Plants cannot tolerate repeated, close mowing. Repeated tilling every few weeks in summer or winter can help control infestations in agricultural fields. However, tilling once early in the season encourages rhizome growth and new shoots from rhizome fragments. Crop rotations that include winter crops and crops planted in late summer also help to control infestations. Spring burning encourages re-growth from rhizomes.
Some biotypes are resistant to certain herbicides.
Subsequent deep plowing returns some buried seed to the surface where it can germinate. Shallow cultivation encourages seed germination and depletion of the soil seedbank. Seed heads cut more than 10 days after flowering can disperse viable seed. Crop rotation, especially to competitive crops such as alfalfa, small grains, or perennial grasses can help control infestations. Nodes and internodes of fall panicum give the plant a zig-zag appearance.