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The most problematic weeds in field crops
Discover the most problematic weeds in European field crops and learn how they impact yield, harvesting, and product quality. Find practical strategies for identification and effective weed control.
How weeds affect crops and how to fight them?
Grasses or dicots, annuals or perennials… there are as many weeds as there are plant species. So, the first step is to identify the species on the plot before choosing the weeding strategy.
After identifying the different species on the plot, the following questions need to be considered:
- Will the weeds affect crop yield? Will the weeds interfere with harvesting or the quality of the product?
- What agronomic measures should be implemented to prevent them from growing back with the next crop?
- Are they easy to eliminate within the crop?
For easy answers to these questions, refer to the following table, which lists the particularities of most weeds in Europe.
Download the complete table of the most problematic weeds in field crops
Weed species list – impacts × agronomic levers × management
🟢 = Little impact on crop / Good effectiveness of the lever
🟡 = Average impact / Average or inconsistent effectiveness
🟠 = Significant risks / Insufficient effectiveness
🔴 = Very significant damage / No effectiveness, inappropriate method
Weed species | Impact of weeds on crops | Effectiveness of agronomic levers | Curative control | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvesting hindrance | Competition: Loss of yield | Quality degradation | Crop rotation | Periodic ploughing | Stubble cultivation & stale seedbed | Delay sowing dates | Herbicide effectiveness | Mechanical weeding effectiveness | |
| Annual grasses | |||||||||
| Common windgrass (Apera spica-venti) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟡 |
| Brome grasses (field/sterile) (Bromus spp.) | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 |
| Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 |
| Common wild oats (Avena fatua and Avena sterilis) | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟠 |
| Cockspur grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 |
| Annual meadow grass (Poa annua) | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟠 |
| Ryegrass (Lolium spp.) | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 |
| Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides) | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟠 |
| Perennial | |||||||||
| Field thistle (Cirsium arvense) | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🔴 |
| Couch grass (Elymus repens) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 |
| Rough/field milk thistle (Sonchus) | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟠 |
| Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟠 |
| Annual dicotyledons | |||||||||
| Red-root amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus) | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟢 |
| Bishop’s flower / Umbellifers (Ammi majus) | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟡 |
| Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa‑pastoris) | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| White goosefoot (Chenopodium album) | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Common poppy (Papaver rhoeas) | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟠 |
| Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🔴 |
| Common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟡 |
| Cleavers (Galium aparine) | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟠 |
| Geranium | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Common cocklebur (Xanthium) | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟠 |
| Mayweed / Chamomile (Matricaria / Anthemis) | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟡 |
| Annual mercury (Mercurialis annua) | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟢 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Field mustard & wild radish (Sinapis arvensis / Raphanus raphanistrum) | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Black bindweed / Common knotgrass (Fallopia convolvulus, Polygonum aviculare) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟢 |
| Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟢 | 🟠 |
| Speedwell / Ivy‑leaved speedwell (Veronica hederifolia, V. arvensis) | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟠 | 🟠 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
| Common field speedwell (Veronica persica) | 🟢 | 🟡 | 🟢 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟡 | 🔴 | 🟡 | 🟢 |
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