Kill off bermudagrass with one less spraying - GCSAA

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R E S E A R C HPhotos courtesy of John BoydJust two applications (top) of a mixture of Roundup Pro with Fusilade II were as effective atkilling bermudagrass as three applications of straight Roundup Pro (bottom).another. After establishment, all thatworks is mechanical removal and spotspraying with nonselective herbicides.Contamination from off the siteWhen buying sprigs or sod inbermudagrass country, inspect the farm.That is the best way to be reasonably surethat hybrid bermudagrasses are not contaminatedby off-types and that otherturfgrasses are free of bermudagrass.The best time to search a zoysiagrassfield for bermudagrass contaminationis in the early morning when bermudagrasspatches are very obvious becausetheir leaves retain dew more readilythan zoysiagrass leaves do.Sod farmsManaging bermudagrass invasion isGolf Course Management ■ May 2000 69
R E S E A R C Hmore difficult on sod farms than on golfcourses. Sod harvest creates an idealopening for bermudagrass encroachment.The rapid regrowth of bermudagrassgives it an advantage against lessaggressivespecies and allows it tospread before the desired grass coversthe open area. Many growers of zoysiagrassand centipedegrass have eliminatedbermudagrass production fromtheir farms to reduce the potentialfor contamination.A common sight on sod farms,where pre-plant bermudagrass controlfailed, is a skirmish line of workersadvancing across a field armed withbackpack sprayers. They are spot sprayingbermudagrass with glyphosate. Thedifficulty in achieving complete coverageand consistent follow-up applicationsunder these conditions makes thisa less-than-perfect method. Spot controlof bermudagrass is a job that rarelyends until the field is taken out of productionand cleaned up.Current recommendationsIn 1988, B.J. Johnson published thedefinitive research on preplantbermudagrass control. At Griffin, Ga.,Johnson demonstrated that three applicationsof Roundup Pro over a growingseason (May, June, August) wererequired for acceptable control ofbermudagrass.After countless calls from golf coursesuperintendents and sod farmers, wesought enhancements to this approach.Generally following Johnson’s methods,we combined some grass-specific herbicideswith glyphosate. Fusilade II (fluazifop-P-butyl)and Envoy (clethodim)Bermudagrass control9696■ 1 application■ 2 applications■ 3 applications70664615221712Various mixtures of Roundup with other herbicides provide very different results in the control of bermudagrass.70 Golf Course Management ■ May 2000
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Kill off bermudagrass with one less spraying - GCSAA

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