S11 E5 - Annual Ryegrass

S11 E5 - Annual Ryegrass

From War Against Weeds by Sarah Lancaster

March 4, 2026 · 46 min · Season 11 · Episode 5

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges posed by annual ryegrass in U.S. agriculture and explores control strategies with expert guests.

Annual ryegrass is rapidly becoming one of the toughest weeds in U.S. row‑crop agriculture. In this episode, Alyssa Essman (Ohio State) and Joe Ikley (NDSU) talk with Tom Barber (University of Arkansas), Charlie Cahoon (NC State), and Larry Steckel (University of Tennessee) about how this weed is spreading, shifting its emergence timing, and developing resistance to multiple herbicide groups. The guests discuss the strengths and weaknesses of current control options, the importance of fall residuals, and how tactics like tillage, cover crops, and harvest weed‑seed control fit into an integrated approach. They also share ongoing research aimed at better understanding ryegrass biology and improving long‑term management. https://crop-soil-environmental-sciences.uark.edu/people/faculty-directory/uid/ltbarber/name/Tom+Barber/ [crop-soil-...s.uark.edu] https://cals.ncsu.edu/crop-and-soil-sciences/people/cwcahoon/ [cals.ncsu.edu] https://utcrops.com/field-crops-team/ [utcrops.com]

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Lancaster

Guests: Alyssa Essman, Joe Ikley, Tom Barber, Charlie Cahoon, Larry Steckel

Topics covered

  • annual ryegrass
  • weed management
  • herbicide resistance
  • integrated weed control
  • crop agriculture

Keywords

  • annual ryegrass
  • weed control
  • herbicide resistance
  • crop management
  • fall residuals

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ohio State, NDSU, University of Arkansas, NC State, University of Tennessee

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