Casey Reynolds NCSU Turfgrass Research Associate NC Certified Turfgrass Professional

Before getting to the label,,,, What is one important thing to know prior to herbicide selection??

WEED IDENTIFICATION

Weeds are generally placed into one of three categories based on their growth characteristics. Grassy weeds Crabgrass, Goosegrass, Dallisgrass, etc. Sedges Yellow nutsedge, purple nutsedge Broadleaves Dandelions, chickweed, henbit, clover, etc.

Goosegrass Crabgrass Bahiagrass Dallisgrass

Dandelion Common chickweed White clover

Annual Sedge Yellow Nutsedge Cylindric Sedge Globe Sedge

In addition to knowing the type of wee, you need to know its life cycle as well. Summer annual, winter annual, perennial, biennial. This is important for treatment timing and successful control. Pre-emergent versus post-emergent

Label Interpretation Formulations Active ingredient Ester versus Amine PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Precautions/Recommendations Timing Rates Spray Volumes Mixing Etc..

Formulations Several common formulations of Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Pendulum 60WDG Barricade 4FL Dimension EC Barricade 65WG What do these mean???

Formulations Represent the active ingredient in the product as well as whether it is a liquid or a solid. Liquid Formulations Liquid (L), Flowable, (F or FL), Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC), Sprayable (S), Soluble Liquid (SL), etc Dry Formulations Water Dispersable Granule (WG or WDG), Wettable Powder (WP), Water Soluble Powder (WSP), Pellet (P), Granule (G), etc

Why is it important to know the product formulation?

Why is it important to know the product formulation? Preference of applicator (Liquid or Solid) Calibration and Calculation of rates Cost analysis

Calculating Rates of Dry Formulations When using dry formulations the number on the label refers to % active ingredient by weight.. Example: Barricade 65 WDG is 65% by weight prodiamine (ai) Therefore: 100 lbs of Barricade 65 WDG contains 65 lbs of prodiamine 1 lb Barricade 65WDG contains.65 lbs of prodiamine

Calculating Rates of Liquid Formulations When using liquid formulations the number on the label refers to lbs of active ingredient per gallon of product Example: Barricade 4FL has 4 lbs prodiamine (ai) per 1 gallon of product Therefore if you have a 2.5 gallon jug of Barricade 4FL you have 10 lbs prodiamine. 4 lbs ai x 2.5 gallons = 10 lbs ai 1 gallon

How does product formulation affect application rates? Let s say you want to apply Pendulum 3.3EC at 3lbs ai/acre for crabgrass control. How much product do you apply to a 2 acre soccer field?

Pendulum 3.3EC (Liquid) 3.3 lbs ai/gallon of product 2 acres x 3 lbs ai = 6 lbs ai needed acre 3.3 lbs ai = 6 lbs ai 1 gallon x gallons x = 1.8 gallons Pendulum 3.3EC

If this were Pendulum 60 WDG it would be: 2 acres x 3 lbs ai = 6 lbs ai needed acre 0.6 lbs ai = 6 lbs ai 1 lb Pend x lbs Pend x = 10 lbs Pendulum 60WDG

Formulations are also important to know for cost analysis.

Product Cost per lb Heritage 50WG $365 Compass 50WDG $300 Banner MAXX $289 (gal) Bayleton 50DF $81 Eagle 40WP $73 Prostar 70WP $50 Systar 80WDG $43 3336 50WP $22 ConSyst 67WDG $12

Product Rate (oz/1000 ft 2 ) Cost per lb Cost per 1000 ft 2 Heritage 50WG 0.1 $365 $2.28 Eagle 40WP 0.6 $73 $2.75 Compass 50WDG 0.15 $300 $2.81 Banner MAXX 1.24MC 2 $289 (gal) $4.52 Heritage 50WG 0.2 $365 $4.56 Compass 50WDG 0.25 $300 $4.69 Bayleton 50DF 1 $81 $5.06 3336 50WP 4 $22 $5.46 ConSyst 67WDG 8 $12 $6.23 Systar 80WDG 3 $43 $8.06 Prostar 70WP 3 $50 $9.38

Formulations are also important to know for cost analysis. Product Price Cost/acre Barricade 65WG $38.95/lb $59.68 Dimension EC $116.50/gallon $58.25 Pendulum 3.3EC $36.95/gallon $33.54 Pendulum 60WDG $9.51/lb $47.55 Pendulum Aquacap 3.8AS $46.71/gallon $36.80 Proclipse 65WG $27.50/lb $42.25 Ronstar 2G $1.50/lb $300

Control of Broadleaves and Perennials Common post-emergent herbicides include: Trade name Cool-Power (Ester formulation) Horsepower (Amine formulation) Trimec Classic Lesco Three-Way Chemical Name MCPA, Triclopyr, Dicamba MCPA, Triclopyr, Dicamba 2,4-D, Mecoprop, Dicamba 2,4-D, Mecoprop, Dicamba or MCPA, Triclopyr, Dicamba *All of these products are labeled for use in both warm and cool-season turf.

Product Price oz/1000 sq ft Cost/acre Trimec Classic $29.77/gallon 1.25 $12.63 Coolpower $47.75/gallon 1.25 $20.04 Speedzone $55.19/gallon 1.25 $23.09 Escalade 2 $46.82/gallon 1.25 $15.00

Ester versus Amine Formulations

How does this difference affect product selection and application? Ester Formulations Act much quicker (Good thing) Volatilize easier (Bad thing) Damage to non-target plants Recommended for use in cooler weather

How does this difference affect product selection and application? Amine Formulations Take longer to see results Volatilization not as big of a concern Safer than esters in warmer weather

PPE and REI PPE-Personal Protective Equipment REI- Restricted Entry Interval Note: REI for Dimension is 12 hours.

Spray Volumes Pesticide applications require different spray volumes depending on the specific product Usually given on the label as ranges Trimec Plus: 50 to 100 gallons of water/acre Drive: At least 20 gallons of water per acre Heritage 87 to 174 gallons per acre

Spray volume depends on: Target organism Disease, weed, insect Host crop Pesticide absorption Foliar v/s root Directions on irrigation will also be on label: Ex: Product should be watered in immediately with 0.5 inches of water

Pesticide labels will also contain very valuable information on general use guidelines

Certain labels caution against it. Safety depends on root growth and establishment.

Prodiamine - tillered Pendimethalin extensively tillered Dimension extensively tillered

Barricade 65 WG: Do not apply to overseeded turf for 60 days after seeding or until after the second mowing.

pendimethalin: Use only on well established turf with a dense and uniform stand. Wait until the turf has been mowed at least four times.

Why does injury to Tall fescue occur? Behavior in Plants: Absorbed by roots and emerging shoots and inhibit mitosis which prevents cell division and elongation. Sensitive species fail to emerge.

% Tall Fescue Injury 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 64 46 49 30 23 24 19 15 10 4 0 Oct. 2 Oct. 16 Oct. 30 Tall Fescue Seeding Date Barricade 0.75 lb/a Dimension 0.5 lb/a Team 3 lb/a pendimethalin 3 lb/a Nontreated Herbicides applied March 11; ratings 4-18

What does extensively tillered mean?

What does extensively tillered mean? Not tillered Tillered

What does extensively tillered mean? Not Tillered Tillered

Proper interpretation of fertilizer and pesticide labels is key in: Effectively controlling pest Environmental responsibility Cost/profit analysis Safe use Any questions???

Colonel Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837-1892) An orphan from Anson County who grew up to become the 1 st Commissioner of Agriculture in NC. Founder of Progressive Farmer Magazine Founder of The Watauga Club Namesake of Polk County Namesake of Polk Hall on NCSU s campus

Colonel Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837-1892) At the time, the only products available as fertilizer were animal by-products such as bone meal and manure. When rail cars of these products came in from out of state, the only way to know the nutrient analysis was by taking the word of the person selling it.

Colonel Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837-1892) So, he came up with the idea of the N-P-K analysis and passed it as state law. No person could sell any fertilizer product without proper documentation of its actual N-P-K analysis. The rest of the nation, as well as world, followed suit and the N-P-K analysis you see on fertilizer bags today is a direct result of our state being the 1 st to pass this law.

Fertilizer Labels

How much fertilizer do turfgrasses need? Depends largely on use Home lawn, athletic field, putting green, roadside. Also depends on species Centipedegrass v/s bermudagrass

Time your fertilization when the plant is actively growing. Warm-season grasses Summer months Cool-season grasses Spring and fall

Cool-season grasses Tall fescue/kentucky bluegrass 3 to 4 lbs N/1000 sq ft/year 1 lb N/1000 sq ft/application February, September, November Warm-season turfgrasses Bermudagrass/Zoysiagrass: 2 to 4 lbs N per year during growing season Centipedegrass/ St. Augustinegrass 1-2 lbs N per year during growing season

Turfgrasses use N-P-K in roughly a 4:1:2 ratio 4 parts Nitrogen: 1 part Phosphorous: 2 parts Potassium N is relatively mobile Plant uptake, volatilization, de-nitrification, leaching N sources should come from a combination of quick and slow release sources P and K are relatively immobile Apply less per year than N

Quickly Available Ammonium Nitrate, Ammonium Sulfate, Urea Slowly Available Slowly Soluble (SCU, PCU, UF, IBDU) Organic Fertilizers (Milorganite, Manures)

Ureaformaldehyde, UF Methylene Urea, MU Isobutylidinediurea, IBDU Sulfur coated urea, SCU Polymer coated urea,

Example: You apply a 28-5-12 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of N per 1000 ft 2 : Area (ft 2 ) x Rate (lbs N) x Analysis (lbs fert) (1000 ft 2 ) (lbs N) Area (5000 ft 2 ) x Rate (1 lb N) x Analysis (1 lb fert) (1000 ft 2 ) (0.28 lbs N) = 17.8 lbs of fertilizer

Alternative Method Most fertilizer products come in 50 lb bags. Divide the first number in the fertilizer analysis by 2. This number represents how many lbs N are in the bag and thus how many1000 ft 2 this bag will cover. 28 = 14 lbs N or 14,000ft 2 2 14

Timing Product Rate Cost/bag Cost/acre Total Cost* 2 wks after greenup (Mid-May) 17-17-17 with 50% SCU 1 lb N/1000 ft 2 $11.50 $57.50 $115 Late June 30-6-10 with 50%SCU 1 lb N/1000 ft 2 $11.25 $33.75 $67.50 Mid-August 30-6-10 with 50%SCU 1 lb N/1000 ft 2 $11.25 $33.75 $67.50 Mid-Sept 5-10-15 1 lb K/1000 ft 2 $6.25 $34.37 $68.75 * Example based on 2 acre bermudagrass football field. Total Yearly Cost: $318.75