CGA 163935 was evaluated for its growth regulating effect on common bermudagrass for two years and ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass for four years. The vegetative growth of mowed common bermudagrass was suppressed for 5 wk when CGA 163935 was applied at 0.2 kg ha–1 followed by 0.1 kg ha–1 2 wk later and mowed Tifway bermudagrass was suppressed for 4 wk after application of 0.2 kg ha–1. CGA 163935 suppressed vegetative growth of non-mowed common bermudagrass for 9 wk and non-mowed Tifway bermudagrass for 2 to 8 wk at the same rates. Common bermudagrass tolerated CGA 163935 when applied initially at 0.2 kg ha–1 and followed by 0.1 kg ha–1 at a 2-wk interval for a total 0.3 kg ha–1 rate. However, common bermudagrass was severely injured (> 30%) when CGA 163935 was applied at 0.2 kg ha–1 in each of two applications for a total rate of 0.4 kg ha–1. Tifway bermudagrass tolerated CGA 163935 when applied at 0.2 kg ha–1 as a single application or when the 0.2 kg ha–1 was followed by 0.1 kg ha–1 at a 4-wk interval. Tifway bermudagrass was severely injured (> 30%) when CGA 163935 was applied at 0.4 kg ha–1 as a single application or when 0.2 kg ha–1 was followed by 0.1 kg ha–1 at 2- or 3-wk interval. Seedheads were suppressed in common bermudagrass for 1 to 2 wk with CGA 163935 at 0.4 kg ha–1.

Plant growth regulators were evaluated on common and African ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass. Flurprimidol plus mefluidide applied at 1.1 plus 0.14 kg ha-1 and followed by 0.56 plus 0.14 kg ha-1 at 2- to 3-week interval suppressed vegetative growth of mowed common bermudagrass for 5 wk (17 to 23%) and unmowed turf for 6 wk (40%), but severely injured the turf. The injury ranged from 25 to 32% from 2 to 6 wk after treatment. The plant growth regulators that injured common bermudagrass less than flurprimidol plus mefluidide did not suppress the mowed turf for as long a period. Vegetative growth of common bermudagrass not mowed was suppressed for 6 wk when treated once with flurprimidol plus mefluidide and twice with flurprimidol, mefluidide, imazethapyr, paclobutrazol (1.1 plus 1.1 kg ha-1), and paclobutrazol plus mefluidide. Of the plant growth regulators evaluated, only imazethapyr suppressed common bermudagrass seedheads. The suppression was 70% for 4 wk, but reduced to <70% by 5 wk. Paclobutrazol applied initially at 1.1 kg ha-1 and followed at 0.56 kg ha-1 suppressed vegetative growth of mowed Tifway bermudagrass for 5 wk and unmowed turf for 8 wk without causing severe injury. The suppression of mowed Tifway bermudagrass with two applications of paclobutrazol was as good or better than with any other plant growth regulator. All plant growth regulators suppressed vegetative growth of unmowed Tifway bermudagrass for 8 wk.

An undesirable bermudagrass [Cynodon dacytlon (L.) Pers. # CYNDA] often must be removed before converting to an improved bermudagrass turf or to a different turfgrass species. Because bermudagrass control with glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] has been inconsistent, an experiment was initiated to determine the necessary application rates and frequency for glyphosate and SC-0224 (trimethylsulfonium carboxymethylaminomethylphosphonate) to control bermudagrass. Both glyphosate and SC-0224 applied in three applications (May, June, and August) had controlled three bermudagrass hybrids [Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy # CYNTR x C. dactylon (L.) Pers. Tifway’, Tifgreen’, and ‘Tifdwarf’] and ‘Ormond’ bermudagrasses when evaluated the next June. None of the cultivars were controlled effectively with either herbicide applied in one (May) or two (May and June) applications regardless of rate. Control with glyphosate and SC-0224 was similar.

The objective of this study was to determine how selected herbicides affect sod tensile strength and rooting of mature and immature turfs of ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass. Both immature and mature turf had 100% ground cover, but only mature turf had tensile strength adequate for harvesting and handling. Sod tensile strength at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after application generally was unaffected by herbicide treatment, although imazapyr killed bermudagrass top growth. Root number and root length initially were depressed by imazapyr, bensulide, napropamide, sethoxydim, and sulfometuron at most rates and intervals tested. Eight weeks after treatment, root length, root number, and sod tensile strength for all treatments, except those with imazapyr, were similar to that of the untreated control.

Vegetative growth of ‘Tifway’ African bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt-Davy # CYNTR) x bermudagrass [C. dactylon (L.) Pers. # CYNDA] treated with flurprimidol {α-(1-methylethyl)-α-[4-trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-5-pyrimidinemethanol} at 0.2 kg/ha and repeated at 3-week intervals for a total rate of 0.8 kg/ha was suppressed for 6 weeks compared to growth of nontreated grass. A single application of flurprimidol at 0.8 kg/ha in late May suppressed growth for 4 weeks. When the single 0.8 kg/ha application was delayed until mid-July, bermudagrass growth was suppressed for only 2 weeks. Applications of nitrogen (N) at 25 and 50 kg/ha did not influence flurprimidol's suppression of bermudagrass growth. Turf quality in some instances was lower when treated with 50 kg N/ha or the turfgrass required a longer recovery period than when treated with 25 kg N/ha following flurprimidol treatment. Although single or multiple applications of flurprimidol, each totaling 0.8 kg/ha, injured bermudagrass in some instances, the injury was not severe and the turfgrass fully recovered.

Premergence (PRE) herbicides were applied to a bermudagrass golf green overseeded with ‘Laser’ roughstalk bluegrass during 1995 and 1996 to determine their effects on roughstalk bluegrass injury and on the transition from a mixed cool- and warm-season grass back to the permanent bermudagrass. Roughstalk bluegrass tolerated single March applications of trifluralin plus benefin at 2.2 kg/ha, pendimethalin at 3.4 kg/ha, dithiopyr at 0.6 kg/ha, prodiamine at 0.8 kg/ha, bensulide plus oxadiazon at 8.4 kg/ha, and bensulide at 11.2 kg/ha. A single March application of oxadiazon plus benefin at 3.4 kg/ha severely injured (35%) the overseeded turf in 1 yr, but not when 1.7 kg/ha was applied in March and repeated in May. One-half recommended rates of oxadiazon and bensulide plus oxadiazon applied in March did not cause any undesirable injury, but when repeated in May, moderate to severe injury (28 to 33%) occurred in June. Oryzalin at ≥ 1.1 kg/ha, benefin plus oryzalin at ≥ 1.1 kg/ha, and oxyfluorfen plus oryzalin at ≥ 1.7 kg/ha severely injured (≥ 35%) roughstalk bluegrass. The rate of transition of mixed roughstalk bluegrass and bermudagrass back to permanent bermudagrass was not affected by any of the PRE herbicides except when oryzalin was applied alone or in combination with benefin or oxyfluorfen.

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. ♯ CYNDA ‘Vamont’, ‘Midiron’, and Cynodon dactylon X Cynodon transvaalensis Burlt-Davy ♯ CYNTR ‘Tifway’] cultivars were tolerant to oxadiazon [2-tert-butyl-4(2,4-dichloro-5-isopropoxyphenyl)-Δ2-1, 3,4-oxadiazolin-5-one] applied at rates up to 4.5 kg ai/ha during sprig establishment. The rate of shoot growth from sprigs after oxadiazon treatment was excellent and provided adequate ground cover within 3 months. Oxadiazon applications adversely affected root development of the Midiron cultivar as measured by the force required to uproot the sod. Root development of Vamont and Tifway after oxadiazon application was equal to that of untreated bermudagrass. Oxadiazon plus bensulide [O,O-diisopropyl phosphorodithioate S-ester with N-(2-mercaptoethyl)benzenesulfonamide] was inhibitory to both root and shoot growth of all cultivars. Metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-as-triazin-5(4H)-one] applications at 3 and 5 weeks after sprigging caused severe root injury to Vamont and Midiron bermudagrass.

Plant growth regulators were evaluated on African ‘Tifway’ and common bermudagrass. The vegetative growth of mowed Tifway bermudagrass was suppressed 15 to 22% for 3 weeks by flurprimidol at 0.84 kg ai/ha while mowed common bermudagrass was suppressed 30 to 34% during the same period by flurprimidol at 1.1 kg/ha. When nonmowed bermudagrass was treated with flurprimidol, the growth of Tifway treated at 0.84 kg/ha was suppressed 42% at 8 weeks while growth of common bermudagrass treated at 1.1 kg/ha was suppressed 26% at 6 weeks. Excessive injury by flurprimidol occurred when common and Tifway bermudagrass were treated at rates above 1.1 and 0.84 kg/ha, respectively. Imazethapyr excessively injured both bermudagrass cultivars. Mefluidide and Mon 4620 injured both bermudagrass cultivars slightly, but neither suppressed vegetative growth as effectively as flurprimidol.

Pronamide was applied to a ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass golf green overseeded with perennial ryegrass during 1988 and 1989 to determine how herbicide rate and date affected ryegrass injury on transition back to a bermudagrass monostand. In most instances, perennial ryegrass was injured less when pronamide was applied at 0.28 or 0.56 kg ai/ha March 30 or April 13 than when application was delayed until April 28 or May 14. Perennial ryegrass injury lasted longer when 0.28 kg/ha was applied twice (March and/or April) than when applied singly at 0.28 kg/ha March 30 or April 13. The optimum time and rate of pronamide for effective transition was April 13 and 0.56 kg/ha, respectively.

Field experiments were conducted in 1989 and 1990 to evaluate the tolerance of ‘Penncross' creeping bentgrass and ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass fall-overseeded with perennial ryegrass to irrigation water containing simazine. Creeping bentgrass was more sensitive to simazine than the bermudagrass/ryegrass mixture. The predicted critical simazine concentration necessary to reduce creeping bentgrass quality ≤ 60% was 0.22 mg L–1 which corresponded to a cumulative simazine rate of 98 g ha–1. For bermudagrass/ryegrass, the predicted critical simazine concentration and cumulative simazine rate that reduced quality ≤ 60% was 0.68 mg L–1 and 306 g ha–1, respectively.