Commissioners decide to leave Bindweed off the noxious weed list - for now

Rick Wangler, Kimball County Weed Superintendent, came before the Kimball Board of Commissioners on Thursday, July 6, to discuss the effects of Bindweed throughout the county.

Placing Bindweed back on the noxious weed list in Kimball County was a matter addressed at an earlier meeting and it became clear that few would agree on the same solution.

Whether the weed was replaced on the list, Wangler agreed with the board to continue spraying it as often as possible to maintain control. This practice could continue through the remainder of this year and next year as well, at which point the matter can be revisited.

If Bindweed is to be put back on the list the county would have to budget for its control and could potentially need a second sprayer to keep up with its prolific spread.

Currently, Wangler reported that he has enough chemical on hand for the year to spray Bindweed where it is growing.

He further reported that the weed is not taking over all parts of the county, it is mainly south of Kimball, specifically from County Road 16 to the Colorado border.

Commissioners agreed to allow Wangler to continue treating the weed as he finds it, and directed him to schedule spraying the weed prior to any grading done on effected county roads to control the spread of the weed.

Much like Bindweed, Ragweed is growing quickly on some roads and in certain spots, and though he is treating it, Wangler said it is nothing to be concerned about.

Currently Wangler is using MileStone to spray. He said, “It is very expensive but it goes a lot further because of the ratio you need to use.”

According to Underwood Gardens, Bindweed competes very aggressively with adjacent crops for nutrients, light and water, this can reduce crop yield and quality and also interfere with harvesting as it intertwines with the crop plants and can clog up farm equipment.

Bindweed could potentially reduce grain crop yields by 20 to 50 percent and row or vegetable crops anywhere from 50 to 80 percent.

For those concerned about Bindweed in town, home gardens can see a very similar crop reduction as well.

Bindweed, as well as some of its cousins, is fairly easy to identify. It is similar in appearance to morning glory, as they are a part of the same family.

Bindweed has narrower leaves and smaller flowers than Morning Glory, with arrowhead shaped leaves on vine stems. The flowers come in colors from white to pink and produce one to four seeds. The seed could potentially survive up to 50 years in some soil.