Black Bindweed [Fallopia convolvulus]

About the pest

About the weed

It is a summer annual that scrambles as high as the supporting vegetation will allow. The flowers grow on loose flowering spikes.

Key features

Seedling:The hypocotyl is crimson and the cotyledons and first leaves reddish.

Plant: Although the leaves are heart-shaped and resemble field bindweed, the lower lobes of black-bindweed leaves are more rounded than those of field bindweed.

Biology

Black-bindweed is one of the most common weeds of cereals; it occurs particularly in spring cereals and in open crops of winter wheat. It is also found in potato, beet and maize crops. It grows rapidly from large seedlings mainly germinating in spring and is deep rooting. Seeds are dispersed in cereal grains. Plants germinating in autumn do not survive winter.

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Life Cycle

Seed longevity: >5 years
Seed weight: 5 mg
Seeds/plant: 100 - 1000

Treatment

Management

In cereals, combinations of sulfonylureas and hormonal and contact herbicides are often needed for good control. In spring broadleaved crops and maize, control can be variable if soil conditions are dry and residual herbicides do not work well.