Italian Ryegrass is Everywhere! Do Not Forget About it This Fall
By Daniel Stephenson, Ph.D.
LSU AgCenter
How many of you had an issue with glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass this spring? Did you expect clethodim to solve the problem and then found it did not? Did you apply paraquat and were not satisfied? Many farmers, consultants, and dealers commented to me since late January that the Italian ryegrass problem has exploded in Louisiana. Honestly, this is not surprising because we have not been addressing this pest properly. Mississippi has had this issue for longer than Louisiana has. Mississippi State University weed scientists determined a good strategy to manage glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass five or six years ago. LSU AgCenter weed scientists adopted their strategies and began disseminating that plan. It starts with tillage or a residual herbicide application in the fall, which has not been adopted by many producers in Louisiana. This article will not go into detail about Mississippi State University’s glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass management plan in this article, BUT it will be covered at length later this year.