Horsetail, Field
(Equisetium arvense L.)

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Table of Contents

1. History
2. Life Cycle
3. Distinguishing Characteristics
4. Control in Corn
5. Control in Soybeans
6. Control in Winter Wheat

History

A member of the horsetail family. Field horsetail usually occurs in low lying areas with poorly drained soils but will also thrive in sandy or gravelly soils with good drainage. Known to be a fierce competitor with many field crops.

Life Cycle

Perennial, reproduces mainly by horizontal underground stems (rhizomes).

Distinguishing Characteristics

Simplistically, field horsetail looks like a "mini christmas tree" during the majority of the growing season. However, first thing in the spring field horsetail looks quite a bit different then in late spring and throughout the season as it has an ashy-gray unbranched leafless shoot with a brown cone that contains spores. After this stage, the stem will produce whorls at each node with 6 to 8 green leaf branches with no flowers..

Field Horsetail Pictures
Each thumbnail image links to a larger image

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Herbicide Control in Field Corn

Post Emergent Control

The best control of field horsetail is achieved with post-emergent applications. In general, a tank-mix with one of the post-emergent, group II herbicides (i.e. ACCENT, OPTION 35 DF or ULTIM) and a broadleaf herbicide (i.e. PEAKPLUS, DISTINCT, BANVEL II) will provide better control of field horsetail than each of those. products on their own (Table 1).

Source:
Dr. Peter Sikkema, University of Guelph.

Number of Trials:

Table 1 is based on 3 field trials in Ontario.

Herbicide Rates:
Rates used in this trial are listed in OMAF Publication 75 - Guide to Weed Control.

Weed Stage:
Field horsetail was between 10 to 20 cm in height at the time of application.

What has been your experience?
We want your feedback. Let us know what you have experienced with these or other products, as well as any other effective management strategies.

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Herbicide Control in Soybeans

Control of field horsetail in soybean has been achieved with a pre-plant tank-mix of either glyphosate + BROADSTRIKE DUAL MAGNUM or AMITROL 240 + BROADSTRIKE DUAL MAGNUM (Table 1).

Source:
Dr. Peter Sikkema, University of Guelph.

Number of Trials:

Table 1 is based on 6 field trials in Ontario.

Herbicide Rates:
Rates used in this trial are listed in OMAF Publication 75 - Guide to Weed Control.

Weed Stage:
Some field horsetail had not emerged while other plants were between 5 to 10 cm in height at the time of application.

What has been your experience?
We want your feedback. Let us know what you have experienced with these or other products, as well as any other effective management strategies.

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Herbicide Control in Winter Wheat

No field trials have been conducted in Ontario. However, grower experience has shown that herbicides that contain the active ingredient MCPA (i.e. MCPA Amine, Buctril M, Badge or Mextrol) will provide partial control or suppression of field horsetail. Field trials conducted by Peter Sikkema for field horsetail control in corn, have shown supression of this weed with MCPA.

What has been your experience?
We want your feedback. Let us know what you have experienced with these or other products, as well as any other effective management strategies.