SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/318924
Field Science | Q&A with Ken Hutto Q&A with Dean Mosdell, PhD C or an overview of post-emergence weed control, including herbicide selection and overall application strategies SportsTurf recently sought the insights of Ken Hutto, technical service man- ager at FMC Professional Solutions. SportsTurf: Have there been noticeable changes in post- emergent control results since MSMA was banned? Hutto: MSMA was a valuable tool for postemergence weed control. It provided effective control of annual and perennial grass weeds, but could also be used for nutsedge, kyllinga, and certain broadleaf weeds. The biggest void created when MSMA restrictions were issued was getting effective postemergence perennial grass control, most notably of dallisgrass. Since then, controlling dallisgrass has changed dramatically, not only because of the products now available, but because of when those products are applied. MSMA was solely used in the summer months, but some of the newer products are recommended for use in the fall and early summer for effective dallisgrass control. It is a change in application philosophy. SportsTurf: Please share your general post-emergent herbicide strategies for cool-season and warm-season athletic turf. Hutto: Establishing a competitive turf is a must for successful long-term weed control. A close second is correct weed identifica- tion. What looks like crabgrass may not be crabgrass! Many grasses without a seedhead look like crabgrass. If you do not know what you are dealing with, how will you know what products are most effective? Not all grass herbicides control all grasses. Likewise, some broadleaf weed materials will control prostrate knotweed better than others. In general, postemer- gence herbicides are most effective when the target weeds are in young growth stages. Depending on the sport, turf type and weed, sports turf managers may not be able to make postemergence treatments during this life cycle stage due to play. If possible, delay mowing events one day on each side of the application to ensure maximum herbicide absorption into the target weed. Resistant weeds are becoming more and more prevalent, so rotating modes-of-action is important if other options are labeled for use in the desired turf. When interseeding, be aware of seeding restrictions on herbicide labels, as some postemergence herbicides may negatively impact new seedling establishment if applied too early in seedling development. Lastly, don't forget about cultural practices! Aerifying high traffic areas to alleviate compacted areas will aid in reducing envi- ronments conducive to goosegrass. SportsTurf: Are there different products and/or strategies for post-emergence control of grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds? Hutto: There are probably more broadleaf weed herbicide options than grass herbicide options. Choosing the right poste- mergence herbicide will depend upon what weed spectrum you are dealing with. Your most common th ree-way postemergence broadleaf weed herbicides can be used in most cool and warm-season turf and can be very effective. However, having such a wide range of turf tolerance is not always the case for postemergence grass herbicides. For example, Solitare herbicide can be used for postemergence crabgrass, broadleaf, and nutsedge control in both cool and warm- season turf. Some sulfonylurea herbicides can be used for goosegrass control, but only in warm-season turf. Some of the newer "bleach- ing" herbicides are primarily labeled for cool-season turfgrass use. Understanding your weed spectrum and what products are available for use in your specific turfgrass will be a big part in developing an effective weed-control strategy. SportsTurf: Are there any new post-emergent herbicides near market that you can discuss? Hutto: FMC is always working diligently to bring the next cus- tomer driven innovation to market. Our goal is to help turfgrass managers be more efficient in their weed-control programs. ■ Hutto joined FMC in 2007. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Auburn University and Master of Science and Doctorate degrees in Weed Science specializing in Turfgrass Weed Management from Mississippi State University. After receiving his PhD, he worked at the University of Florida as a post-doctoral research associate at the West Florida Research and Education Center, conduct- ing research in turfgrass science. PoST-emergenT Herbicide Q&A 24 SportsTurf | June 2014 www.sportsturfonline.com Ken Hutto, PhD