Cover Story
Dallisgrass Management in Bermudagrass and Tall Fescue By Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D., and Adam Nichols, Hampton Roads Ag. Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech
Dallisgrass is easy to see in bermudagrass due to its wider leaf blade.
D
allisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum) is a troublesome weed in both cool-and warmseason turf. Its wide blades and tall seedheads make the weed especially apparent in bermudagrass turf. Dallisgrass is a warm-season perennial that goes dormant in the fall and resumes growth in the spring. This weed spreads by short rhizomes, as well as by seed. Dallisgrass clumps expand over time due to rhizome growth. MSMA, the most commonly used herbicide for dallisgrass control, currently can be used only in golf courses, sod production and rights-of-way areas, and even in those areas, there are restrictions on use. Current labels for
16 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal November/December 2014 www.vaturf.org
MSMA do not allow applications to home lawns or commercial settings. It is unclear what turf labels will exist for MSMA in the future. Therefore, additional control options are needed for this weed in turf.
Dallisgrass control in bermudagrass
We have been investigating herbicides, herbicide combinations and herbicide application timing for dallisgrass control in bermudagrass and tall fescue. In bermudagrass, the herbicides we tested include Revolver (foramsulfuron), Celsius (a three-way combination of iodosulfuron, thiencarbazone and dicamba), Tribute