Setaria is a strong competitor for minerals (K particularly). Growing it with other grasses or legumes should be avoided if the soil is short of P and K. It is considered as a weed in the USA and Canada where it competes strongly with soya and maize, causing up to 81% losses in soya and 40% in maize (Weill, 2007). In the Philippines, Setaria sphacelata is used in order to prevent soil erosion on hillslopes as a hedgerow species in alley cropping systems (Exconde, 2000).
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