Eliminate crab grass on the football field but not on the grassland

Abe V Rotor

Juvenile Eleusine indica L - Indian goosegrass, wiregrass, crowfootgrass, paragis (Tag), parañgis (Ilk), Pie de gallina - is an invasive species in the grass family Poaceae. It is a small annual weed distributed throughout the warmer areas of the world.

You may win the coveted trophy but lose to the lowly crab grass.

Crab grass is very resistant; it is cause of accidents in football and baseball.

It is a weed growing on football and baseball fields displacing the legitimate grass vegetation. Because of its crab-like radial growing habit, reaching a diameter of more than a foot, it poses danger to players who either stumble or slide on it often causing injury. New shoots tend to grow sidewise almost parallel to the ground.

The crab grass defies mowing even if all the grass around have been leveled. In fact this only emboldens its survival and dominance. It also defies manual uprooting because of its massive root system.

The best way to eliminate this grass is to resort to what farm folks do by cutting the entire plant at its base with a sharp trowel. In this case no shoots are left for regeneration. Imagine how many hundreds, if not thousands, of crab grass hills you have to eliminate this way, but at least you have been able to prevent potential accidents for the rest of the playing season.~

Yet the grass – outside of the playground – has a number of uses. It may not be an excellent pasture grass but it holds the soil firm against water and wind erosion.

As an emergency food plant, roots are eaten raw, and the young seedling raw or cooked.

Its folkloric uses are: antihelminthic, antipyretic diuretic and remedy for dysentery. It relieves fever, pain, asthma symptoms, and hypertension. The plants has properties in preventing dandruff and hair loss,

Stems are used for making mats, baskets, hats, and the plant suitable for paper making.

And, the plant holds traditional beliefs among Malays who hold the grain in their hand in spirit-summoning rituals. So among natives of Bontoc, where it is used in mangmang rituals. ~

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