Common Name |
Latin Name |
Competitiveness Rating |
Comments and Conditions |
amaranth, Palmer |
Amaranthus palmeri S.Wats. |
High |
Major summer weed problem in new spring plantings and thinning
stands. |
barley, little |
Hordeum pusillum Nutt. |
Low |
Sometimes coming into thinning stands. Low quality, so need to
control. |
barnyardgrass |
Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
bermudagrass |
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. |
High |
Can be a major problem if established plants not controlled before
planting alfalfa. |
bluegrass, annual |
Poa annua L. |
Low |
Occasionally in thin stands. |
brome, downy |
Bromus tectorum L. |
High |
Primary winter grass coming into thinning stands. Poor forage
quality, so need to control. |
brome, Japanese |
Bromus japonicus Thunb. ex Murr. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly fall-planted and in thinning stands. |
buffalobur |
Solanum rostratum Dun. |
Medium |
Occasionally a problem in spring-planted stands on newly plowed
areas. |
cheat |
Bromus secalinus L. |
High |
Major problem in fall-planted alfalfa following wheat. |
chickweed, common |
Stellaria media (L.) Vill. |
Low |
Often present, but not usually a problem. |
coreopsis, plains |
Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. |
Medium |
Can be a problem in newly fall-planted and in thinning stands. |
crabgrass, large |
Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. |
High |
Major weed in spring-planted alfalfa and in thinning stands. |
crabgrass, smooth |
Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb. ex Schweig.)
Schreb. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
cupgrass, prairie |
Eriochloa contracta Hitchc. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
cupgrass, southwestern |
Eriochloa gracilis (Fourn.) A.S. Hitchc. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
dayflower, Asiatic |
Commelina communis L. |
Medium |
Sometimes present, but seldom a problem |
dandelion |
Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers |
Low |
Sometimes present, but very seldom a problem. |
dock, curly |
Rumex crispus L. |
Medium |
Becomes established at time of planting alfalfa and is usually
persistent in low wet areas of field. |
dodder, alfalfa |
Cuscuta suaveolens Ser. |
Low |
Not usually a problem with haying, but need to control if
harvesting alfalfa seed. |
eveningprimrose, cutleaf |
Oenothera laciniata Hill |
Medium |
Fairly common in new fall-planted alfalfa. |
flixweed |
Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl |
High |
Can be a problem in newly fall-planted and in thinning stands.
Fairly common mustard in NW Oklahoma. |
foxtail, giant |
Setaria faberi Herrm. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands.
Distribution limited to NE Oklahoma. |
foxtail, green |
Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
foxtail, yellow |
Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
garlic, wild |
Allium vineale L. |
Low |
Sometimes present, but seldom a problem. |
goatgrass, jointed |
Aegilops cylindrica Host |
High |
Can be a problem in newly fall-planted and in thinning stands.
Mostly in western Oklahoma. |
goosegrass |
Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. |
Medium |
Occasionally a problem in low areas in wet years. |
henbit |
Lamium amplexicaule L. |
Low |
Usually present, but seldom a problem. |
horseweed |
Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. |
Medium |
Occasionally a problem in thinning stands. |
johnsongrass |
Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. |
High |
Can be a major problem if established plants not controlled before
planting alfalfa. |
kochia |
Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands.
Mostly in western Oklahoma. |
lambsquarters, common |
Chenopodium album L. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
lambsquarters, slimleaf |
Chenopodium leptophyllum L. |
Medium |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
lettuce, prickly |
Lactuca serriola L. |
Medium |
Occurs both in newly fall-planted and thinning stands. Large plants
hard to dry in hay. |
mustard, blue |
Chorispora tenella (Pallas) DC. |
High |
Currently only present in northern most counties of northwest
Oklahoma. Can become a major problem in fall establishment of new
stands. |
nutsedge, yellow |
Cyperus esculentus L. |
Medium |
Usually not a problem in alfalfa because of frequent cutting of
hay. |
pepperweed, green flower |
Lepidium densiflorum Schrad. |
Medium |
Can be a problem in fall-planted and in thinning stands. |
Pepperweed, veiny |
Lepidium oblongum Small |
Medium |
Can be a problem in fall-planted and in thinning stands of alfalfa.
Resistant to the sulfonylurea herbicides. |
pigweed, redroot |
Amaranthus retroflexus L. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
pigweed, tumble |
Amaranthus albus L. |
Medium |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
plantain, buckhorn |
Plantago lanceolata L. |
Low |
Some problem in NE Oklahoma in seedling and established stands. |
poppy, red horned |
Glausium corniculatum (L.) Rudolph |
Medium |
Becoming a major weed problem in certain western areas in newly
fall-planted stands. |
ragweed, common |
Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
rescuegrass |
Bromus catharticus Vahl |
High |
Major winter weed problem in newly planted fall stands. Also often
in thinning stands. Has good forage quality, so can be utilized as hay
or grazing. |
rush, slender |
Juncus tenuis Willd |
Low |
Occasionally present, but seldom a problem. |
ryegrass, Italian |
Lolium multiflorum Lam. |
High |
Major winter weed problem in newly planted fall stands. Also often
in thinning stands. Has good forage quality, so can be utilized as hay
or grazing. |
sandbur, field |
Cenchrus incertus M.A.Curtis |
High |
Major weed problem in sandy areas. |
shepherdspurse |
Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medicus |
Medium |
Commonly found mustard in newly fall-planted alfalfa and in
thinning stands. |
sowthistle, spiny |
Sonchus asper (L.) Hill |
Medium |
Occasionally found in newly fall-planted and thinning stands. |
sprangletop, bearded |
Leptochloa fascicularis (Lam.) Gray |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
sprangletop, red |
Leptochloa filiformis (Lam.) Beauv. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
tansymustard, pinnate |
Descurainia pinnata (Walt.) Britt |
High |
Can be a problem in newly fall-planted and in thinning stands. |
thistle, musk |
Carduus nutans L. |
High |
Can be a problem in newly fall-planted and in thinning stands. |
thistle, Russian |
Salsola iberica Sennen & Pau |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
wallflower, bushy |
Erysimum repandum L. |
Medium |
Sometimes in fall-planted stands in northwest Oklahoma. |
waterhemp, tall |
Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J.D.Sauer |
High |
Can be a problem in newly spring-planted and in thinning stands. |
wheat, volunteer |
Triticum aestivum L. |
High |
Major problem in newly fall-planted stands following wheat. |
windmillgrass |
Chloris verticillata Nutt. |
Medium |
Commonly coming into thinning stands. |