Publication Date

8-2013

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Paul Woosley (Director), Becky Gilfillen, Todd Willian

Degree Program

Department of Agriculture

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

In the fall of 2011, a study was initiated at the Western Kentucky University Farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky on a Crider silt loam (Typic Paleudalf). The objective of this study was to determine cultivar, mowing height, and herbicide effects on bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers., suppression in tall fescue, Schedonorus arundinaceus [Schreb.] Dumort., nom. cons. The experimental design was a split plot design with whole plots consisting of varying mowing heights and split plots consisting of different herbicide treatments with three replications. Two separate experiments were conducted. The tall fescue variety ‘KY 31’ was utilized for one study and the turf type cultivar ‘Bullseye’ was utilized in the other. In the fall of 2011, glyphosate (Roundup Pro) was applied to selected plots at the rate of 0.36 kg ae/ha. ‘KY 31’ and ‘Bullseye’ tall fescues were sown into an existing mixed stand of common and hybrid bermudagrass at 342 kg pls/ha. Mowing heights were maintained at 7.62 cm, 10.16 cm, and 12.70 cm. In the spring of 2012, treatments containing fenoxaprop (Acclaim Extra), mesotrione (Tenacity), and fluazifop (Fusilade II) were applied to selected plots at the rates of 0.07 kg ai/ha, 0.48 kg ai/ha, and 0.24 kg ai/ha respectively. A non-ionic surfactant at 0.25% (v/v) was utilized in treatments containing mesotrione and fluazifop. Three weeks later these treatments were applied a second time. Data were collected visually on turf quality, tall fescue cover, broadleaf weed cover, and bermudagrass cover. The study was repeated in 2012 – 2013. Fluazifop and glyphosate + fluazifop resulted in significantly lower turf quality than all other treatments up until ten weeks after initial treatment. Treatments containing fluazifop significantly reduced tall fescue cover but also significantly suppressed bermudagrass cover the greatest. However, these treatments also resulted in the greatest amount of broadleaf weed cover. High mowing heights may play a role in achieving high turf quality ratings and better broadleaf weed and bermudagrass suppression in forage type tall fescue than in turf type tall fescue.

Disciplines

Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Botany | Horticulture | Plant Sciences

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