By Matt Giese, M.S., technical services manager, Syngenta 

Manuscript^® herbicide has been helping turf managers as an effective post-emergent herbicide since it was introduced in 2018. It demonstrates excellent turf safety on bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass sod and zoysiagrass to control persistent grassy weeds, such as tropical signalgrass, crabgrass, dallisgrass and paspalums. The active ingredient, pinoxaden, works through the ACCase mode of action, which has a unique control spectrum because of its phenylpyrazoline chemistry. 

The first draft of a book is rarely published without revisions. Some sections need to be clarified or removed, and sometimes new sections are needed. Revisions are intended to improve the finished product, and this same concept applies to the recent updates on the Manuscript label. 

The newly enhanced Manuscript label now includes: 

• Expanded state registrations in the Northern and Midwestern U.S.  
• New labeled uses for centipedegrass, fine fescue and Poa annua 
• A new option for controlling ryegrass in Poa annua turf 
• Control of foxtails, ryegrass, barnyardgrass and suppression of kikuyugrass in native and low-maintenance fine fescue turf areas  

Controlling grassy weeds is difficult, especially if pre-emergent herbicides weren’t applied or fail to provide acceptable control. Because limited options are available for post-emergent control of grassy weeds in Poa annua turf, Manuscript is a welcome addition to the following weed control programs:  

• Weed control in fine fescue naturalized areas - Northeast 
• Weed control in fine fescue naturalized areas - Midwest 
• Weed control in fine fescue naturalized areas - West 

Manuscript includes a safener, allowing higher spot treatment rates to be used, which increases weed control while maintaining turf safety. Manuscript is also packaged with Adigor™ surfactant, which was specifically designed to maximize Manuscript absorption and translocation in target weeds. 

Broadcast rates of Manuscript are recommended to control perennial ryegrass and bull paspalum (thin paspalum):  

• Volunteer or contaminant ryegrass can be removed with a single application at 16.4 fl. oz./A  
• Lower rates can be used to aid transition in Poa annua turf 
• For bull paspalum control, make either: 
  • One application at 19.2 fl. oz./A 
  • Two applications at 9.6 fl. oz./A on a 14- to 21-day interval 

For best results, Manuscript should be applied in 40 gallons of water per acre with 0.5% v/v of Adigor. Target weeds should be actively growing. In other words, they should not be under stress from drought or other factors to maximize absorption and translocation of the active ingredient. 

Fine fescue and Poa annua turf safety 

Manuscript was mixed with MSO at 0.5% v/v and applied twice on a 21-day interval to fine fescue. Photo taken 21 days after the second application. No injury and no difference in color or quality compared to untreated check. Source: Mark M. Mahady & Associates, Carmel, CA, 2022. 

Manuscript was mixed with MSO at 0.5% v/v. This trial demonstrates turf safety to a Poa annua fairway at a 2x label rate of Manuscript in case of overlap. Photo taken 21 days after the first application. No injury and no difference in color or quality compared to untreated check. Source: Mark M. Mahady & Associates, Carmel, CA, 2022. 

Care should be taken when tank mixing Manuscript with other herbicides to ensure best performance. Phenoxy herbicides such as 2,4-D and MCPP are antagonistic to Manuscript and reduce its performance. Such applications may need to be applied separately. Tank mixing Manuscript with a sulfonylurea herbicide, such as Monument^® 75WG herbicide, is a better option for warm-season turf species. 

For more information and trial data, visit GreenCastOnline.com/Manuscript.