Fenarimol Tolerance of Roughstalk Bluegrass Overseeded in Bermudagrass Greens

Abstract

AbstractBermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) putting greens are overseeded with cool‐season grasses in the fall to maintain a high‐quality putting turf throughout the southern USA. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) has been the predominant grass used for overseeding until recently, when roughstalk (Poa trivialis L.) has been increasingly used for overseeding. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) is a problem winter annual weed that infests most overseeded bermudagrass greens and the weed must be controlled with a herbicide to maintain a high‐quality putting surface. Fenarimol [ɑ(2‐chlorophenyl)‐ɑ‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐5‐pyrimidinemethanol] has preemergence herbicidal activity on annual bluegrass, but it may also reduce the germination and establishment of roughstalk bluegrass seedlings. A field experiment was conducted over a 2‐yr period to determine the time interval of fenarimol treatments necessary to avoid injury to roughstalk bluegrass overseeded on a bermudagrass green. Overseeded roughstalk bluegrass tolerated fenarimol when applied as (i) a single application at 2.7 kg ha−1, (ii) two applications of 2.0 kg ha−1 each, and (iii) three applications of 1.4 kg ha−1 each, provided the final application was made ≥ 2 wk before overseeding. Quality and density of roughstalk bluegrass were not influenced by fenarimol, provided the last application was made ≥ 2 wk before overseeding in 1991 and ≥ 1 wk before overseeding in 1992. When the final fenarimol application was made during this period, the transition of overseeded roughstalk bluegrass back to bermudagrass was not affected the following spring and early summer.