Arvenses technical data sheet: Echinochloa colonum

Dear readers, in this opportunity we will describe another species of plant considered weed or arvense, commonly known as American straw, this type of plants can be evidenced in tropical ecosystems and poorly drained soils, especially on forage surfaces, but it has no nutritional benefit for ruminants. Therefore, we socialize this technical sheet, to serve as a bibliographic tool for the identification of this species when it is observed in agricultural ecosystems.

- ORIGIN OF NAME: Echinochloa: from the Greek "echinos": equine, "cloa": grass, from which certain animals, including horses, were fed. Colonum: from the Latin name "colonus": settler, farmer, there is a controversy regarding the scientific name of this plant, in certain references the species is cited as Echinochloa colona.

- DESCRIPTION ECO-BIOLOGICA: according to certain bibliographical references this species is native to India, it is a monocotyledonous plant (has a single cotyledon), herbaceous (presents stems easy to cut), annual, macolladora, semierect or decumbent, 0.20 to 0.60 cm tall, propagated by seeds, is a plant indicator of soils with poor drainage, has no forage value and proliferates very well in geographical areas near the sea as is the case of some sectors of the South of Lake Maracaibo.

- MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION: Fibrous and superficial root typical of the grass or poaceae family Erect or decumbent stem extended, flattened, herbaceous, branched or not at the base, smooth, glabrous (no villi), with knots, sometimes with purple pigmentation, open and crawling, they often root at the base and then emerge. Leaves linear to lanceolate, alternate, 10 to 15 cm long by 3 to 8 mm in diameter, glabrous sometimes with hairs on the margin of the basal part, open pods at the top, glabrous or sometimes with some hairs at the height of the nodes, Absent ligula, sometimes with purple or reddish pigmented lines or bands at the base, the edge is toothed. Flowers ascending panicle of green color, 5 to 15 cm long, with simple clusters of 2 cm long, rounded green seeds and sometimes of present reddish to purplish color.

- Damage caused and control: as mentioned above it is a family plant of poaceae or grasses and when proliferating in forage spaces intended for animal feed, can significantly influence the growth and development of pastures when there is no efficient management, which causes the plant to gain space on the surface and begin to compete for light, space and especially nutrients because they belong to the same family. In addition, if their cover is high in the paddock the animals may consume them, but it will not supply the nutrients necessary for production.

As for its control, if it is in high percentages you can introduce implements such as the harrow to flip the earth and apply doses of narrow-leaved herbicides to control it and take advantage to spend a few days for the sowing of grass. Although the ideal would be to make a proper rotation in the paddocks to give the pasture the days of rest and grazing, to keep the pastures vigorous and therefore, will not be displaced by this type of arvenses, in other words, in small percentages they can live together in the same pasture in a balanced way.

Dear readers, these are some characteristics of the Echinochloa colonum plant, and suggestions for its control, other alternatives may exist, since, in agriculture, there is no single method. We hope it will be of use to all of you, thank you for joining us to the end.