Barnyard grass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barnyard grass Cockspur grass
Common barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Panicoideae
Supertribe:	Panicodae
Tribe:	Paniceae
Subtribe:	Boivinellinae
Genus:	Echinochloa P.Beauv.
Type species
Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.Beauv.
Synonyms
Oplismenus sect. Echninochloa (P.Beauv.) Dumort. Panicum sect. Echinochloa (P.Beauv.) Döll Panicum sect. Echinochloa (P.Beauv.) Nees Panicum sect. Echinochloa (P.Beauv.) Trin. Panicum ser. Echinochloa (P.Beauv.) Benth. Panicum subg. Echinochloa (P.Beauv.) A. Gray Tema Adans. Ornithospermum Durande, not validly published

Echinochloa is a group of very common plants that belong to the grass family. You might know some of them as barnyard grass or cockspur grass. These grasses grow all over the world.

Some types of Echinochloa are actually grown on purpose! They are a kind of millet, which is a small-seeded cereal grain. People grow them for food, especially in places like East Asia and South Asia. For example, Japanese millet and Indian barnyard millet are used as food crops. Another type, burgu millet, is important in West Africa. Sometimes, all these grasses are called barnyard millets or billion-dollar grasses.

Why are some Echinochloa a problem?

While some Echinochloa are useful, others can be a big problem for farmers. They grow where they are not wanted, acting as weeds. For example, common barnyard grass (E. crus-galli) is a well-known weed. It can be hard to get rid of, even with other plants like velvet bean that are sometimes used to control weeds.

One interesting type, early barnyard grass (E. oryzoides), has learned to trick farmers. It has evolved to look a lot like rice plants. This special trick is called Vavilovian mimicry. Because it looks so much like rice, farmers might not notice it and accidentally leave it in their fields when they are weeding.

Plant Health and Control

Like all plants, Echinochloa can get sick. Some plant diseases that affect these grasses can also spread to other important crops, especially cereals like rice. For example, a fungus called Cochliobolus sativus and the rice hoja blanca virus can live on Echinochloa weeds. This means the weeds can act as a hiding place for these diseases, allowing them to spread to healthy crops.

Scientists are looking for ways to control these problem grasses. They have tried using other fungi, like Drechslera monoceras and Exserohilum monoceras, to act as natural pest controllers for common barnyard grass in rice fields. This is called biocontrol. However, more research is needed to make sure these fungi only harm the barnyard grass and not the rice or other useful plants.

Insects can also be pests to these grasses. One example is Atherigona falcata, which is a fly that attacks the shoots of barnyard millet.

Types of Echinochloa Species

There are many different types of Echinochloa plants. Here is a list of some of the known species:

jungle rice (Echinochloa colona)

Some plants that were once thought to be Echinochloa are now classified under other grass groups like Acroceras, Axonopus, Brachiaria, Oplismenopsis, Oplismenus, Panicum, Paspalidium, Pseudechinolaena, Setaria, and Urochloa.

See also

In Spanish: Echinochloa para niños