Indaziflam Enhances Buckhorn Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Control from Postemergence Herbicides

Abstract

Buckhorn plantain is a perennial weed in turfgrass and efficacy of POST herbicides is often inconsistent for control in spring. Indaziflam is a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor used for PRE control of annual weeds in turf and applications have shown to be injurious to established buckhorn plantain. The objectives of this research were to evaluate (1) effects of indaziflam application rate and placement on buckhorn plantain injury; (2) effects of tank-mixing indaziflam with POST herbicides for buckhorn plantain control; and (3) physiological effects of indaziflam on absorption and translocation of14C-2,4-D in buckhorn plantain. In greenhouse experiments, indaziflam reduced buckhorn plantain shoot mass 61 to 75% from the nontreated at 4 wk after treatment (WAT) and hierarchical rank of application placements were: foliar + soil ≥ soil ≥ foliar. Differences in biomass reduction from application rates (27.5 and 55 g ai ha−1) were not detected. In field experiments, indaziflam at 55 g ha−1controlled buckhorn plantain 34% at 9 WAT but enhanced the speed of control from all herbicides tested in tank mixtures. Exclusive applications of 2,4-D or 2,4-D + dicamba + MCPP provided poor control (< 70%) of buckhorn plantain at 9 WAT, but tank mixtures with indaziflam provided 81 and 98% control, respectively. Fluroxypyr and simazine alone controlled buckhorn plantain < 38% but tank mixtures with indaziflam enhanced control more than twice as much from exclusive applications. Tank-mixing indaziflam with metsulfuron did not improve control from metsulfuron alone after 9 wk. Bermudagrass injury was not detected from any treatment. In laboratory experiments,14C-2,4-D absorption and translocation in buckhorn plantain was similar with or without indaziflam tank mixtures at 72 and 168 h after treatment. Overall, indaziflam may improve buckhorn plantain control from POST herbicides by providing additive phytotoxicity in tank mixtures in spring.