Effects of Rimsulfuron Lateral Relocation on Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)

Abstract

Concern has been raised that herbicides often used to control perennial ryegrass in warm-season turf could move laterally or “track” and injure neighboring cool-season grasses. Rimsulfuron was applied at 17.5 or 35 g ai/ha to perennial ryegrass in the afternoon. The following morning, while dew was still present, a greens mower was driven through the perennial ryegrass and across the adjacent creeping bentgrass. When evaluated 5, 10, and 25 d after treatment, visible track length and creeping bentgrass injury were greatly reduced by irrigating perennial ryegrass 2 h after treatment or by irrigating both perennial ryegrass and creeping bentgrass prior to simulated mowing. Visible injury of tracked turfgrass persisted for 36 d after treatment when irrigation was not applied and for as few as 5 d when both perennial ryegrass and creeping bentgrass were irrigated. Irrigation had no effect on perennial ryegrass control. Gibberellic acid at 0.12 kg ai/ha and foliar iron at 1.3 kg ai/ha, applied when tracks first appeared, did not improve the recovery of injured creeping bentgrass. Our results suggest that when applying rimsulfuron near susceptible bentgrass, the lowest effective rate should be applied and that the bentgrass should be irrigated at least 2 h after treatment to prevent nontarget injury.