Eleusine indica

Crow's foot grass (Eleusine indica) is a plant widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, known for its competitiveness in various crops and its increasing resistance to herbicides.

Common names

• Crow's Foot Grass

• Goosegrass, yard-grass, wiregrass, crowfootgrass (English)

• Eleusine

Infested crops

Goosegrass is a growing problem in cotton, soybean and corn crops.

These crops are often affected due to plant resistance to the most commonly used herbicides.

Biology

• Classification: monocotyledonous plant, of the Poaceae family.

• Origin: native to Africa and Asia, with a worldwide presence in tropical and subtropical regions.

• Life cycle: annual, reproduction by seeds (average of 40 thousand seeds per plant).

• Height: between 30 and 70 cm.

• Characteristics: C4 type photosynthesis, caespitose and erect or semi-prostrate plant.

Development conditions

• Soil: undemanding, tolerates compacted soils and varied pH.

• Climate: performs well in hot climates and is often found in tropical and subtropical areas.

• Competitiveness: stands out in poor soils, being one of the main competitors in large-scale crops.

Control

The increasing resistance of goosegrass to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides and, in some cases, glyphosate, requires integrated management approaches:

• Prevention and monitoring: use of monitoring practices to identify resistant biotypes. And implementation of crop rotation and alternation of herbicides with different mechanisms of action.

• Pre-emergent herbicides: include active ingredients such as trifluralin, clomazone and s-metolachlor, which act preventively.

• Post-emergent herbicides: glyphosate, still effective in many cases, can be combined with other herbicides to improve control.

• Cultural practices: sowing in infestation-free areas. And sequential desiccation to reduce the emergence of new weeds.

• Integrated management: use of manual or mechanical weeding in cases of herbicide failure. And adoption of long-term strategies to avoid the selection of resistant biotypes.

To learn more about Eleusine indica, click on:

• Resistance management of the weed goosefoot

• MT Foundation provides guidance on management of crow's foot grass

• Use of pre-emergent herbicides requires attention to specificities

To find out which pesticides are registered for control, click on:

• Pesticides against Eleusine indica