Itchgrass is an invasive species. The plant reproduces by seeds and a single plant can produce more than 3000 seeds. It is an important weed in several crops including maize, sugar cane, upland and rain-fed rice, beans, sorghum and perennials such as citrus and oil palm at early stages of growth. It is estimated that more than 3.5 million ha of cropping lands are infested with itchgrass in Central America and the Caribbean (Valverde, 2003).
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