Vol. 54—2000 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

EFFECTS OF PRE-PLANT HERBICIDES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FINE
FESCUES DURING ROADSIDE RENOVATION
A. E. Gover, J. M. Johnson and L. J. Kuhns"
ABSTRACT
Canada thistle (Cirsium srvense (L.) SCop.)is a common weed in roadside plantings of
crownvetch(CoronHlavariaL.) in Pennsylvania.Whereinfestationsare severe,conversionto a
grassmixtureis a recommendedoption.As partof an ongoingresearchprojectfundedby the
PA Departmentof Transportation,a seriesof trialswere establishedto evaluateseveral
herbicides as tank mix partners for glyphosale to enhance the actiVity of the initial herbicide
treatment against the Canada thistle-crownvetch complex without inhibiting grass
establishment. Two trials were established to investigate the effect of herbicides applied at
different intervals before seeding on the establishment of a fine fescue mixture. A trial seeded
August 19, 1997, compared glyphosate at 3.4 kglha; clopyralid at 0.21 and 0.42 kglha; picJoram
at 0.56 and 1.1 kglha; chlorsulfuron at 0.021 and 0.042 kg/ha; metsulfuron methyl at 0.021 and
0.042 kg/ha; and imazapyr at 0.14 and 0.28 iqlIha. These treatments were applied 72, 36, 25,
and 7 days before seeding (DBS). The expenment waS seeded to a 55/35/10 percent mixture
of hard fescue (Festucs brevipHs Tracey), red fescue (Festucs rubre ssp. rubre L.) and annual
ryegrass (LoJ/ummultfflorum Lam.), respectively, seeded at 112 kglha. A second trial was
seeded June 19,1998, comparing glyphosate at 3.4 kQlha alone and in combination with the
sametreatmentsas the 1997trial.exceptforthe deletionof the highrate of imazapyr,and the
addttion of tricJopyr at 1.1 kglha and dicamba at 1.1 kglha. These treatments were applied 56,
28, 14, and 7 DBS. This trial was seeded to a 80/40 mix of hard fescue and creeping red
fescue,respectively,at 112 kglha. The experimentaldesignfor bothtrialswas a randomized
complete block wtth a split-plot treatment arrangement, wtth application time as the whole plot.
Both trials were conducted on an Opequon-Hagerstown complex (Lithic hapludalf) in a
glyphosale-killed stand of Kentucky bluegrass (Pas pratensis L.). Prior to study inttiation, the
killed sod was shredded with a Lely Roterra to an approXimate depth of 5 em to expose the
mineralsoil. The seedingwasdonewitha tractor-mountedsliceseeder,droppingseed over
slitsapprOXimately1.2 em deep on7.6 emcenters. Bothtrialswere irrigatedas neededto
keepthe seedbedmoist.
Forfirstseasonratingsofgrassestablishment, therewas a significantinteractionbetween
applicationtimingand herbicidetreatmentfor bothtrials. There was nosignificanteffectdue to
herbicidetreatmentfor the earliestapplicationdatesineithertrial. Establishmentdifferences
became evident in the treatments applied 36 DBS in the 1997 trial, and 28 DBS in the 1998
trial. In the 1997 trial, for percent total cover ratings taken 64 days after seeding, the 36 DBS
glyphosate treated plots had 77 percent cover, while chlorsulfuron at 0.028 and 0.052, and
imazapyr at 0.28 kg/ha had signlticantly Ie.. cover at 55, 33, and 30 percent respectively. As
the intervalbetweentreatmentands~in9 deaeased to 7 days,imazapyrat 0.14 and
metsulfuronmethylat 0.021 and0.042 kglhaalsosignificantlyreducedgroundcovercompared
to glyphosate alone.
In 1998, for ratingsof percentfinefescuecovertaken 125 daysafterseeding,glyphosate
plus picJoram at 3.4 plus 0.56 kglha treatments had 93 and 94 percent fine fescue cover, for the
28 and 7 DBS treatments, respectively. Chlorsulfuron at 0.052, metsulfuron methyl at 0.042,
and imazapyr at 0.14 kglha, applied 28 DBS, were rated significantly lower at 42, 48, and 55
percent, respectively. At 7 DBS, these three treatments provided 10, 42, and 30 percent cover
respectively.Percentfinefescuecoverratingsinthe 1997 trial,takeninOctober,199B, ranged
from 94 to 97 percent, indicating that full stands can develop despite inhibition during early
establishment.However,consideringthatc1opyralid, picloram,dicamba,ortriclopyrdid not
inhibitestablishmentunderanyofthe observedconditions,thereis littlejustificationto
potentiallyreduceestabfishmentduringrenovationby includingchlorsulfuron,metsutfuron
methyl,or imazapyrinthe pre-plantapplication.
11ProjectAssociatesand Professor,respectively, The PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,UniversityPark,PA
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