Weed potential
Echinochloa crus-galli is considered one of the world's worst weeds and is included in the Global Compendium of Weeds (Randall, 2012). It is listed as a weed in 36 crops and is the worst in rice paddies (Holm et al., 1991). A vigorous competitor for nitrogen (removing up to 80% available N), invasise cockspur grass reduces considerably crop yields and cause forage crops failures. It is considered an invasive worldwide in natural grasslands, coastal forests and disturbed sites, and may act as a reservoir for virus diseases (Rojas-Sandoval et al., 2014). In rice paddies, where cockspur grass can be a very troublesome weed, a way of alleviating this problem is to flood the rice field with more than 15 cm of water. It favours the rice seedlings, since cockspur grass seeds cannot germinate at this depth (Ecocrop, 2017).
Erosion control and soil reclamation
Cockspur grass is useful for erosion control and habitat rehabilitation. In Egypt, it is used for reclaiming saline area (Ecocrop, 2017). It has been refered to as suitable for alkaline areas (Quattrocchi, 2006). It could help controlling erosion on coal mine sites in eastern USA (Vogel, 1981).
Wildlife
Echinochloa crus-galli is an important habitat for waterfowl and pheasant (Quattrocchi, 2006). In the USA (Arizona), cockspur grass could grow on riparian sites flooded by wastewater and thus provide habitat rehabilitation for birds and subsequent avian colonization (Rea, 1988).