Tridax procumbens L.

Code

TRQPR

Growth form

broadleaf

Biological cycle

Annual

Habitat

terrestrial

China: Tridax procumbens flowers and fruits from November to March.
Northern Cameroon: Tridax procumbens is present throughout the crop cycle, but is most abundant at the beginning. Germination begins with the first rains in April or May.  It continues until August. Flowering occurs very quickly; the first flowers appear 2-3 weeks after emergence. In June, the flowers are already blooming. This blooming lasts until October. Fruiting and dissemination of achenes start at the end of June and end in November with the drying of the plant at the end of rainy season. In irrigated perennial crop, when the grass is mowed regularly, T. procumbens is in flowering and fruiting stage throughout the year.
Mayotte: T. procumbens flowers and fruits all the year round.
West Indies: Tridax procumbens flowers and fruits almost all year round.

Tridax procumbens grows as ruderal species, along roadsides and as weed in annual and perennial crops on well-structured soil.

Central Africa: T. procumbens thrives in ruderal and post-cultivation environments, plantations, roadsides and degraded savannahs, up to an altitude of 1,500 m.
Brazil: Tridax procumbens is a ruderal species common along roadsides and in urban areas. It is also a weed of crops and abandoned plots. It thrives in sunny environments and tolerates short periods of drought.
Northern Cameroon: Tridax procumbens develops as ruderal species along paths and as weed in annual and perennial crops. Its frequency and abundance in cultivated fields result from the combination of climate and the degree of crop intensification.
China: T. procumbens is a widespread weed, growing along exposed dry roadsides, wasteland and lawns.
Comoros: Ruderal plant, common in areas of low and medium altitude in the three islands.
Madagascar: ruderal species and widespread weed in rainfed crops especially at low and medium altitude areas on rich to moderately rich soil, and on tanety and baiboho (upland soils).
Mauritius: Weed very common on roadsides, in cultivated fields, fallow land, vacant lots, stations in sandy littoral zone.
Mayotte: T. procumbens is very common in degraded environments such as crops, wastelands, urban areas and roadsides.
New Caledonia: Tridax procumbens grows along tracks, roads and at the edge of plots. Tolerant it manages to colonize urban environments. Plant growing in full light and adapted to dry locations.
Nicaragua: T. procumbens is a ruderal species found in disturbed environments throughout the country, from 0 to 800 m altitude.
Reunion: This plant grows as ruderal species along paths and as weed of annual and perennial crops on soil structured assets.
Seychelles: This species occurs in many different conditions, but is first common at lower altitudes.
South Africa: T. procumbens is a ruderal species found along roadsides and wasteland. A weed of crops, invading bare soil; it can form patches or mats, and invades lawns; from 0 to 1700 (2850) m altitude.
West Indies: Tridax procumbens is a ruderal species and a weed of crops. It grows on dry, generally powdery soils at altitudes of 0 to 500 m.

Local harmfulness
 
Benin: Frequent and scarce.
Burkina Faso: Rare and scarce.
Northern Cameroon: In annual crop in northern Cameroon, Tridax procumbens is present in over 50% of the plots. It is considered as a general potential weed. It is rare (20% of the plots) and scarce in Sudano-Sahelian zone (annual rainfall less than 800 mm), where crops are not intensified. In Sudano-Sahelian region (average rainfall of 1100 mm) where crops are lightly intensified, its frequency is 52%, but its abundance remains generally low. However, in the Sudanese region (annual rainfall greater than 1300 mm) where cropping systems are intensive (plowing, strong mineral fertilizers, herbicides), the species is present in 80% of plots and generally abundantly. This species grows mostly on well-structured soils as ferruginous soils, Planosols, alluvial soils and fersialitic. It is particularly abundant in the beginning of the cycle and quickly develops a deep taproot. This results in late or too shallow plowing by poor uprooting of plants of T. procumbens that rapidly reinfest the plot. In the case of direct sowing for which a contact herbicide is used, when the herbicide treatment is performed on well-developed individuals (10 sheets), plants have already accumulated sufficient reserves to issue new buds in place of leaves affected by the herbicide. This is a particularly troublesome weed for crops that was planted late.
Comoros: A weed common in cassava plantations, sugarcane and banana, but very used as fodder.
Ivory Coast: Frequent and scarce.
Ghana: Rare and scarce.
Kenya: Frequent and scarce.
Madagascar: Tridax procumbens is a very common species and often dominant, especially on rich soils, due to its increasing power and very harmful in some cultures if weeding insufficient:  cotton, upland rice, peanut, cassava.
Mali: Frequent and scarce.
Mauritius: very rare weed in sugar cane cultivation as it has a low harmfulness.
Mayotte: T. procumbens is an uncommon weed, present in only 1% of cultivated plots. It is mainly found in food crops in the dry zone of the south of the island.
New Caledonia: Tridax procumbens is not an invasive species of pastures, but in some situations it may form with other minor weeds a community of species with little or no palatability, the abundance of which contributes to the degradation of pastures, and decreases the production of forage species.
Nigeria: Frequent and scarce.
Uganda: Frequent and usually abundant.
Reunion: A weed infrequent in cultivated plots and usually scarce. It can be locally embarrassing for crops established late compared to the rainy season.
Senegal: Rare but abundant when present.
Seychelles: A high density Tridax procumbens can compete with many cultures for most resources. This species can become a problem in vegetables and ornamentals.
Tanzania: Frequent and scarce.
 

Global control
 
For weeding Advice broadleaf annual weeds of irrigated rice and lowland in Africa, visit: http://portal.wiktrop.org/document/show/20

Local control
 
Madagascar: The manual control of Tridax procumbens is very demanding in time. Its chemical control is easy and inexpensive: diuron or atrazine preemergence. Bentazone, glyphosate or 2,4-D on young plants, 2,4-D + glyphosate on adult plants. T. procumbens is controlled by mulching and gradually disappears through direct seeding mulch.
New Caledonia: Sprouting and propagation by cuttings of this annual species should be prevented as much as possible by maintaining a dense herbaceous cover. On persistent stands, after slashing by rotary cutters, we can use focused spray of herbicide treatment on isolated spots. We will therefore favor traditional active ingredients such as 2,4-D (see table of treatments) selective grasses.

Herbrium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Tridax%2520procumbens