersity_Guide_to_We?id=3ZBqCwAAQBAJ&hl=en
The guide is an excellent tool for growers, presented in a digital format that offers pictures of various weed species at different stages of maturity and 360-degree movies for most species, said Bruce Ackley, an OSU Extension program specialist in weed science.
The 205-page guide also provides information on the basic principles of weed identification, he said. It describes 29 families and 85 species of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Plant descriptions include key identification characteristics, Ackley said.
* The Principles of Weed Ecology and Management guide can be downloaded for $4.99 via iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/principles-weed-ecology- management/id953632085?mt=11 and on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Bruce_Ackley_Principles_of_Weed_Ec ology_and_Manage?id=l2xNCwAAQBAJ&hl=en. It is also used as a lab manual for the weed science course at Ohio State, Loux said.
The guide provides information on the basic principles of weed science and describes 46 families and 100 species of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Plant descriptions include key identification characteristics, pictures of the various species at different stages of maturity, and 360-degree movies for most species. This book includes a number of the most common Midwestern U.S. weeds and how to identify them.
* The Identifying Noxious Weeds of Ohio guide can be downloaded for free on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/identifying-noxious- weeds/id1018434281?ls=1&mt=13 and on Google Play at https://books.google.com/books/about?id=79iECwAAQBAJ.
This updated guide provides technical descriptions and photos for Ohio’s 21 invasive and noxious weed species, including information on habitat, life cycle, key plant characteristics, and a summary of problematic features. The guide also includes photos of weed species at different stages of maturity for optimal identification aid. It also provides information on Ohio’s noxious seed law, Extension guides to weed control, and a quick guide to weed regulations in Ohio law, Loux said.