Milium vernale - Poaceae Family

Identification

• Flowers: Open panicles are green to purplish, and up to 8 inches long
• Seeds:  Smooth and glossy, oval, 1.7mm to 2.0mm long. Brown streaks give the appearance of wood grain. Spring millet spreads only by seed.
• Leaves: Flat, ¼ inches wide and 4 inches long.
• Flowering Time:  Stems each produce one cluster of flowers in the spring.
• Life cycle:  Winter annual grass that grows up to 2 ½ feet tall, with drooping, upright or spreading stems. Seed heads appear in May, and seeds mature in June.

Impacts  

• A pest of winter wheat, Spring millet usually travels with the grain and gets planted with the crop. Once established it infests surrounding pastures.
• Native to Eurasia, Spring millet was found infesting winter wheat and other crops in north-central Idaho. Although there have been no other reported occurrences in North America, the infestation in Idaho is spreading rapidly.

Most effective control methods

• Little information or research currently exists on the control of Spring millet.
• According to several Idaho noxious weed control guidelines, spring tillage may control this plant.
• Currently no herbicides are labeled for its control.
• There are no biological controls for Spring millet at this time.

_{Canadian Food Inspection Agency}

_{Enzo De Santis}

_{Enzo De Santis}

_{Enzo De Santis}

_{Enzo De Santis}

_{Enzo De Santis}

_{Jose Quiles}

_{Jose Quiles}

_{University of Idaho Extension}

_{USDA APHIS PPQ - Oxford, North Carolina , USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org}

• Fact Sheet

• References

  Callihan, R., & Miller, T. (1999). Idaho’s noxious weeds. Retrieved from http://www.co.power.id.us/weed-department/noxious-weeds-of-idaho/milium/

  Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2017, June 2). Weed Seed: Milium vernale (Spring milletgrass). Retrieved from: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/plants/seeds/testing-grading/seeds-identification/milium-vernale/eng/1475881621327/1475881621787

  NatureServe. (2018, March). Milium vernale - Bieb. Retrieved from http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Milium+vernale

  Prather, T., Schwarzlaender, M., & Wallace, J. (2011, May). Idaho’s noxious weeds 2011 control guidelines [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/BUL/BUL0865.pdf

  University of Idaho Extension. (2015). Idaho’s noxious weeds [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/bul/bul0816.pdf