- Author: Konrad Mathesius
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...
- 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...
