Goosegrass

Scientific name: Eleusine indica
Synonym: Bullgrass, Crow's foot grass, Goosefoot, Indian goose grass, Silver crabgrass, Wire grass



Photo courtesy of Dan Tenaglia
Missouriplants.com

Habitat

Cultivated and uncultivated areas

Affected crops

Corn, upland rice, sweet potato, cassava, sugarcane, cotton, vegetables, soybean and other legumes, and other crops

Distribution

Worldwide

Description

The stem is erect, flattened, and branching, with smooth few long hairs along the edges. It is whitish or pale-green in color. The leaves are smooth and dark-green with laterally flattened or folded blades. Mature leaves are very difficult to cut unless with very sharp farm implements. The flower head is windmill-like. The flowers are composed of 2 -10 flattened, finger-like spikes that look like a zipper, which emerge from a common point. The roots are strong and can easily grow in compacted soil. The weed is propagated by seeds and flowers the whole time. Each plant can produce up to 40,000 seeds.

Effects and impacts

Goosegrass can reduce yields for it competes with the main crop for water, nutrient, and sunlight uptake. It is an alternate host for tungro, ragged stunt, and rice yellow mottle diseases and for numerous insect pests like; aphids, armyworm, cutworm, hairy caterpillar, leaf folders, leafhoppers, mealybugs, plant hoppers, rice bugs, among others. Once established, this weed is difficult to eradicate (Rice IPM, 2001).

The weed, as studies show, is found to be resistant to Paraquat on vegetables; Tluazifop-p-butyl and Glyphosate in orchards; and Fluazifop-p-butyl and Propaquizafop on croplands and vegetables in some parts of Malaysia (Weed Science, 2005).

Methods of control

1. Proper seed selection
2. Cutting the weeds (using sharp-bladed farm implements) before flowering, can reduce their population.
3. Hand weeding of seedlings- it is difficult to do handweeding once the plant is mature and well-established due to its rough root system.
4. Mulching (2-3 inches layer mulch) prevents the seeds from germinating. Germination occurs mainly on the soil surface. Seeds rarely germinate deeper than 8 cm.
5. Proper plowing and harrowing before planting
6. Regular field monitoring

External links

• TAMU. Goosegrass. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/publications/weed13.html
• FAO. Eleusine indica. http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/GBASE/DATA/PF000236.HTM
• Virginia Tech. Goosegrass. http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/elein.htm
• UC IPM. Identification of grasses. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/FIG/weed_grass.html
• Dan Tenaglia. Missouriplants. http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenalt/Amaranthus_hybridus_page.html

References

• CABI. (2001): Crop protection compendium. Global module, 3rd edition. CAB International Publishing. Wallingford, UK.
• CABI. (2000): Crop protection compendium. Global module, 2nd edition. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.
• IRRI & Queensland University. (2001): Rice IPM. An interactive information and identification system for integrated pest management in rice. University of Queensland and IRRI.
• Moody, K.; Munroe, C.; Lubigan, R.; Paller , E. (1984): Major weeds of the Philippines. University of the Philippines, Los Baños. Laguna, Philippines.
• Reissig, W.; Heinrichs, E.; Litsinger, J.; Moody, K.; Fiedler, L.; Mew, T.; Barrion, A. (1986): Illustrated guide to integrated pest management in rice in tropical Asia. IRRI. Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines.