The presence of weeds during bermudagrass putting green establishment can reduce growth and turf quality. Three field experiments were conducted in Georgia to investigate efficacy of dimethenamid, S-metolachlor, and oxadiazon on the establishment of ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass from sprigs. Dimethenamid at 0.85 and 1.7 kg ai ha−1, S-metolachlor at 1.1 and 2.2 kg ai ha−1, and oxadiazon at 1.1, 2.2, and 4.4 kg ai ha−1 did not reduce bermudagrass cover from the untreated after 8 wk. S-metolachlor at 4.4 kg ha−1 was the only treatment that reduced sprig cover from the untreated after 12 wk. All S-metolachlor and oxadiazon treatments provided excellent (≥ 90%) green kyllinga control by 8 wk after treatment (WAT) while dimethenamid at 0.85, 1.7, and 3.4 kg ha−1 provided 78, 85, and 92% control, respectively. Dimethenamid treatments provided poor control (< 70%) of spotted spurge but fair control (70 to 79%) was achieved from S-metolachlor at 4.4 kg ha−1 and oxadiazon at 2.2 and 4.4 kg ha−1 by 8 WAT. Overall, low to middle rates of the herbicides tested appear to temporarily inhibit TifEagle bermudagrass sprig establishment but high rates of dimethenamid and S-metolachlor may reduce cover from the untreated.
Nomenclature: Hybrid bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy; green kyllinga, Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb.; spotted spurge, Euphorbia maculata L.