Agriculture: Alfalfa Pest Management Guidelines

Summer Annual Weeds at Planting

Names link to more information of identification and biology.

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Barnyardgrass
Barnyardgrass
(Echinochloa crus-galli): Grass family; perennial; first leaves with somewhat rough surface; ligule surrounded by ring of hairs with tuft of long hairs on either side; auricles absent; stem flat, wiry, and without hairs.

Common lambsquarters
Common lambsquarters
(Chenopodium album): Goosefoot family; summer annual; seed leaves are narrow, with nearly parallel sides; seed leaves and early true leaves dull blue-green above and often purple below.

Yellow  foxtail
Yellow foxtail
(Setaria pumila): Grass family; summer annual; first blade linear, roughly 7 times longer than wide and opens almost parallel to ground; leaves rolled in bud; ligule—fringe of hairs; no auricles; no hairs on leaf-sheath margin below collar; leaf blades of young seedlings smooth on lower surface, with long hairs on basal area of upper surface; margins smooth or slightly rough.

Yellow starthistle
Yellow starthistle
(Centaurea solstitialis): Aster family; winter annual; seedlings are dull green; seed leaves are oblong, round at the tip, with smooth edges; first true leaves are longer and narrower with short, white hairs on the upper surface.

Text Updated: 11/06
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