Effects of Topramezone and Bispyribac-sodium in Irrigation Water on Warm-season Turfgrasses

Abstract

Topramezone and bispyribac-sodium were registered for aquatic weed control in the last decade. A primary target for these products is fluridone-resistant hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), which is one of the most invasive submersed weeds in the southeastern United States. Both products have water use restrictions that prohibit irrigation of turfgrasses with treated waters until the herbicides have degraded to very low concentrations. The objective of these studies was to identify the concentrations of topramezone and bispyribac-sodium that are phytotoxic to turfgrasses that are commonly planted in Florida. Three species of turfgrass were irrigated twice weekly with 0.5 inch of treated water for 4 weeks (eight irrigations total). Cumulative EC10 values (the herbicide concentration that caused a 10% reduction in biomass compared with untreated control plants) after eight irrigations with water containing topramezone were 3.5, 4.3, and 17 ppb for ‘Palmetto’ st. augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), and ‘Tifway 419’ hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis), respectively. Bispyribac-sodium was less toxic to all turfgrasses evaluated, with EC10 values of 56, 16, and >800 ppb for ‘Palmetto’ st. augustinegrass, ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass, and ‘Tifway 419’ hybrid bermudagrass, respectively. These results support label instructions and highlight the need to comply with irrigation restrictions because the typical use concentrations for submersed weed control with topramezone and bispyribac-sodium are in the 20–40-ppb range.