Control of Wild Celery in Low Maintenance Bermudagrass Turf

Herbicides applied for post-emergence control of wild parsley differed in turf injury and weed control. All products tested required multiple applications (21 days apart) to attain acceptable weed control levels. Weedone (2, 4-D) has the quickest, highest, and longest lasting amount of weed control. Weedone (2, 4-D) caused minimal injury to the common bermudagrass turf. Bromoxynil at the low rate of 2.0 lbs. ai/a caused minimal injury to the turf, but provided low levels of weed control. Bromoxynil at the high rate of 3.0 lbs. ai/a caused considerable injury to the turf and moderate to high weed control for about one month, followed by weed recovery. MCPP caused slight initial injury to common bermudagrass and moderate to good weed control (71%-92%) from 7 to 35 days after the second treatment. Weed control was slower to achieve than that of the Weedone treatments. Confront herbicide (trichlopyr and clopyralid) caused slight to moderate initial injury to the turf (more so at 2.0 than at 1.0 pint/product/acre) as well as noticeable necrosis and decreased color of the common bermudagrass up to 21 days after the second application. Confront at the 2.0 pint/acre rate reached weed control levels of 90%-97% at 21 and 35 days after the second application, respectively. At the low rate of 1.0 pint/acre, a maximum of 83% weed control was achieved at the close of the test. Quadmec (applied three weeks later at each respective application date than all other treatments) produced moderate necrosis in the bermudagrass after the initial application, which eventually recovered. However, the turfgrass color was lower in rank (lighter) than most other treatments and was similar to that of the untreated controls. Quadmec achieved 96% control by the close of the test on July 2, 1999 (14 days after the second application). All treatments include 0.5% v/v Silwet surfactant. When applied alone, Silwet produced a small level of weed control, which peaked at 36% at 14 days after the second treatment.