Rough pigweed contained adequate minerals to meet the requirements of ruminants. However, it must be utilized at relatively early stages of maturity. Nitrate concentration, which has been implicated in livestock poisoning, is highest in rough pigweed just before bloom. Young leaves of rough pigweed are used as salad greens when the plant is only a few inches tall, before the stem becomes woody. Fresh young plants can also be used as a potherb.
Seeds are edible whole or ground into meal.
A survey of weeds in spring annual crops throughout Manitoba over a 4-year period showed 83 weed species. Cultivation reduces longevity of rough pigweed seed, apparently by increasing soil aeration, exposing the seeds to light, and generally improving conditions for germination. Rough pigweed showed no establishment in intact prairie vegetation in an Illinois study. It did, however, establish in gaps in prairie vegetation. An investigation was conducted in Nebraska as to the effect of cattle grazing in controlling rough pigweed and other weeds in seeded grassland.