The University of Missouri and MVGCSA are collaborating on a research project focused on bermudagrass removal in zoysia fairways specifically evaluating herbicide combinations, application timings, and traffic stress. We are currently looking for more golf courses to cooperate on this project. Our goal is to involve many different courses in order to expand the practical significance of the research and broaden recommendations to cover course specific factors like traffic and shade. Dr. Xi Xiong and Dan Lloyd from the University of Missouri will coordinate this project at locations in St. Louis as well as our greenhouse and research farm in Columbia, MO where we will evaluate the effectiveness of control measures using replicated designs and standardized procedures and equipment. What we need now is more courses to get involved that are willing to do a little research in house. Involvement in this project can be as simple or complex as you choose. For you to get involved, this is what you can do:
- Take a look at the proposed treatment list that I have below. Set aside products for any or all of the treatments below that you would like to try.
- Pick out a zoysia tee or fairway that has a significant bermuda infestation. The size of the plot is your choice, and will probably depend on the equipment you have. If you have a backpack sprayer with a four foot boom, then you can make plots that size. If your sprayer has a ten foot boom, make plots ten feet wide. Or if you just want to pick a couple treatments and split applications down the center of a fairway or between tee boxes, that will also work.
- We will coordinate our application timings based on the growth rate of bermuda and zoysia. I will send out blog posts or email reminders when it an application date nears. Reapplication intervals are targeted for when the bermudagrass rebounds roughly 30%. Again I will send out reminders around this time.
- Apply the treatments and observe. You can record data on a rating sheet that I will send out or just make notes on your own. Be sure to take pictures.
- At the end of the season, send me your data and pictures and I will compile them into a presentation at the end of the year.
Treatments:
Treatment | Trade names | Active ingredients | oz Product/acre | Repeat treatment | Interval (% regrowth) |
1 | Acclaim + Turflon | Fenoxaprop + triclopyr | 28 +6.5 | 28 +6.5 | 30% |
2 | Acclaim + Turflon | Fenoxaprop + triclopyr | 24 +24 | 24 +24 | 30% |
3 | Fusilade + Turflon | Fluazifop + triclopyr | 5.1+28.5 | 5.1+28.5 | 30% |
4 | Tenacity + Acclaim | Mesotrione + Fenoxaprop | 5+28 | 5+28 | 30% |
5 | Tenacity + Fusilade | Mesotrione + fluazifop | 5+5.1 | 5+5.1 | 30% |
6 | Untreated | - | - |
From there we should have some good data to choose the best method available. We are currently planning on continuing this project for three growing seasons with regular progress reports as we go. Do not hesitate to contact me or Tim Roethler, chair of MVGCSA research committee (troethler@oldwarson.com) for more information.
Dan Lloyd
Turfgrass research specialist
University of Missouri
573-239-2757
This is a picture taken during our greenhouse screening portion of this project, the bottom two rows are bermudagrass varieties (Riviera above Quickstand) and the top two rows are zoysia varieties (El Toro above Meyers). Different columns represent different treatments with the contol treatment shown for reference on the left side.
