# Foxtail and Pre-emergent



## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Is foxtail an annual - not a perennial? I've read it is an annual, but for some reason thought otherwise?

Being an annual - I gather, if there are seeds, it grows - goes to seed again and you've got another batch for next year.

Spray herbicides and forget about planting seeds, i.e. overseed an existing field? I think we've discussed that in addition to broad leaf killing, many herbicides are also pre-emergents.

It would seem to me that if foxtail is an annual and depends on a new batch of seed to continue on, then timely application of herbicide could be an effective measure to control it?

Am I really WAY of the mark with the above?

Thanks!

Bill


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## qcfarms (Dec 14, 2014)

I think it depends on what type of foxtail it is. I'm having issues with knotroot foxtail which happens to be a perennial. It's in my bermuda hay meadows. I do use pre-emergant in late winter and a dose of glyo after my first cut but still doesn't touch it much. If your grazing then I don't think it is a bad deal but if it is for hay (which in my case it is since I sell small squares to horse folks) it totally sucks. One of our OSU extension agents recommend that I work on improving potassium on my fields which I will try to do next spring.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Bill,

It appears you need to better identify fox tail. Here is this results I got for just one type of fox tail (Giant Green).

http://www.greenbook.net/searchresults?term=&state_id=51&ingrd_id=&product_cat_id=&csite_id=&sub_csite_id=&com_id=&prod_id=&pest_id=4&sub_pest_id=6233

Larry


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

r82230 said:


> Bill,
> 
> It appears you need to better identify fox tail. Here is this results I got for just one type of fox tail (Giant Green).
> 
> ...


Larry,

We have any or all of these:

https://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/setfa.htm,

https://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/setvi.htm

https://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/setvi.htm

I assume when I see "annual", it continues by reseeding every year? If that is the case - my thought is timely herbicide could suppress some of the germination?

Thanks,

Bill


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Bill,

I would guess 'yes' on the annual (starts, grows and goes to seed in the same year), but I can't help but think of the MSU professor, that did an experiment with weed seeds (annual and perennial). His experiment showed seed can (and do) lay around dormant for years (his experiment is over hundred years and still going on). Then the weeds seem to only germinate on the weeds schedule (not yours ). Hence, once the fox tail seed is there, you are going to have to put up a fight for years, even if another fox tail is never allowed to go to seed in your fields. But on the positive side, the 'weed bank', should get reduced over time.

If you can positively identify your fox tail, the site I posted will show your herbicide (if available for your state) choices.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

The foxtails here are annual.....we have mostly yellow foxtail but also some green and giant here and there. In theory if you prevent it from making seed you stopped the next generation of plants from infesting your field. But like has already been said there is likely some leftover seed from previous years that will still germinate for a couple years.

I had a field that was infested with yellow foxtail.....after first cutting the whole field was almost solid foxtail......I killed the stand before it made seed and the next year there was significantly less foxtail and by this year which was the third year I saw no trace of foxtail left.....I'm now ready to plant it back in a perennial grass hay.

Unfortunately there is no chemical to control emerged foxtail or other warm season annual grasses in cool season perennial grass hay. Prowl h2o as a pre emerge herbicide before the foxtail germinates looks promising though. I'm thinking maybe right after baling first cutting would be the right time to spray.


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