Have you listened to a Growing the Valley podcast? Here are a couple you might want to check out.

Old and New Perennial Weeds with Dr. Brad Hanson

In this short episode, Phoebe Gordon chats with Dr. Brad Hanson, Weed Specialist with UC Davis. They talk about perennial weed management, as well as two species that have recently become problematic in orchard crops: alkaliweed and threespike goosegrass. We don't know a...

Weeds compete with crops for light, water, and nutrients, which can result in yield reductions. Weeds can also interfere with crop production by serving as alternate hosts for pests and pathogens, providing habitat for rodents, and impeding harvest operations, among other impacts. Natural areas can also be impacted by weed species when they reduce aesthetics and disrupt ecosystem services. As a consequence, growers and land managers employ a variety of control strategies, including the application of herbicides, to manage unwanted vegetation.

Although herbicides can be effective tools for controlling undesirable plants, failures can and do occur. Weeds may escape chemical treatments for several reasons including: the selection...

Last winter, many growers and PCAs contacted me because they were having trouble or were largely unable to control Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum) in their cereal fields.  This grass species (see Photo) is widely spread throughout the Sacramento Valley in orchard and field crops and it can be particularly problematic in winter cereals, as it can reduce yields by 80%, by competing for water and nutrients.  

Italian ryegrass is a really tough weed and the application timing is extremely important. Osprey, Simplicity and Axial are usually effective. However, all these herbicides will not work if applied when the ryegrass population in your field...