Mouse-ear hawkweed

Mouse-ear hawkweed (latin Pilosella officinarum) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is a rhizomatous weed that reproduces effectively through creeping stolons, allowing it to form dense mats across fields and meadows.

This weed is typically found in dry pastures, sandy soils, and open meadows. It causes significant damage in agricultural systems, particularly in perennial forage crops, by outcompeting native and cultivated grasses for nutrients, water, and sunlight, often leading to reduced pasture quality.

The biology of the weed is defined by its basal leaf rosettes and its ability to spread rapidly via both wind-dispersed seeds and vegetative runners. This combination of reproductive strategies makes it highly adaptable to varying environmental conditions, including poor, low-nitrogen, and acidic soils.

The economic impact is primarily seen in agriculture through the degradation of livestock grazing land. As an invasive-like species, it creates a thick ground cover that prevents the establishment of beneficial flora, resulting in lower biomass yields and reduced grazing efficiency for livestock.

Effective control measures require an integrated approach. Mechanical methods include deep tillage and cultivation to disrupt root networks, alongside soil liming to improve nutrient status. Chemical control is best achieved using systemic herbicides such as those based on 2,4-D or glyphosate, applied during the plant's peak vegetative growth phase before flowering.