Control of Several Perennial Weeds in Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) Grown for Seed

Abstract

In commercial fields of creeping red fescue, spring applications of sethoxydim at 500 g/ha and fluazifop-P at 250 g/ha consistently reduced the heading, and consequently the seed production, of foxtail barley and volunteer bromegrass by ≥90% without affecting crop seed yield, 100-seed wt or germination. The effectiveness of sethoxydim at 500 g/ha and fluazifop-P at 250 g/ha to reduce heading of grass weeds was not affected by tank mixing with metsulfuron at 4.5 g/ha but was reduced when tank mixed with either dicamba plus 2,4-D at 280 plus 560 g/ha or 2,4-D alone at 560 g/ha. Metsulfuron alone, or in tank mixtures with sethoxydim (500 g/ha) or fluazifop-P (250 g/ha), effectively controlled dandelion and volunteer alsike clover (probability of ≥80% control was 0.94 or more). Dicamba plus 2,4-D provided a similar level of volunteer alsike clover control but was less effective on dandelion, while 2,4-D was ineffective on both weeds. Treatments containing dicamba plus 2,4-D reduced crop seed yield and germination, and increased seed weight.