invasive johnsongrass in mississippi area

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Abstract
Johnsongrass is a perennial grass that is native to the Mediterranean. The weed was introduced as forage in the early 1800s. The Johnsongrass is majorly found in cultivated fields, reserve lands, abandoned fields, and hayfields. The Johnsongrass is popularly known with its cyanide poisoning effect on livestock. It causes poisoning when it undergoes stress from wilting, chemical spraying or when it is cut. Since it can affect a wide area of a field and cause destruction to crops and livestock, specific methods have been applied to control its population. The methods include biological, cultural, mechanical and chemical methods. Results have shown that the Johnsongrass is resistant and the methods of control cannot kill the entire population. The Johnsongrass has varying PH, soil texture and moisture levels and these are some of the factors that increase its resistance to the control methods. Therefore, Johnsongrass is a weed that causes several challenges in Mississippi since results have shown that the control methods were not that useful and hence further research needs to be conducted to examine the most effective methods of controlling the Johnsongrass.
Keywords: Johnsongrass, resistance, control, methods, effective, population, weed, forage, stress, cultivated fields
Invasive Johnsongrass in the Mississippi Area
Introduction
Johnsongrass is a perennial grass majorly occupying regions in the Mediterranean Sea. In the early 1800s, it was introduced as forage, and it is often found in cultivated land, abandoned fields, and hayfields among the rest.

Cyanide poisoning in animals is caused by the Johnsongrass especially after it is cut, wilting or a chemical is sprayed on it. Johnsongrass is a problematic weed that is found in almost all the Mid-South states mostly on the roadsides, hayfields and cultivated fields and hence it should be controlled.
Methodology
The Johnsongrass can be controlled through various control methods mainly biological, chemical, mechanical and cultural practices. Chemically it is found that several herbicides are essential in the control of Johnsongrass, for example, the nonionic surfactant or crop oil can be applied (Ohadi, Sara et al. 12). Mowing can be used as a mechanical method in certain infestations, but hand-removal is also valid for the small patches in vegetable gardens. Results have shown that cultural practices can be used such as dense shade, but they are not that effective since the Johnsongrass has varying PH, soil texture and moisture levels.
Results
Continually grazing by foraging animals reduces the population of the Johnsongrass especially when it is done at high stocking rates. Herbicides control the weed, but they are selective, and some populations of the weed found in Mississippi are resistant to glyphosate (Korres et al. 162). Mowing and hand removal eradicate some population of the grass. Flooding of the affected areas for 3 to 6 weeks will kill most of the rhizomes for the weed. Johnsongrass has variable Ph. Levels, soil textures and moisture hence challenging to use cultural methods for control.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Johnsongrass is a perennial grass that is poisonous and can affect livestock and plants. To control the population of the Johnsongrass in the cultivated fields or along the roads, biological, mechanical, Cultural or chemical methods can be used. Some of the methods applied do not kill the weed but only control the population of the weed in the fields. Therefore, Johnsongrass is a problematic weed, and further research should be done to investigate the most appropriate methods that kill the grass.
Works Cited
Ohadi, Sara, et al. “Surveying the Spatial Distribution of Feral Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L.) And Its Sympatry with Johnsongrass (S. Halepense) in South Texas.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 4, Apr. 2018, pp. 1–14. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0195511.
Korres, N. E., et al. “Relationships between Soil Properties and the Occurrence of the Most Agronomically Important Weed Species in the Field Margins of Eastern Arkansas – Implications for Weed Management in Field Margins.” Weed Research, vol. 57, no. 3, June 2017, pp. 159–171. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/wre.12249.