Laboratory and field trials are currently being conducted to determine the compatibility of D. higginsii with postemergence pesticide applications. The loss of methyl bromide to control nutsedge poses particular problems for minor crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries, since there are few chemical herbicides registered for use. Without methyl bromide that figure could substantially increase. But nutsedge is an equal opportunity pest, striking agricultural crops the world over. Though nutsedge has earned a reputation as the world's worst weed, it is by no means the only one.
Annual weeds are plants that reproduce by seed and germinate each year.
Some common annual weeds include foxtail, velvetleaf, and cocklebur. Winter annuals germinate in the fall and complete their reproductive cycle in the spring or early summer. Summer annuals germinate in the spring and seed out in late summer or fall. Summer annuals flourish when summer annual crops such as corn or soybeans are grown, competing directly with the crop for resources. Biennial weeds live through two growing seasons, although they also reproduce via seed.