By Ron Townsend, M.S., technical services manager for Syngenta

Selective control of troublesome weeds is possible with the proper products and application timing for bermudagrass lawns. Grass weeds and sedges in lawns are the most problematic weeds to control. Annual grasses like crabgrass, goosegrass and doveweed, and perennials like dallisgrass, kyllinga and purple and yellow nutsedge, can be removed with a program that includes Barricade^® 4FL herbicide, Pennant Magnum^®  herbicide, Manuscript^® herbicide and Monument^® 75WG herbicide.

Left: crabgrass. Right: dallisgrass. Source: Dean Mosdell

Barricade 4FL herbicide
Crabgrass and other annual grasses are best controlled by pre-emergent applications of Barricade 4FL. Making Barricade 4FL applications, followed by a repeat application in six to eight weeks, can help provide season-long control. If early applications are missed, a combination of Barricade 4FL and Monument 75WG will help control small-tillered crabgrass. Larger crabgrass plants can be controlled with spot treatment rates of Manuscript.

Pennant Magnum herbicide
The addition of Pennant Magnum to your herbicide program will help control goosegrass, doveweed, yellow nutsedge and annual sedges. Doveweed is an annual weed that germinates later in the season than crabgrass. Adding Pennant Magnum to the last Barricade 4FL application, followed by a repeat application four to six weeks later, will selectively help control doveweed.

Monument 75WG herbicide
Monument 75WG is a versatile herbicide for use in warm-season turf lawns. Besides providing outstanding sedge control, Monument 75WG will also help control perennial dallisgrass. The best timing for treating dallisgrass is late summer, with a follow-up application in the spring if any regrowth appears. Dallisgrass has such extensive rhizome development that multiple applications may be needed for maximum efficacy.

Manuscript herbicide
When servicing lawns that have not been treated with a pre-emergent herbicide or for areas of weed escapes, Manuscript can be used to control large, multi-tiller crabgrass. Make two Manuscript applications on a 14- to 21-day interval. Other grass weeds like bahiagrass, bull paspallum and tropical signalgrass can also be controlled with Manuscript.

Bermudagrass Herbicide Program

Use Patterns	Winter to Spring	Late Spring to Summer	Late Summer
	Crabgrass, goosegrass (and other annual grasses), doveweed	Sedges, doveweed	Dallisgrass
Pre-emergence	Between January and March, apply 24 oz./A of Barricade 4FL, or at 0.75 lb. a.i./A on a fertilizer carrier. Six to eight weeks later, reapply 24 oz./A of Barricade 4FL and 21 oz./A of Pennant Magnum.	A Barricade 4FL program with Pennant Magnum will help control annual sedges and doveweed.
Early post-emergence	If early pre-emergent applications are missed, apply 24 oz./A of Barricade 4FL and 10-15 g/A of Monument 75WG on small-tillered plants. Repeat the application in six to eight weeks.	Apply 21 oz./A of Pennant Magnum and 10-15 g/A of Monument 75WG for control of doveweed, kyllinga and purple nutsedge (and other sedge species).
Post-emergence		Apply 10-15 g/A of Monument 75WG for sedges. Apply 9.6 oz./10,000 ft.2 of Manuscript for large, tillering crabgrass. Repeat in 14 to 21 days.	Apply 15 g/A of Monument 75WG or Manuscript at 9.6 oz./10,000 ft.2, a spot treatment rate, four apart. Make another application if there is regrowth in the spring.

 
Control in St. Augustinegrass
Recently released Recognition^® herbicide provides a powerful tool for use in warm-season grasses including St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass lawns. Recognition is particularly well suited for St. Augustinegrass lawns, where few weed control options are available. Other products labeled for St. Augustinegrass often cause unacceptable levels of turf injury, especially during the summer, so many lawn care operators (LCOs) opt to make spot treatment applications as needed. With the outstanding turf safety of Recognition, LCOs can feel confident making broadcast applications to deliver excellent weed control more efficiently with fewer applications.

Recognition herbicide
Recognition helps provide powerful control of more than 40 weeds including all major sedges and kyllingas, as well as broadleaf weeds including dollarweed and clover, all with unparalleled safety to St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass and kikuyugrass. Recognition features a proprietary safener, metcamifen, which allows for broadcast applications.

Turfgrass Species	Product and Application Rate	Interval
St. Augustinegrass	Recognition 1.29-1.95 oz./A Turflon® Ester Ultra specialty herbicide 8-16 fl. oz./A	Four to six weeks when regrowth of target weeds is observed
Zoysiagrass	Recognition 1.29-1.95 oz./A Fusilade® II herbicide 12-24 fl. oz./A	Four to six weeks when regrowth of target weeds is observed

For more information about controlling weeds on your hit list, download our Most Wanted Weeds information sheet or view information about the Barricade guarantee program.

All photos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.

© 2024 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties and/or may have state-specific use requirements. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration and proper use. Barricade^®, Fusilade^®, Manuscript^®, Monument^®, Pennant Magnum^®, Recognition^® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners.