Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

Field Bindweed is a long lived perennial vine that is also known as Morning Glory. It has an extensive and efficient root system that reduces the soil water content to below the wilt point of most crops. It also competes with turf for sunlight, and nutrients, and chokes out other plants.

Morning Glory has creeping stems and is prostrate until it comes into contact with other plants or barriers. This weed has an extensive system of rhizomes that can grow deep into the soil.

Morning Glory flowers are light-sensitive, and the flowers close up at night and on cloudy days. This is called nyctinasty. and you can also see this in Gazania and Wood Sorrel.

Field Bindweed is a good indicator of low-fertility soils that are deficient in Ca and P or under drought stress. It also indicates an excess of K.

More on turf weeds is in our weed ID chart.

Thanks to The Living Atlas of Australia for the distribution map.

After you read this, you will be able to:

• Identify Field Bindweed or Morning Glory.

• Know the habitat of Bindweed.

• Know the best options to control Morning Glory.

 

Bindweed is a perennial, and has a thick taproot that allows the plant to survive during periods of low soil moisture. It can re-shoot if the shoot is damaged.

 

 

 

Photosynthetic Pathway: C3 Weed.

 

 

 

Flower: It flowers throughout the year, often during the Spring to Autumn period. Flowers are bell or funnel-shaped, white to pinkish in colour.

 

 

Leaf length: The leaves are usually opposite and triangular and 1 to 8 cm long.

 

 

Leaf width: Around 0.2 to 4 cm wide.

 

 

Reproduction: Bindweed reproduces vegetatively from roots, rhizomes, and stem fragments and a plant can spread 2 to 3 metres in a growing season.

 

 

Interestingly, if you scarify and damage the seed coat, it causes 100% seed germination. This is in contrast to a germination rate of only 5 to 25% of freshly collected field Bindweed seeds. The seeds spread by animals, water and human activity.

 

 

Bindweed regrows from taproot material and seedlings during the cooler Autumn to Spring months.

 

Comments: Once plants mature they are difficult to control with herbicides. The aboveground shoot dies back from frost, but the roots withstand temperatures as low as -6°C.

 

 

Habitat: Morning Glory or Field Bindweed can grow in a wide range of conditions. These range from full sun to full shade and it can tolerate long periods of drought. This weed thrives in dry, gravel rich soils, but prefers rich, fertile soils with moderate soil moisture. You rarely find Field bindweed in wet soils and it is often seen in verges, waste tips, and disturbed ground.

 

 

 

Cultural and chemical controls manage Morning Glory or Field Bindweed.

 

 

The first step in the cultural control of Field Bindweed is to feed your turf. Field bindweed does not compete well if there is a thick cover of turfgrass.

• Apply enough nitrogen.
• Irrigate properly.
• Field Bindweed is not compettive in shade, so maintain your turf at the right height of cut. However, mowing to remove Bindweed will not work due to its prostrate growth habit.
• Hand weeding is a waste of time unless the plants are very young and have not yet developed an extensive root system.

 

 

Post Emergent Control of Field Bindweed.

• Standalone herbicides like 2,4-D do not work well. The aim with 2,4-D is to reduce Bindweed stands by 60 to 80% and prevent seedling establishment. It is important to apply 2,4-D every year. If you miss an application it gives Bindweed a chance to recover.
• Dicamba. Control is best when weeds are actively growing and in the post bloom stage. Make a follow-up application in the Spring to control any seedlings.
• Contra M.
• MCPA.
• Quinclorac. Not registered in Australia for the control of Field Bindweed. You must add methylated seed oil (Voltage MSO), with uptake being via the foliage and roots. Rain after application is important for soil uptake.

 

 

 

If you use Glyphosate and water quality is an issue then we recommend the use of ProForce Manta Ray.

Other options for Field Bindweed include:

 

• Cortex Duo.
• Numchuk Quad.
• Renegade.