Little seed canarygrass

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Magnoliophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Superorder	Lilianae
Order	Poales
Family	Poaceae
Subfamily	Pooideae
Tribe	Poeae
Genus	Phalaris

Scientific Name

Phalaris minor

Common Name

littleseed canarygrass

Little seed canarygrass (Phalaris minor)

Compiled by Hilary Parkinson, Montana State University, Rangeland Invasive Weed Extension Lab, and Marjolein Schat, Cornell University from the following sources:

• USDA Plants Database

• http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/littleseed_canarygrass.html

• http://www.farmersjournal.ie/cp2004/canary_grass.pdf

• http://www.azda.gov/CDP/NewCBC/AGRPC/AGRPC2003Research/2003-01.pdf

• http://www.springerlink.com/content/r11848211841n012/

Samunder Singh, R. Kirkwood C., and G. Marshall. 1999. Biology and control of Phalaris minor Retz. (littleseed canarygrass) in wheat. Crop Protection. 18: 1-16.

Identification and Life Cycle

Little seed canarygrass (Phalaris minor) is a winter annual in the grass family (Poaceae). Little seed canarygrass is also called lesser canarygrass and little canarygrass. Seedlings are bluish green in color, have a large, white ligule inside the leaf blade where its base wraps the stem and a leaf sheath with a reddish base. Mature plants range from 4 to 39 inches tall, branch at the base, and have mostly erect stems. The soft, broad leaves are up to 6 inches long with transparent ligules. Flowers are produced on spike-like heads 0.80 to 4 inches long. Flower clusters, or spikelets, are densely packed in the head. Bracts are grayish brown with light stripes on each side. Seeds, when separated from bracts, are hairy, flattened, oblong, translucent, and grayish green or straw colored.

Habitats

Little seed canarygrass tends to grow in disturbed ground, often around waterways.

Impacts

Little seed canarygrass infests winter planted crops. This winter annual is found in all crops grown from October through June and is a serious problem in wheat and barley. In Arizona, yield losses of greater than 50% have been reported where little seed canarygrass infestation reach densities of more than 10 per square foot.

Biology and Ecology

Generally, lesser canary grass only starts germinating around the time that spring cereals are emerging and then grows very rapidly from June onwards.

Biological Control

There are no biological control agents available for little seed canarygrass.

Chemical Control

Resistance to ACCase inhibitors was reported at 2 – 5 sites in California in 2001. For more information on these reports please see: http://www.weedscience.org/Summary/USpeciesCountry.asp?lstWeedID=127&FmSpecies=Go

Examples of herbicides that can be used to manage little seed canarygrass.

Consult herbicide labels for additional rate, application, and safety information. Additional herbicide information can be found at http://www.greenbook.net.

Due to constantly changing labels, laws and regulations, the sponsors of this web site assume no liability for the suggested use of any chemicals noted in the management section. Contact your local pest management personnel for current information on labeled pesticides that can be used for the intended plant disease, insect pest or weed.

References

For more information and images please visit IPM Bugwood: http://www.ipmimages.org/search/action.cfm?q=littleseed%20canarygrass