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Timing is everything

Methiozolin rate and spring application timing affect annual bluegrass control on putting greens.

Methiozolin is a new herbicide reported to control annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass putting greens. However, the appropriate application timing and rate to maximize efficacy is still not clear.

The research site on the Ackerman Hills Golf Course at Purdue University. Photo by Aaron Patton

The research site on the Ackerman Hills Golf Course at Purdue University. Photo by Aaron Patton

The objective of this experiment was to determine the optimum rate and timing of spring applications for annual bluegrass control. The experiment was conducted in Knoxville, Tenn. and West Lafayette, Ind. Individual applications in March, April and May, or programs of March + April, April + May or March + April + May at two methiozolin application rates (0.45 or 0.9 lbs. /acre) were tested. Applications were made at the first of each month in Tennessee and the middle of each month in Indiana. Results from both locations concluded that sequential applications which contained the early spring (March) applications provided the best efficacy.

In Indiana, plots receiving 0.9 lbs./acre methiozolin sequentially applied March + April + May controlled annual bluegrass up to 44 percent, in Tennessee the same treatment provided 99 percent control. A single March application was not effective in Indiana but provided 97 percent control in Tennessee. Tennessee reported up to 40 percent annual bluegrass control with either a single April or May application at 0.9 lbs./acre, but no control was observed in Indiana.

Annual bluegrass was not controlled from the 0.45 lbs./acre applications in Indiana, but in Tennessee the 0.45 lbs./acre rate provided control that was similar to 0.9 lbs./acre. Differences between locations were likely due to different annual bluegrass biotypes at each location, and emphasize the importance of conducting annual bluegrass research at multiple locations. In general, methiozolin proved to be a useful tool for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass greens.

Jon M. Trappe, Aaron J. Patton and Daniel Weisenberger work in the Agronomy Department at Purdue University. Gregory Breeden and James Brosnan work in the Plant Sciences Department at University of Tennessee. Trappe can be reached at jtrappe@purdue.edu.

News Update

e-par USA offers certification

The e-par Group and e-par USA announced recently that their Enviornmental Management System Certified Professional program is now available to superintendents in the U.S.

The program has been available in Australia since 2010. It recognizes individuals who have knowledge of systems-based environmental management and the requisite skills to build and implement a comprehensive environmental management system.

“I think it’s important to be able to provide the option of professional recognition to individuals who are leading the way in golf through the use of well-established environmental management standards,” says Kevin Fletcher, Ph.D., president and CEO of e-par USA.

The e-par EMS Certified Professional program is based on internationally recognized standards, meeting ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 standards.

 

This is posted in Research

About the Author: Kelly Limpert

Kelly Limpert is the former digital media content producer for North Coast Media.

About the Author: Aaron J. Patton, Ph.D.

Professor of Horticulture, Purdue University


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