Rate My Professor Kevin Bradley

Kevin Bradley is a Professor and State Extension Weed Scientist in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science from Virginia Tech and a B.S. in Agriculture from Ferrum College. As Education Director for Extension Plant Science and Technology, Bradley's research and extension programs address critical challenges in weed management for corn, soybean, wheat, and forage crops. His work focuses on developing new techniques to prevent and manage herbicide-resistant weeds, examining herbicide-weed interactions with other agrochemicals, pests, and the environment, and assessing the effects of pasture weeds on hayland and pasture productivity.

Bradley teaches PLNT_SCI 8420: Herbicide Mode of Action and Symptomology and is currently accepting graduate students. He directs the Mizzou Weed Science program, mentoring a team including research associates and M.S. students. His scholarly contributions include the highly cited paper "Reducing the risks of herbicide resistance: best management practices and recommendations" (Weed Science, 2012, 1526 citations), foundational research on glyphosate and multiple herbicide resistance in Missouri waterhemp populations (Weed Science, 2008), influences of synthetic auxin herbicides on soybeans (Weed Technology, 2014), seed dynamics of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth (Weed Technology, 2016), and reviews on off-target pesticide movement (Weed Technology, 2021). Bradley has produced extensive extension materials, such as the 2025 Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri Weed Control Guide; guides on waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, horseweed, giant ragweed, and other resistant weeds in soybeans; Missouri Weed Seeds; and Weed and Brush Control for Forages, Pastures, and Noncropland. These resources significantly impact agricultural practices by providing practical, science-based recommendations for effective weed control and resistance management in the Midwest.