Monthly Flurprimidol Applications Reduce Annual Bluegrass Populations in a Creeping Bentgrass Fairway
2007
Bigelow, C.A. | Hardebeck, G.A. | Bunnell, B.T.
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) (ABG) is an invasive weed in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) (CBG) golf course fairways and tees. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) like flurprimidol (FL) are often applied to these areas to manage shoot growth and minimize ABG encroachment. This two-year field study evaluated the effects of various FL, trinexepac-ethyl (TE), and FL + TE tank-mix combinations applied monthly from May through October to a mature CBG research fairway containing more than 30% ABG prior to PGR initiation. After two consecutive years of PGR applications the most effective treatments for reducing ABG populations were FL alone (0.28, or 0.56 kg a.i./ha) or the FL + TE (0.56 + 0.06 kg a.i./ha) tank-mix which reduced the ABG populations from initial levels by 78, 74, and 87% respectively. PGR effects on visual color and quality were not significant when averaged across both study years. These results demonstrate that even where rather large, more than 30%, ABG populations exist, monthly FL applications throughout the growing season can gradually reduce ABG to tolerable, less than 10%, levels without the risk for rapid turf cover losses which can result in substantial turf voids.
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