Should Soil Applied Herbicides Be Part of a Yellow Nutsedge Control Program?
Yellow nutsedge is a serious weed problem when established in a field, and the past several seasons of wet growing conditions have favored the spread of this native perennial plant in NW MN. This plant is found throughout the state and is common in roadside ditches that are wet or along ponds or low areas of fields. It spreads into fields with flood waters or more commonly by tillage that drags the plant from wet field edges into the field. Once established on a site, even in dry areas of the field, yellow nutsedge is a persistent plant that is difficult to eradicate. The perennial portions of the plant are small tubers or nutlets that form on the ends of underground rhizomes. Individual plants can produce several hundred nutlets in a season and heavy, dense patches of nutsedge can carpet areas of a field. Plants do produce seed, but viability is low and seedlings are rarely seen in the field. So, the long term strategy for managing this plant should focus on preventing the formation o
