Weed Control in a Recently Sprigged Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass Sports Field

Shawn Askew, Professor and Extension Turfgrass Weed Specialist

The following was an inquiry from a sports field manager in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

QUESTION (SF Mgr.): "I’m looking for an opinion on some weed issues that we are having with some newly-sprigged Tahoma 31 bermudagrass fields in Chesterfield County, VA. It’s really a myriad of issues featuring a lot of sedges, perennial green kyllinga, goosegrass, crabgrass, and a few broadleaf weeds. In the olden days I would use MSMA + Sencor, but that’s no longer an option on an athletic field. So what is a safe, broad spectrum treatment for this weed complex on a bermudagrass field that is only 4-5 weeks old?"

Weeds in newly-sprigged bermudagrass athletic field
Weeds in newly-sprigged bermudagrass athletic field
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ANSWER (Dr. Askew): Tribute Total (active ingredients of Thiencarbazone-methyl, foramsulfuron, and halosulfuron-methyl) will be an outstanding option for everything that you listed. It is very safe, but you may see a slight yellowing of the turf that will last up to a week. I am not familiar with the label in terms of really young sprigs, but at 5 weeks of growth, I suspect you will be okay. However, check that on the label to see if there is a specific rate for treatments during establishment. And don't forget to include non-ionic surfactant at 0.25% volume to volume.