Selectivity of Methiozolin for Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) Control in Creeping Bentgrass as Influenced by Temperature and Application Timing

Abstract

[EN] Methiozolin controls annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass but application timing and temperature could influence efficacy in turf. In field experiments, sequential methiozolin applications totaling 3.36 kg ai ha(-1) provided excellent (> 90%) annual bluegrass control at 8 wk after initial treatment when treatments were initiated in February/March or May but programs totaling 0.84 and 1.68 kg ha(-1) provided poor control (< 70%) at both timings. Methiozolin at all rates caused minimal turf injury (< 8%) but creeping bentgrass was only injured from February/March applications. In growth chamber experiments, creeping bentgrass injury from methiozolin at 10 C was 2 and 4 times greater than at 20 C and 30 C, respectively, while annual bluegrass injury was similar across temperatures. In laboratory experiments, annual bluegrass had more foliar absorption of C-14-methiozolin than creeping bentgrass at 30/25 C (day/night), compared to 15/10 C, but translocation was similar at both temperatures as > 90% of absorbed C-14 remained in the treated leaf after 72 h. Annual bluegrass distributed and recovered more radioactivity to shoots from root-applied C-14-methiozolin than creeping bentgrass while both species had about 2 times more distribution to shoots at 30/25 C than 15/10 C. Metabolites were not detected in annual bluegrass or creeping bentgrass at 1, 3, or 7 d after treatment when grown at 15/10 C or 30/25 C suggesting uptake and translocation contributes to methiozolin selectivity in turfgrass