DES MOINES – A weed first found in Black Hawk County in 2016 has once more been noticed in 2022, practically 30 miles away in Grundy County. On account of its potential risk to row crops, the Iowa Division of Agriculture is asking Iowans to report any sightings to find out the potential scale of the infestation.

Asian copperleaf (Acalypha australis) is native to China, Australia, Japan, and different nations within the area and was first found in Iowa in a corn discipline close to Cedar Falls. Previous to this discovery in 2016, the one documented infestation in North America was inside New York Metropolis. The plant was just lately present in a soybean discipline in Grundy County, practically 30 miles from the unique infestation. In each fields, a number of dense patches of the weed have been current all through the sphere, indicating the weed was within the discipline for a number of years earlier than being recognized. It’s unknown how the plant was launched to Iowa, however it’s seemingly the 2 reported infestations are associated. The plant is a risk to row crops in its native vary.

Identification

Asian copperleaf is within the spurge household however lacks milky sap widespread in lots of spurges. It’s an erect plant that may attain heights of 2-3 ft, however most vegetation present in Iowa have been lower than 18″ in top. Leaves are 2-3″ lengthy, lanceolate with serrated (finely toothed) edges. The distinguishing attribute of Asian copperleaf are the bracts positioned beneath the flowers. The bracts are round to heart-shaped with a dentate margin. Virginia copperleaf and three-seeded mercury, two different Acalypha species current in Iowa with the same progress behavior, have deeply-lobed bracts. It’s unlikely that anybody may confidently differentiate between these species previous to flowering. Asian copperleaf appears to emerge late within the season and stays underneath the crop cover all through the rising season.

Requested motion

The Iowa Division of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa State College are fascinated about figuring out how widespread the weed is throughout the state. By figuring out how a lot space is infested with this weed, a greater estimate of the danger it poses to Iowa crop manufacturing could be made. Asian copperleaf was detected in each fields throughout crop harvest. Thus, the Iowa Division of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is requesting that farmers and others within the agricultural business hold a watch out for this plant as fields are harvested.

For those who detect the plant, please contact the Iowa Division of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at 515-725-1470 or e-mail entomology@iowaagriculture.gov.