Ornamental Grass Tolerance to Postemergence Grass Herbicides

Twelve ornamental grasses from the genera Calamagrostis, Cortaderia, Eragrostis, Erianthus, Miscanthus, Sorghastrum, Spartina, Panicum, and Pennisetum were evaluated for tolerance to the postemergence herbicides fenoxaprop-ethyl, fluazifop-P, and sethoxydim at 0.4 kg a.i./ha. Calamagrostis was uninjured by fenoxaprop-ethyl as measured by visual injury ratings, height, and foliage dry weight. Greenhouse studies evaluated the tolerance of three Calamagrostis cultivars to fenoxaprop-ethyl rates of 0.4 to 3.2 kg a.i./ha with no observed visual injury from any treatment. However, the expansion rate of the youngest Calamagrostis leaf was reduced linearly with increasing herbicide rates each day after application. The highest rate (3.2 kg a.i./ha) reduced the leaf expansion rate by 1 day and all other rates by 3 days after treatment. Leaf expansion rate differed between Calamagrostis cultivars at different times after herbicide treatment. Dry weight of Calamagrostis arundinacea `Karl Foerster' was reduced at 4 weeks after treatment but not at 10 weeks after treatment. Chemical names used: (±)-ethyl 2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-benzoxazolyl)oxy)phenoxy]propanoate (fenoxaprop-ethyl); (R)-2-[4-[[5-trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]oxy]phenoxy]propanoic acid (fluazifop-P); 2[1-(ethoxy imino)butyl]-5[2-(ethylthio)propyl]-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one (sethoxydim).