- Author: Konrad Mathesius
- Editor: Brad Hanson
- Editor: Mark Lundy
Summary Note
Mechanical cultivation is a useful tool in controlling herbicide-resistant Italian ryegrass individuals in a rainfed wheat system but is only about half as effective as Axial in reducing overall pressure from Italian ryegrass (expressed as a percentage of total groundcover). Growers should consider multiple approaches (chemical and mechanical) and integrate IPM strategies to reduce the spread of resistance among Italian ryegrass individuals.
Background
Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) has been shown to be a persistent weed for growers in rainfed winter grass systems. It is particularly problematic due to its...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
- Co-author: Sarah Light
Wheat season is a few months away, but after a pathogen-friendly winter, growers may want to keep an eye out for fungal diseases in the coming season. Warmer temperatures and consistent rainfall last winter created an ideal environment for diseases of winter grasses in the southern Sacramento Valley. High disease rates last year meant some depressed yields in susceptible fields and, if conditions are right, could potentially lead to greater outbreaks next year due to higher inoculum loads.
Septoria leaf blotch (also known as septoria tritici blotch, STB) is caused by the fungal...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
South Sacramento Valley Wheat and Barley Field Demonstration Day
Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
23947 Road 13, Capay, CA
8:45 a.m. Registration, Coffee, and Donuts
9:00 a.m. Italian Ryegrass: Updates on Cultivation vs Herbicide Trials: resistance and methods for control
Konrad Mathesius, UCCE Agronomy Advisor, Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano
9:15 a.m. Herbicide Programs for Barley...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
- Contributor: Cassandra Swett
- Contributor: Sarah Light
Winter temperatures this year have fluctuated from above average early in the season to slightly below average in February. Along with generally warmer temperatures, rain and humidity have been higher than average. The interplay among these factors mean that risk of stripe rust outbreaks may be greater this year than normal.
Stripe rust (caused by the fungus Puccini striiformis) is an important disease in wheat and barley (different strains for each). It is also one of the most noticeable (Image 1). Stripe rust outbreaks can lead to significant yield loss, but the presence and severity of the disease typically varies from year to year. Three factors,...
- Author: Konrad Mathesius
- Author: Lynn Sosnoskie
If growers sprayed for Italian ryegrass earlier this year, it might still be worth keeping an eye out for it in fields and field margins.
Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is an annual grass that can sometimes behave as a biennial or short-lived perennial in California. The species is an upright grass (to about 3 feet in height) that germinates in the late fall and grows vigorously through the winter and early spring. The species can be identified by its dark green, glossy and hairless leaves that are rolled in the bud. Auricles are well-developed and the ligules are long and membranous. Once flowering occurs, ryegrass is easily distinguishable by alternating spikelets that run along the length of the main...
