Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) P. Beauv. - POACEAE - Monocotyledon

Common name : Common barnyardgrass
Common name in Bengali : Barashyamaghas, dalghash, gobra, jatghasha, shama
Common name in Hindi : Kayada, sawank
Common name in Urdu : Dhiddan

Habit - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Inflorescence - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Panicles erect  - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Detail of panicle - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Node - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad  Leaf blade and leaf sheath jonction - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Leaf blade with few hairs at the base - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Base of the stems - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Roots - © Juliana PROSPERI - Cirad Botanical line drawing - © -

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Diagnostic characters Biology Ecology and distribution Nuisance Weed control Botany Uses/Remark References

Diagnostic characters :

Echinochloa crusgalli is the most widespread weed of rice throughout South and Southeast Asia. It is an annual grass, robust and tufted, erect or decumbent, often rooting and branching at nodes, near the base of the plant. It can grow up to 1 m high. The whole of the plant is glabrous and green slightly bluish. The leaves 1.5cm wide has frequently their margin slightly wavy. The inflorescences erect spread out over the last leaves, there are green or purpled-tinged having 5 to 50cm long. The absence of ligule and the numerous inflorescences that are spreading, ascending, or branched are distinguishing characteristics of E. crusgalli.

Biology :

E. crusgalli takes 42-64 days to complete its life cycle. It reproduces and spreads by seeds that are often mixed with rice seed. The seed production can vary from 2000 to 40000 per plant. Some seeds germinate immediately after harvest, while others remain dormant for 4 to 48 months. Photoperiod influences the number of dormant seeds and the intensity of dormancy. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Ecology and distribution :

E. crusgalli is the most cosmopolitan and economically important member of the genus Echinochloa. It is the most widespread weed of rice throughout South and Southeast Asia. Native from tropical Asia, it has spread and now occurs widely in tropical and subtropical regions and extending from lat 50° N to 40° S. Its rapid spread and aggressiveness are attributed to rapid growth, high seed production, low seed dormancy, and wide adaptability under various field conditions. It occurs in low and medium altitudes, favouring open sunny places and wet soils, and can continue to grow when partially submerged. It is a common weed in swamps and aquatic places. It also grows well in drier soils, but is shorter and has fewer tillers, panicles and seeds. Growth is good on sandy and loamy soils, especially where nitrogen content is high.

Nuisance :

The ecological requirements of E. crusgalli and rice are similar. The weed looks like rice in early stages and it is common to introduce almost 10 percent of the weed plants in a rice field while the rice plants are being transplanted. In direct seeded rice, the weed germinates in about the same period of time (5 to 6 days). Because the weed germinates and produce new branches and tillers all through the season, E. crusgalli can emerge and develop rapidly in row crops.
Experiments have shown that heavy stands of E. crusgalli may remove 60 to 80 percent of the nitrogen from the soil in a crop area.

Weed control :


- Biological
E. crusgalli is attacked by a number of (mostly polyphagous) insects, fungi and viruses. The North America weevil Listronotus humilis might be of interest as biological control. Its larvae eat the growing points and young tissues of E. crusgalli seedlings.
- Chemical
In India for rice crop, pre-emergence application of butachlor at 1.5 kg a.I/ha, Anilophos at 400 g/ha, Pretilachlor at 1.0 kg/ha, Pendimethalin at 1.5 kg/ha.
In Pakistan for rice crop, shaker application of Machete 60 EC, Argold 10 EC, Acetor 50 EC 3 to 5 days after transplanting of rice nursery.

Botany :

Habit
Robust tufted annual grass.
Roots
Fasciculate and adventitious roots at the base of the plant.
Stem
Culms stout, erect to 1.5 m tall or decumbent, cylindrical, smooth, with white spongy pith. The culm is often rooting and branching at nodes, near the base of the plant.
Leaves
Leaf blades linear merging into the sheath, with a broad, rounded base and acute top, smooth or with few hairs at the base, somewhat scabrid or smooth above, 5 to 50cm long and 5-20mm wide; leaf sheaths 9 to 13cm long, smooth or the margin or exposed part bordered by long slender hairs; ligule absent.
Inflorescence
Panicle erect or nodding, green or purple tinged, 5 to 20cm long; rachis stout, nodes sometimes branched; racemes numerous (5 to 40), 2 to 4cm long (sometimes to 10cm), spreading, ascending, sometimes branched; spikelets crowded, about 3 to 4mm long, usually slightly hairy excluding the awns; awns if present, usually reddish or purplish, 5 to 10mm long; first glume half as long as the spikelet; second glume and sterile lemma with short bristly hairs on the nerves.
Fruit
Caryopsis ovate, obtuse, compressed, tan to brown, with longitudinal ridges on the convex surface.

Uses/Remark :

This is an extremely variable species which frequently has been split into various varieties and forms.
The absence of a ligule and the numerous racemes that are spreading, ascending or branched are distinguishing characteristics of E. crusgalli.
A closely related species, E. crus-pavonis is much like E. crusgalli and is often difficult to distinguish from that polymorphic species. The rather soft, pinkish, or pale purple panicle with crowded spikelets with very long awns is characteristic of E. crus-pavonis.

References :

- Holm L. G., Plucknett D. L., Pancho J. V., Herberger J. P. 1991. The world’s worst weeds. Distribution and Biology. East-West Center by the University Press. Hawaii.
- Galinato M., Moody K., Piggin C. M. 1999. Upland rice weeds of South and Southeast Asia. IRRI. Philippines.
- Nayyar M. M., Ashiq M. and Ahmad J. 2001. Manual on Punjab weeds (Part I). Directorate of Agronomy. Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad Pakistan.
- Waterhouse D. F. 1994. Biological control of weeds: Southeast Asian prospects. ACIAR Monograph No. 26, 302pp.

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