Foxtail barley is a native perennial weed in Manitoba. It spreads by seeds, but can also sprout from buds when established in a field. Foxtail barley is mostly a problem in zero-till systems and pastures because foxtail barley can largely be controlled by tillage.
Control Options
There are a number of control options for foxtail barley.
- One of the most effective controls is conventional tillage
- High seeding rates and proper fertilization can help control foxtail barley.
- Glyphosate provides good control of foxtail barley in winter wheat as part of a pre-harvest burnoff, a post-harvest application, or a pre-seeding application. Applying glyphosate while the crop is growing will kill off the winter wheat as well. The other problem is that you need quite high application rates to control mature plants rather than just seedlings.
- Monsanto has a new chemical, MON 37500, that looks promising for control of foxtail barley in cereals including winter wheat. However registration of that herbicide is still likely to be several years away.
- MAFRI suggests Kerb 50-WSP for foxtail barley control in established pastures, but not in cereals.
- An article from No-Till Farmer suggest that Olympus (propoxy-carbazone) may be an option to control foxtail barley in wheat but it is not registered in Manitoba and has long-lasting residual activity.
More Information
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
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