The Palmer’s amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) has many names - carelessweed, dioecious amaranth, and Palmer’s pigweed. This invasive plant isn’t all that far removed from its native territory of southwest United States (California, New Mexico, and Texas) and Mexico. Parts (leaves, stems, and seeds) of this plant are edible by human, and they are considered a healthy, nutritious staple as long as one doesn’t have kidney issues with oxylates. Although the roots of the plant are known to have “excessive” concentrations of nitrates which is toxic to animals and humans.

While the plant is considered native to the southwestern US, it has spread through much of the US farmlands as far as Wisconsin, Florida, New York, and Massachusetts), and is considered more of a nuisance weed than an edible herbaceous flowering plant, as the plant out competes other crops since it is fast growing. Plus, it has become resistant to herbicide glyphosate, such as found in RoundUp or Monsanto, as well as other herbicides, making controlling against it difficult in crops. The spread is attributed to human activity transporting seeds.

The amount of interference p.amaranth inflicts on a crop may vary for conditions or type of crop as it competes with the other plants. It also interferes with harvest as it gets harvested in the bulkof the other crop. In a review article of the plant published for Weed Science Society of America, crops like corn, cotton, peanut, sorghum, soybean and sweet potato suffered yield loss from as little as 7% to 11% to as much as 91% to 94%.

It has been noted already that chemical control methods against this invasive plant are hindered by the plant becoming resistant to various herbicides. Physical methods are more effective, albeitmore difficult to implement. Cutting the stalk 3cm from the ground to ground level produced a 64% to 95% mortality rate in the plant, and such activity of cutting reduces the viability of the plant to reach maturity to produce seeds.