The prolific seed production and polyploidy of annual bluegrass allow for the rapid development of herbicide resistance. Ethofumesate-resistant annual bluegrass plants were identified in the 1990s in grass seed production in Oregon, but their prevalence and distribution are not well documented. Therefore a dose–response experiment was initiated to determine the potential level of ethofumesate resistance in seed production systems. Seeds from 55 annual bluegrass populations were obtained from three sources: seed production fields (31 populations), the seed cleaning process (6 populations), and seed testing lots prior to retail distribution (18 populations). Additionally, two populations, one with known ethofumesate resistance and one with known susceptibility, were identified in preliminary testing and used as controls in this experiment. Seed from each collected population was increased. Individual seedlings were then transplanted into separate cone-tainers, grown to a size of 2 to 3 tillers in the greenhouse, and then sprayed using a compressed air track spray chamber with 10 doses of ethofumesate at 0, 0.56, 1.1, 2.8, 5.6, 8.4, 11.2, 16.8, 22.4, and 44.8 kg ai ha−1, with 0.84 to 2.2 kg ha−1 as the label application rate for perennial ryegrass. The resistant to susceptible ratio of populations across all sources ranged from 0.5 to 5.5. The most resistant populations found in production fields, seed cleaning, and seed testing lots had the effective dose necessary to kill 50% of the population (ED50) of 12.1, 9.4, and 13.1 kg ha−1, respectively. Furthermore, 68% of the populations found in production fields had ED50 higher than 6 kg ha−1, indicating common annual bluegrass resistance in grass seed production. As such, growers should implement integrated weed management strategies, as herbicides alone will likely be ineffective at controlling annual bluegrass.

Data from a national survey of 348 U.S. sports field managers were used to examine the effects of participation in Cooperative Extension events on the adoption of turfgrass weed management practices. Of the respondents, 94% had attended at least one event in the previous 3 yr. Of this 94%, 97% reported adopting at least one practice as a result of knowledge gained at an Extension turfgrass event. Half of the respondents had adopted four or more practices; a third adopted five or more practices. Nonchemical, cultural practices were the most-adopted practices (65% of respondents). Multiple regression analysis was used to examine factors explaining practice adoption and Extension event attendance. Compared to attending one event, attending three events increased total adoption by an average of one practice. Attending four or more events increased total adoption by two practices. Attending four or more events (compared to one event) increased the odds of adopting six individual practices by 3- to 6-fold, depending on the practice. This suggests that practice adoption could be enhanced by encouraging repeat attendance among past Extension event attendees. Manager experience was a statistically significant predictor of the number of Extension events attended but a poor direct predictor of practice adoption. Experience does not appear to increase adoption directly, but indirectly, via its impact on Extension event attendance. In addition to questions about weed management generally, the survey asked questions specifically about annual bluegrass management. Respondents were asked to rank seven sources of information for their helpfulness in managing annual bluegrass. There was no single dominant information source, but Extension was ranked more than any other source as the most helpful (by 22% of the respondents) and was ranked among the top three by 53%, closely behind field representative/local distributor sources at 54%.

Winter annual weeds begin to germinate as zoysiagrass enters winter dormancy in autumn. These weeds can suppress zoysiagrass shoot development the following spring through competition for sunlight, moisture, and nutrients. Previous research involving winter annual weed control in dormant turfgrass has been conducted primarily on bermudagrass, but less is known about how various herbicides used for this purpose will influence zoysiagrass after dormancy transition. Two field studies were conducted over 7 site-years between 2016 and 2020 to evaluate 17 herbicide treatments that are typically marketed for broadleaf weed control in spring and 18 herbicide treatments that are typically marketed for annual bluegrass control during winter for their effects on a variety of weeds and semidormant ‘Meyer’ and dormant ‘Zeon’ zoysiagrass, respectively. Glufosinate, glyphosate + simazine, and indaziflam + simazine controlled Persian speedwell by more than 90% and control was significantly greater with auxin-type and other herbicide combinations. Dandelion and Persian speedwell were better controlled with a combination of simazine and glyphosate than when glyphosate was applied alone. Glufosinate controlled dandelion, hairy bittercress, and Persian speedwell more effectively than glyphosate. In Meyer zoysiagrass, glyphosate and glufosinate controlled annual bluegrass equivalently, whereas in Zeon zoysiagrass, glyphosate controlled annual bluegrass better than glufosinate did. Foramsulfuron or treatments that contained simazine resulted in >90% control of annual bluegrass. A flumioxazin admixture with diquat, glufosinate, or glyphosate improved annual bluegrass control. Herbicide treatments that contain diquat, glufosinate, glyphosate, and metsulfuron alone or in a tank-mix should not be applied to Meyer zoysiagrass with 5% visual green turf cover due to high injury potential. In both studies, glufosinate was more injurious to Meyer and Zeon zoysiagrass than glyphosate. Overall, several herbicides that control annual bluegrass or broadleaf weeds can be safely applied to Zeon zoysiagrass during dormancy or Meyer zoysiagrass during post-dormancy transition.

Herbicide resistance has for decades been an increasing problem of agronomic crops such as corn and soybean. Several weed species have evolved herbicide resistance in turfgrass systems such as golf courses, sports fields, and sod production—particularly biotypes of annual bluegrass and goosegrass. Consequences of herbicide resistance in agronomic cropping systems indicate what could happen in turfgrass if herbicide resistance becomes broader in terms of species, distribution, and mechanisms of action. The turfgrass industry must take action to develop effective resistance management programs while this problem is still relatively small in scope. We propose that lessons learned from a series of national listening sessions conducted by the Herbicide Resistance Education Committee of the Weed Science Society of America to better understand the human dimensions affecting herbicide resistance in crop production provide tremendous insight into what themes to address when developing effective resistance management programs for the turfgrass industry.

Herbicide-resistant weeds pose a severe threat to sustainable vegetation management in various production systems worldwide. The majority of the herbicide resistance cases reported thus far originate from agronomic production systems where herbicide use is intensive, especially in industrialized countries. Another notable sector with heavy reliance on herbicides for weed control is managed turfgrass systems, particularly golf courses and athletic fields. Intensive use of herbicides, coupled with a lack of tillage and other mechanical tools that are options in agronomic systems, increases the risk of herbicide-resistant weeds evolving in managed turfgrass systems. Among the notable weed species at high risk for evolving resistance under managed turf systems in the United States are annual bluegrass, goosegrass, and crabgrasses. The evolution and spread of multiple herbicide resistance, an emerging threat facing the turfgrass industry, should be addressed with the use of diversified management tools. Target-site resistance has been reported commonly as a mechanism of resistance for many herbicide groups, though non–target site resistance is an emerging concern. Despite the anecdotal evidence of the mounting weed resistance issues in managed turf systems, the lack of systematic and periodic surveys at regional and national scales means that confirmed reports are very limited and sparse. Furthermore, currently available information is widely scattered in the literature. This review provides a concise summary of the current status of herbicide-resistant weeds in managed turfgrass systems in the United States and highlights key emerging threats.

Pinoxaden is a POST acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitor in the phenylpyrazolin chemical family and is labelled for turfgrass use at broadcast rates of 35.5 to 71 g ai ha−1 and spot spray rates of 156 to 310 g ai ha−1. A greenhouse rate-response study was conducted to characterize the efficacy of pinoxaden against common grassy weeds. Weed species examined in this study were yellow foxtail, southern sandbur, annual bluegrass, roughstalk bluegrass, large crabgrass, dallisgrass, bahiagrass, goosegrass, and perennial ryegrass. Nonlinear regressions were modelled to determine visible injury rates (the application rate at which 50% of the weed species were injured and the 90% [I90] rate) and weight reduction rates (the application rate at which there was a 50% reduction in fresh weight and 90% reduction [WR90]) for each weed species. Only annual bluegrass, bahiagrass, and goosegrass had visible injury I90 values greater than the maximum labelled spot spray rate of 310 g ai ha−1. Annual bluegrass, bahiagrass, southern sandbur, and goosegrass all had WR90 values greater than the maximum labelled spot spray rate of 310 g ai ha−1. Results from this study indicate that the evaluated weed species can be ranked, according to visible injury I90 values, from most to least susceptible: perennial ryegrass > yellow foxtail > dallisgrass > large crabgrass > southern sandbur > roughstalk bluegrass > bahiagrass > goosegrass > annual bluegrass.

The effect of reduced light intensity on the growth and development of three common grass weeds, blackgrass, silky windgrass, and annual bluegrass, was studied. Two identical greenhouse experiments displaced in time were performed with six light levels aiming at 0%, 20%, 50%, 80%, 90%, and 95% shade corresponding to a mean daily light integral (DLI) of 12.4, 9.63, 7.13, 2.74, 0.95, and 0.69 mol m−2 d−1 in experiment 1 and 21.2, 18.0, 10.7, 3.71, 1.64, 1.20 mol m−2 d−1 in experiment 2. Climate screens of acrylic fabric were used to create the light levels. A DLI of 0.69 to 3.71 mol m−2 d−1 substantially reduced the plant height, the number of leaves, leaf chlorophyll content index, stomatal conductance, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, and dry matter of blackgrass. It also reduced plant height, the number of leaves, and dry matter and delayed flowering of windgrass and annual bluegrass. Annual bluegrass reacted most rapidly when light levels increased from the lowest levels by producing more leaves. DLI thresholds for blooming were estimated to be about 7.13 mol m−2 d−1 for windgrass and 1.64 mol m−2 d−1 for annual bluegrass. Annual bluegrass was able to bloom and sustain biomass even at a DLI of 1.64 mol m−2 d−1. This ability may contribute to an explanation of why annual bluegrass is among the most common weed species in highly competitive and well-fertilized crops even though it is much smaller than the two other grass species.

Turfgrass managers currently have few readily available means of evaluating herbicide resistance in annual bluegrass during the growing season. Research was conducted to determine if agar-based diagnostic tests developed for agronomic weeds could be used to reliably confirm herbicide resistance in annual bluegrass harvested from golf course turf. Annual bluegrass phenotypes with target-site resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS; R3, R7), enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS; R5), and photosystem II (PSII; R3, R4) inhibiting herbicides were included in experiments along with an herbicidal susceptible phenotype (S). Single tiller plants were washed free of soil and transplanted into autoclavable polycarbonate plant culture boxes filled with plant tissue culture agar amended with a murashigee-skoog medium and trifloxysulfuron (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100, or 150 μM), glyphosate (0, 6, 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 μM), or simazine (0, 6, 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 μM). Mortality in agar was assessed 7 to 10 days after treatment (depending on herbicide) and compared to responses observed after treating individual plants of each phenotype with trifloxysulfuron (28 g ai ha-1), glyphosate (1120 g ae ha-1), or simazine (1120 g ai ha-1) in an enclosed spray chamber. Fisher’s exact test (α = 0.05) determined that mortality in agar with 12.5 μM trifloxysulfuron and 100 μM glyphosate was not significantly different than treating whole plants via traditional spray application. Mortality with all concentrations of simazine in agar was significantly different than that observed after treating resistant and susceptible phenotypes via traditional spray application. Our findings indicate that an agar-based diagnostic assay can be used to detect annual bluegrass resistance to ALS- or EPSPS-inhibiting herbicides in less than 10 days; however, additional research is needed to refine this assay for use with PSII-inhibiting herbicides.

Two field studies, a seeded study and a golf course study, were conducted to compare competition among creeping bentgrass, annual bluegrass, and roughstalk bluegrass when subjected to common weed control practices and foliar applications of iron and magnesium. A research site was selected for the seeded study and divided into 10 whole plots receiving irrigation at either 50 or 100% evapotranspiration deficit. Each whole plot was further divided into subplots receiving one of seven treatments: bensulide, ethofumesate, trinexapac-ethyl, foliar Mg, foliar Fe, foliar Mg plus foliar Fe, and control. The site was seeded to a mixture of creeping bentgrass, annual bluegrass, and roughstalk bluegrass in September 1995, and treatments began in March 1996. Annual bluegrass was reduced 29% in plots treated with foliar Fe and 65% in plots treated with foliar Fe plus foliar Mg. Roughstalk bluegrass was significantly reduced in seeded plots treated with foliar iron (50%), plant growth regulator (75%), and foliar iron plus foliar magnesium (100%). Annual bluegrass and roughstalk bluegrass proportions were not affected by irrigation regime. In a second study, the most effective treatment, foliar magnesium plus foliar iron, was tested on a working golf course fairway and on a practice putting green beginning April 1997 and ending November 1997. Treatments on the golf course fairway and practice putting green were ineffective due to the established, perennial nature of the annual bluegrass biotypes on these sites. Further research is required to improve the efficacy of nutritional treatments on these perennials.

Methiozolin is an isoxazoline herbicide being investigated for selective POST annual bluegrass control in managed turfgrass. Research was conducted to evaluate methiozolin efficacy for controlling two annual bluegrass phenotypes with target-site resistance to photosystem II (PSII) or enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS)-inhibiting herbicides (i.e., glyphosate), as well as phenotypes with multiple resistance to microtubule and EPSPS or PSII and acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. All resistant phenotypes were established in glasshouse culture along with a known herbicide-susceptible control and treated with methiozolin at 0, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, or 8000 g ai ha−1. Methiozolin effectively controlled annual bluegrass with target-site resistance to inhibitors of EPSPS, PSII, as well as multiple resistance to EPSPS and microtubule inhibitors. Methiozolin rates required to reduce aboveground biomass of these resistant phenotypes 50% (GR50 values) were not significantly different from the susceptible control, ranging from 159 to 421 g ha−1. A phenotype with target-site resistance to PSII and ALS inhibitors was less sensitive to methiozolin (GR50=862 g ha−1) than a susceptible phenotype (GR50=423 g ha−1). Our findings indicate that methiozolin is an effective option for controlling select annual bluegrass phenotypes with target-site resistance to several herbicides.

Methiozolin is a new isoxazoline herbicide that has scarcely been tested in Kentucky bluegrass turf. A field trial was conducted in Blacksburg, VA, to determine response of 110 Kentucky bluegrass varieties and winter annual weeds to sequential fall applications of methiozolin. At 1.5 and 6 mo after initial treatment (MAIT), Kentucky bluegrass injury I30 values (predicted methiozolin rate that causes 30% Kentucky bluegrass injury) ranged between 3.4 to more than 10 times the recommended methiozolin rate for annual bluegrass control. Methiozolin at all rates reduced cover of annual bluegrass, common chickweed, corn speedwell, hairy bittercress, mouseear chickweed, and Persian speedwell but increased cover of parsley-piert. For all varieties, methiozolin at 2 kg ai ha−1 increased Kentucky bluegrass cover, turf quality, and turf normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) relative to the nontreated check at 6 MAIT. Kentucky bluegrass relative cover change (RCC) was attributed primarily to weed control but was inversely correlated with methiozolin rates because of increased weed control and reduced Kentucky bluegrass growth. Despite the decline in RCC with increasing methiozolin rates, most Kentucky bluegrass varieties treated with the highest methiozolin rate (6 kg ha−1) still had greater Kentucky bluegrass cover than the nontreated check at 6 MAIT. Results from this study indicate that two fall applications of methiozolin at rates beyond that previously reported for annual bluegrass control can safely be applied to a broad range of Kentucky bluegrass varieties spanning most of the known genetic classifications.

Poor annual bluegrass control was reported in golf course roughs following treatment with prodiamine (1120 gaiha−1) and glyphosate (840 gaeha−1) during hybrid bermudagrass dormancy. Research was conducted to determine if this annual bluegrass phenotype was resistant to both prodiamine and glyphosate and to determine the efficacy of herbicide mixtures for controlling this phenotype in the field. In PRE or POST dose-response experiments, 9 to 31 times more prodiamine or glyphosate was needed to control (or reduce dry biomass of) this resistant phenotype by 50% compared to an herbicide-susceptible phenotype. Moreover, glyphosate-susceptible plants accumulated 50% more shikimic acid (898 mgkg−1) 6 d after treatment than those resistant to glyphosate (394 mgkg−1). October (fall) applications of herbicide mixtures containing trifloxysulfuron, simazine, S-metolachlor, or mesotrione controlled this resistant annual bluegrass phenotype 84 to 98% in April (spring), with no differences detected among treatments. Our findings document the second instance of annual bluegrass evolving multiple resistance in a managed turfgrass system. However, several herbicide mixtures can be used to effectively manage this resistant phenotype.

An experiment was conducted on a specially designed hard surface to study the impact of time interval between flaming treatments on the regrowth and flower production of two grass weeds. The goal of this experiment was to optimize the control of annual bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, both species that are very difficult to control without herbicides. Aboveground biomass from 72 plants per treatment was harvested and dry weights were recorded at regular intervals to investigate how the plants responded to flaming. Regrowth of the grasses was measured by harvesting aboveground biomass 2 wk after the second flaming treatments that were implemented at different time intervals. Flaming treatments decreased plant biomass of both species and also the ratio of flowering annual bluegrass plants. However, few plants were killed. The first flaming treatment affected aboveground biomass more than the second flaming treatment. A treatment interval of 7 d provided the greatest reduction in regrowth of perennial ryegrass, whereas the effect of treatment interval varied between the first and second repetitions of this experiment for annual bluegrass. In general, short treatment intervals (3 d) should be avoided, as they did not increase the reduction of aboveground biomass compared with the 7-d treatment interval. Knowledge on the regrowth of grass weeds after flaming treatments provided by this study can help improve recommendations given to road keepers and park managers for management on these weeds.

Fall applications of fenarimol on hybrid Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) provide effective preemergence Poa annua (L.) control and suppress Ophiosphaerella spp. pathogens; however, concerns exist for turf injury and root growth restrictions. Two 60-d greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of fenarimol at 0, 1.6, and 3.2 kg ai/ha per 30 d with and without trinexapac-ethyl (TE) at 0.017 kg ai ha/15 d on ‘TifEagle’ Bermudagrass. Turf color was enhanced by TE 14 d after initial treatment (DAIT) and was continually superior throughout the experiment. Fenarimol at 3.2 kg/ha per 30 d decreased turf color 14 DAIT, but was similar to nontreated turf on all other observation dates. Increased fenarimol rates applied twice caused approximately 10% injury at 42, 49, and 56 d after treatment; however, injury was acceptable after initial and repeat applications. TE reduced clipping yield an average 39% from six sampling dates. Initial fenarimol applications (without TE) reduced clippings by 37% 20 DAIT and repeated applications reduced clippings 40, 50, and 60 DAIT. Increased fenarimol rate linearly decreased root mass for turf treated with and without TE; however, Bermudagrass receiving TE averaged 23% enhanced root mass 60 DAIT over all fenarimol rates. Bermudagrass receiving fenarimol at 0, 1.6, and 3.2 kg/ ha per 30 d with TE averaged 27, 24, and 16% higher root mass, respectively, compared to turf receiving fenarimol without TE. Treatments had no influence on root length. Results indicate that two consecutive fenarimol applications at 1.6 and 3.2 kg/ha per 30 d may cause minor injury to TifEagle Bermudagrass and restrict root growth. Repeated TE applications, however, could decrease injury from fenarimol and enhance rooting relative to fenarimol applied exclusively.

Methiozolin selectively controls annual bluegrass in cool-season turfgrasses, and practitioners may wish to reseed desirable species in treated areas. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate reseeding intervals for creeping bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue following methiozolin applications. Turfgrass establishment varied for species, application timing (0, 2, 4, or 6 wk before seeding, WBS), and rates tested (0.56, 1.12, or 2.24 kg ai ha−1). Reductions in turf cover suggest that seeding of creeping bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue should be delayed 2 wk after methiozolin treatments at 0.56 kg ha−1. However, reseeding should be delayed after methiozolin treatments at 1.12 kg ha−1 for approximately 4, 4, and 2 wk for creeping bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue, respectively. Similarly, establishment was reduced on all dates from the nontreated after 2.24 kg ha−1 was applied at 4 WBS, suggesting that reseeding should be delayed for at least 6 wk on all three species at the high rate.

Methiozolin controls annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass but application timing and temperature could influence efficacy in turf. In field experiments, sequential methiozolin applications totaling 3.36 kg ai ha−1 provided excellent (> 90%) annual bluegrass control at 8 wk after initial treatment when treatments were initiated in February/March or May but programs totaling 0.84 and 1.68 kg ha−1 provided poor control (< 70%) at both timings. Methiozolin at all rates caused minimal turf injury (< 8%) but creeping bentgrass was only injured from February/March applications. In growth chamber experiments, creeping bentgrass injury from methiozolin at 10 C was 2 and 4 times greater than at 20 C and 30 C, respectively, while annual bluegrass injury was similar across temperatures. In laboratory experiments, annual bluegrass had more foliar absorption of 14C-methiozolin than creeping bentgrass at 30/25 C (day/night), compared to 15/10 C, but translocation was similar at both temperatures as > 90% of absorbed 14C remained in the treated leaf after 72 h. Annual bluegrass distributed and recovered more radioactivity to shoots from root-applied 14C-methiozolin than creeping bentgrass while both species had about 2 times more distribution to shoots at 30/25 C than 15/10 C. Metabolites were not detected in annual bluegrass or creeping bentgrass at 1, 3, or 7 d after treatment when grown at 15/10 C or 30/25 C suggesting uptake and translocation contributes to methiozolin selectivity in turfgrass.

The introduced exotic vines pale and black swallowwort rapidly have become invasive throughout regions of the northeastern United States and adjoining areas of Canada. Preliminary studies have reported that the species are allelopathic, possibly contributing to their competitive ability and invasiveness. Results from our laboratory assays indicated that swallowwort root exudates caused significant root length reductions (e.g., 40% for butterfly milkweed and 20% for large crabgrass) and reduced germination (e.g., 25% for lettuce) of indicator species. Additional bioassays with dried swallowwort tissues demonstrated that tissue leachates caused varied responses in indicators, with both significant stimulatory and inhibitory effects. In particular, significant congeneric interactions were noted between the two swallowwort species. Evidence from this study of swallowwort tissue phytotoxicity has important implications for developing effective management and habitat restoration strategies for the two invasive species.

Annual bluegrass is a troublesome weed in turf management and there are currently limited POST herbicides labeled for use in seashore paspalum. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate seashore paspalum tolerance to pronamide and other herbicides for annual bluegrass control. In field experiments, turf injury never exceeded 7% from pronamide applied at dormancy, 50% green-up, or complete green-up of seashore paspalum in spring. Annual bluegrass control from pronamide was initially similar across timings and averaged 67, 90, and 98% control from 0.84, 1.68, and 3.36 kg ai ha−1, respectively, after 6 wk. In greenhouse experiments, the aforementioned pronamide rates caused less than 10% injury on seashore paspalum. Seashore paspalum injury in the greenhouse was excessive (> 20%) from atrazine, bispyribac-sodium, and trifloxysulfuron and moderate (7 to 20%) from foramsulfuron, rimsulfuron, and ethofumesate. Seashore paspalum seedhead count reductions by 4 wk after treatment (WAT) were good to excellent (87 to 98%) from atrazine, bispyribac-sodium, rimsulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron and poor (≤ 0%) from ethofumesate, foramsulfuron, and pronamide. By 4 WAT, seashore paspalum clippings were reduced 0 to 39% from pronamide, whereas atrazine, bispyribac-sodium, and trifloxysulfuron reduced clippings by 54 to 69% from the untreated and ethofumesate, foramsulfuron, and rimsulfuron reduced clippings by 27 to 39%.

Annual bluegrass is a weed species in turfgrass environments known for exhibiting resistance to multiple herbicide modes of action, including photosystem II (PSII) inhibitors. To evaluate populations of annual bluegrass for susceptibility to PSII inhibitors of varied chemistries, populations were treated with herbicides from triazolinone, triazine, and substituted urea families: amicarbazone, atrazine, and diuron, respectively. Sequencing of the psbA gene confirmed the presence of a Ser264 to Gly amino acid substitution within populations that exhibited resistance to both atrazine and amicarbazone. A single biotype, DR3, which lacked any previously reported psbA gene point mutation, exhibited resistance to diuron, atrazine, and amicarbazone. DR3 had a significantly lower rate of absorption and translocation of atrazine and had enhanced atrazine metabolism when compared with both the Ser264 to Gly resistant mutant and susceptible biotypes. We thus report possible nontarget mechanisms of resistance to PSII-inhibiting herbicides in annual bluegrass.

Acetolactate synthase–- (ALS-) inhibiting herbicides are frequently used to control annual bluegrass in managed turfgrass systems. Recently, the number of annual bluegrass populations resistant to these herbicides has increased on golf courses. Previous research involving annual bluegrass resistance to ALS inhibitors has included elucidating the mechanism of resistance and in vivo response of ALS to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. The purpose of this research was to generate baseline information on enzymatic parameters of resistant (R) and susceptible (S) annual bluegrass biotypes and further distinguish these biotypes by comparing vegetative growth and reproductive characteristics. The R biotype contained a mutation in the ALS gene resulting in a Trp574 to Leu amino acid substitution. Compared to the S biotype, the R biotype exhibited a 27- and 10-fold resistance to trifloxysulfuron at the whole-plant level and under in vitro conditions, respectively. No significant differences were observed in substrate concentration at one-half maximum rate of enzyme activity (pyruvate) or extractable ALS activity between biotypes, but the maximum rate of enzyme activity was higher for the R biotype. The feedback inhibition of ALS activity by the branched-chain amino acids was higher for the R biotype than the S biotype, with leucine, valine, and isoleucine inhibiting ALS activity 20, 6, and 4% more in the R biotype, respectively. The R biotype produced more inflorescences and seeds per plant in comparison with the S biotype, but relative growth rates between biotypes were similar at all harvest intervals. Our research provides baseline information regarding ALS enzyme response, vegetative growth, and reproductive characteristics of annual bluegrass biotypes resistant and susceptible to ALS-inhibiting herbicides.