Barley grass

Hordeum leporinum

Although not a major winter cropping weed in all areas, barley grass is prevalent in some areas with higher winter rainfall. A combination of its potential for rapid germination and developed resistance to Group A and B herbicides can make barley grass difficult to control.

Description

Barley grass leaves tend to be a paler green than other common annual grass weeds. They have a sparse covering of soft hairs and taper to a point.

Small barley grass seedlings can be identified by remnants of the seed that remain attached to the root system.

Control

With emerging resistance issues and relatively few products registered for use against barley grass, its control should be part of a broader integrated weed management program.

Barley grass usually occurs in areas that also require annual ryegrass control, so Sakura – which is highly effective against both weeds – has quickly become a key product in the pre-emergent rotation to prevent their rapid germination.

Related Weeds

Annual ryegrass

Lolium rigidum

Annual ryegrass (Wimmera ryegrass) is arguably the most important grass weed competing with winter cereal crops in Australia. The rapid spread of herbicide-resistant populations in recent years has even threatened the viability of cropping in some areas.

Wild Oats

Avena fatua

Wild oats have evolved in parallel to winter cereal crops and are particularly well suited to compete strongly with wheat. Left uncontrolled, they can reduce wheat yield by as much as 80 %.

Silver grass

Vulpia bromoides; Vulpia myuros

Even though silver grass is less competitive than other major grass weeds, dense populations can severely limit crop yield. Another weed that has become more of a problem since the adoption of minimum tillage practices, it is most likely to emerge in high numbers in crops sown early by direct drilling.

Annual phalaris

Phalaris paradoxa

Annual phalaris is an aggressive annual grass weed that is generally a more serious problem in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland than in other cropping areas. It prefers alluvial, sandy-clay or clay texture soils with high soil moisture.