Newswise — Maintaining a yard of grass can require repeated mowing and application of herbicides. When your “yard” is miles and miles of roadsides throughout a state, that effort and expense become a big factor. More efficient equipment to apply herbicides and reduce the need for mowing roadside grasses could cut costs for state transportation departments.
The current issue of the journal Weed Technology includes a report on tests of two methods of herbicide application, wet-blade mowing and rotary-wick, in comparison with the traditional broadcast spray method. Tests were performed on bahiagrass in North Carolina during the summer months of two consecutive years. Although some successes were found, results were not consistent enough to warrant investment in new equipment.
Mowing roadside turfgrass incurs expenses for fuel and labor and also poses a danger to motorists and transportation department personnel working along the roadside. Plant growth regulators are used by many transportation departments to help reduce the frequency of mowing. These regulators, including growth inhibitors and sublethal rates of herbicides, can reduce seed production and suppress plant growth.
Wet-blade mowers “feed” plants a small amount of herbicide as the blades cut the plants. The herbicide is introduced directly into the plants’ vascular system. This method has proven effective in managing woody vegetation. It is also cost-effective, combining mowing and herbicide application in one pass.
Rotary-wick applicators wipe the herbicide onto uncut foliage. This method can be used on plants that are taller than more-desirable plants around them.
These methods offer some advantages over the broad spray technique. One is public image—the effects of the herbicide may be felt, but its application is not seen. More direct application also reduces application rates, herbicide drift, and worker exposure to herbicides.
However, results from the tests of this equipment on bahiagrass were no better than those from the broad spray technique. Also, results were inconsistent: One year the rotary-wick application showed strong results for seedhead suppression, but the other year it did not. These tests apply to a specific species of turfgrass, bahiagrass. Further testing may show better results with different species, but the current study did not provide incentive for investing in new equipment to maintain roadside grasses.
Full text of the article, “Application Placement Equipment for Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) Suppression along Roadsides,” Weed Technology, Vol. 25, No. 1, January-March 2011, is available at http://wssajournals.org/doi/full/10.1614/WT-D-10-00074.1
About Weed TechnologyWeed Technology presents (1) original research on weed/crop management systems, herbicides, weed resistance to herbicides, and weed biology; (2) reports of new weed problems, weed-related surveys, and new technologies for weed management; and (3) special articles emphasizing technology transfer to improve weed control. The journal is a publication of the Weed Science Society of America. To learn more about the society, please visit: http://www.wssa.net/.
Media Contact:Robin BarkerAllen Press, Inc.800/627-0326 ext. [email protected]
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