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FIVE ALABAMA COUNTIES TO RECEIVE HELP IN FIGHTING PIGWEED
 | | Walt Corcoran's Barbour County peanut fields are constantly competing against glyphosate-resistant pigweed for nutrients. |
AUBURN, Ala. -- With Palmer amaranth becoming an increasing nuisance for farmers in five Alabama counties, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service today announced an initiative aimed at controlling infestations of the glyphosate-resistant species of pigweed.According to State Conservationist Dr. William Puckett, the agency has allocated special funds under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to help agricultural producers to fight the weed in Barbour, Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison and Russell counties. Applications must be submitted on or before Oct. 30, to receive consideration for funding for the 2011 fiscal year. Applications received after that date will still be accepted, but will be "deferred" to the next funding cycle. "A major concern is the loss of conservation tillage acreage as producers revert to tillage to control this weed," said Puckett, noting that only a few plants can quickly spread into a major infestation. "In this initiative, we encourage the use of conservation tillage methods, integrated pest management principles and diversification of herbicide chemistries." EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who face threats to soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land. The 2008 Farm Bill authorized special emphasis funding for beginning, socially disadvantaged, and limited-resource farmers and ranchers. Applying for EQIP is continuous; however, selecting applications for funding is completed periodically through batching periods with specific cutoff dates. Interested producers should visit the nearest USDA Service Center to determine eligibility. For more information, contact the local NRCS or Farm Service Agency Office. NRCS field offices are listed in the telephone directory under U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
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