Menu

Grasses Weeds

Sort by:
Updated: October 14, 2025

Thinking About Spraying Weeds Before Harvest? Read This First

If you’re planning one last herbicide spray before harvest to deal with leftover weeds, you might want to reconsider. Here are five important things to keep in mind:
Close-up of fingers gently holding a tiny, spiky cluster of seeds against a blurred background.
Updated: August 11, 2025

Spring-Seeded Cereal Cover Crops for Weed Management in Plasticulture Cucurbit Production (FS-2024-0736)

Authors: Kurt Vollmer - Dwayne Joseph - Alan Leslie - Cerruti RR Hooks - Thierry Besançon

This publication will help growers understand the benefits of incorporating spring-seeded cereal cover crops into plasticulture cucurbit production systems. It provides information from two years of university research trials evaluating spring-seeded cereal cover cropping systems along with post-plant control tactics for integrated weed management in cucumber and watermelon. Throughout a growing season, between row (inter-row) cereal cover crop treatments reduced weed density and provided better weed control compared to plots without cover crops. Post-plant applications of paraquat or including a residual herbicide often provided better weed control when used alongside a cover crop. Crop yields also were higher when a cover crop was planted between cucurbit rows versus no cover crop. Authors: Kurt Vollmer, Dwayne Joseph, Alan Leslie, Cerruti Hooks, and Thierry Besançon; Title: Spring-Seeded Cereal Cover Crops for Weed Management in Plasticulture Cucurbit Production (FS-2024-0736).
Updated: November 5, 2024

Organic Weed Management in Weeds

Weed management is more challenging in organic crops and accounts for a large portion of production costs. As such, managing weeds is a major economic constraint to the organic vegetable industry, and comparisons of weed communities between conventional and organic farming systems consistently demonstrate higher weed levels in organic systems.
Updated: November 5, 2024

Know Your Foxtails (FS-2023-0658)

Authors: Dwayne Joseph - Leo Kerner

Yellow, green, and giant foxtail are the three most common weedy foxtail species in Maryland. Knowing the differences between foxtail species and look-alike grassy weeds can assist with identification, and the selection of effective weed management strategies. Title: Know Your Foxtails (FS-2023-0658); Authors: Dwayne D. Joseph, and Leo Kerner
Updated: November 5, 2024

Evaluating Biosolarization as a Weed Management Tactic in Organic Vegetables

Biosolarization, akin to solarization, is a soil disinfection technique but involves the addition of organic amendments before the passive solar heating process. As the damp soil warms, organic materials break down, releasing allelochemicals and other biotoxic compounds briefly into the soil. Read more about "Evaluating Biosolarization as a Weed management Tactic in Organic Vegetables."
Updated: November 1, 2024

Mowing: A Casually Thought of Integrated Weed Management Tool

Mowing is a relatively inexpensive mechanical weed management option that imposes minimal disturbances to the soil. Several types of commercial mowers including rotary, flail, reciprocating sicklebar and reel can be used to suppress weed growth. Still, mowing is generally not thought of as a formable integrated weed management (IWM) tool as it is not congenial to most cropping systems or all land types. For instance, having a smooth soil surface free of rocks or other obstructions is a necessity for mowing operations, and if mowing close to the ground, the soil surface should be even. Some have declared that mowing is primarily used to limit seed production and restrict unsightly weed growth in un-tilled herbaceous and woody perennial crops.
Fig. 1. Transportation maintenance specialist mowing an interstate roadside. Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation (CC).
Updated: November 1, 2024

Vinegar: An Alternative to Glyphosate?

Pros and cons of vinegar as an alternative to glyphosate
Updated: November 1, 2024

How’s That Burndown Looking?

In last month’s issue of Agronomy News, I discussed considerations for glyphosate-based burndown programs. This month I wanted to share some of my results using similar programs to manage a rye (Fig. 1) and hairy vetch (Fig. 2) cover crop. Treatments were applied on April 11, and consisted of glyphosate, glufosinate, paraquat, glyphosate + 2,4-D, glyphosate + dicamba, glyphosate + glufosinate, and glyphosate + paraquat. Currently, this is what I am seeing:
Updated: November 1, 2024

Considerations for Pre-Plant Applications-Italian Ryegrass

Controlling Italian ryegrass, the potential causes of control failures following glyphosate applications, and useful tips for managing the species.
Italian Ryegrass
Updated: November 1, 2024

Understanding Preemergence Herbicides for Common Weeds in Vegetables

Understanding Preemergence Herbicides for Common Weeds in Vegetables