Shattercane produces viable seed 10 days after flowering, so seed panicles of plants cut after this time must be removed from the field. Plants cut before August may tiller and produce viable seed before frost. Deep plowing can reduce a shattercane problem by burying the seed below the depth of germination. As indicated previously this does not immediately destroy the seed but just prevents germination. Plowing is not suggested where soil erosion will occur.
Crop rotations help control shattercane.
Good stands of alfalfa, small grains, or perennial grasses will outcompete shattercane. Periodic mowing prevents shattercane seed production. Winter wheat, spring oats, and barley grow and develop before shattercane and are harvested before shattercane seed matures. Shallow tillage following small grain harvest and prior to wheat planting encourages germination of shattercane seed. Similarly, periodic tillage on set-aside land can substantially deplete the shattercane seed population in the soil.