Fall Panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorum)

About fall Panicum:

Fall Panicum is an annual, native grass to North America. When Fall Panicum is found in your corn fields it is known to reduce the yield by 30 to 50%. It can also be very hard on farm equipment such as combines.

Family: Grass family (Gramineae)

Fall Panicum Scouting and Prevention:

When looking at a mature Fall Panicum, you will notice that the base of the plant is bent or twisted. The whole plant can grow up to 1 m tall and can have several stems coming from one area. The leaves typically have minimal to no hair on them with a wide midrib. The seeds of this plant are a gray-brown colour that are produced at the end of a large stem on long and bushy thin stems that release there seeds from August to September.

Common locations

• - Moist soil
• - Cultivated land
• - Corn fields
• - Soybean fields
• - Carrots
• - Chickpea

Prevention

A great deal of farmers relies on pre-emergent herbicides to control weeds that show up early in the season. Corvus herbicide is the only corn herbicide that provides a residual, burn down and reactivation effect on the area on which it is sprayed. Residual means that they actively prevent the new weeds and reactivation controls weeds that come up late. This herbicide has a large application period that has a consistent, broad-spectrum control over broadleaf weeds and grasses. It is a great one-pass herbicide option. However, it is recommended to do a two-pass program with the second pass having a post-emergent herbicide product like Laudis.

Fall Panicum Control:

Cultural Control

Here are some suggestions to culturally manage this particular weed. For one, make sure when planting new crops you use clean, weed free seed. If farm equipment has been in an infested area, give them a good clean. Plant crops that have a vigorous growth pattern early in the season in order to develop a thick canopy.

Chemical Control

It is easy to control Fall Panicum in broad-leafed crops; however, it is very difficult to control in corn fields. A long lasting residual herbicide called Capreno is a great post-emergent herbicide used in corn fields. For control in canola, corn, cotton and soybeans, Liberty Link is a non-selective weed management system that effectively controls broad-leafed weeds, grass and weeds that are resistant to glyphosate.

Latin / Alternative fall Panicum names:

• - Panicum dichotomiflorum
• - Pandi
• - Smooth panicum
• - Smooth itch grass
• - Spreading panic grass
• - Wire grass

Additional Fall Panicum Resources