Common Characteristics of Rice and Barnyard Grass

Rice and barnyard grass are both annual plants belonging to the Gramineae family. They have a strikingly similar appearance, making it difficult to distinguish and remove them. They can both grow in paddy fields or wetlands simultaneously.

Differences between Rice and Barnyard Grass:

1. Different Varieties:

(1) Rice belongs to the Oryza genus of the Gramineae family. It is an annual, aquatic herb with upright stems. Rice is a widely cultivated cereal crop in tropical regions of Asia.

(2) Barnyard grass is a weed belonging to the Echinochloa genus of the Gramineae family. It is considered a noxious weed in rice fields.

                 Left: Rice                                        Right: Barnyard grass

2. Different Leaf Characteristics:

(1) Rice leaves and veins are green in color, with a rough texture. Rice leaves have leaf ligules and auricles, and ligules can be found on the leaf sheaths.

(2) Barnyard grass leaves are green, with white veins. They have a smooth texture without hairs, and they lack leaf ligules and auricles.

                Left: Rice                                       Right: Barnyard grass

3. Different Plant Structures:

(1) Rice plants have more tillers, smaller leaf angles, thicker stems, and they are resistant to lodging. They usually reach a height of around 120cm.

(2) Barnyard grass has a leaf angle of 90 degrees, with slender stems that are generally taller than rice plants.

                 Left: Rice                                           Right: Barnyard grass

4. Different Panicles and Grains:

(1) Rice panicles are larger and thicker, with large grains. The weight of a thousand grains is above 20g, resulting in high yield.

(2) Barnyard grass panicles are very small, with wide branch angles. The panicles are upright, and the grains are very small.

          Left: Rice                                           Right: Barnyard grass

Management Methods for Barnyard Grass

1. Manual or Mechanical Weed Control

Clearing and collecting weeds from the field manually or using machinery. The collected weeds can be piled up on the bunds or, in the case of certain weeds which can be used for feeding, taken home to feed animals. Manual weed control is the most widely used weed control method in rice cultivation. However, this method is challenging, time-consuming, often costly, and not suitable for weed control during the later stages of rice cultivation. 

2. Chemical Control

Using chemicals, commonly referred to as herbicides, to control weeds is known as chemical weed control. The use of herbicides provides the most effective and time-saving method for weed management.

(1) 2-4 days after germination, we can spray Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl+Pretilachlor. 

(2) After the 2.5-leaf stage of rice, choose Quinclorac, Penoxsulam, Cyhalofop-buty+metamifop.