Tolerance of Transplanted Seashore Dropseed to Pre- and Postemergence Herbicides

Field experiments were conducted to assess the tolerance of seashore dropseed (Sporobolus virginicus) to pre- and postemergence herbicides labeled for roadside right-of-way use. Dithiopyr (0.25 and 0.50 lb/acre a.i.), trifluralin + isoxaben (2.0 + 0.5 and 4.0 + 1.0 lb/acre a.i.), oxyfluorfen (0.25 and 0.50 lb/acre a.i.), oxadiazon (2.0 and 4.0 lb/acre a.i.), and granular table salt (99% sodium chloride, 1% sodium silicoaluminate; 83% of particles 0.5–0.25 mm in diameter, 400 lb/acre a.i.) were applied at 2 and 84 days after transplanting (DAT). Pre-emergence weed control with crop response measures as visual foliar injury ratings and aboveground biomass accumulation were recorded 38 days after the second application of herbicides (DAH2). Crop response to postemergence herbicides aminopyralid (1.10 lb/acre a.i.), triclopyr (3.0 lb/acre a.i.), a prepackaged mix of carfentrazone + (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid + mecoprop + dicamba (0.02 + 1.11 + 0.22 + 0.11 lb/acre a.i.), and sulfosulfuron (0.06 lb/acre a.i.) applied at 70 and 98 DAT included visual foliar injury ratings and aboveground biomass accumulation at 28 DAH2. Although all pre-emergence herbicides (except table salt) exhibited acceptable weed control ratings, only oxadiazon and oxyfluorfen showed exceptional weed control and safety. The postemergence herbicide sulfosulfuron was the least injurious to seashore dropseed. The mixture of carfentrazone + (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid + mecoprop + dicamba and triclopyr were the most injurious to seashore dropseed and should only be used as a directed spray treatment. An unintended overapplication of aminopyralid was phytotoxic, but it did not lead to complete plant death at 28 DAH2. These data identified oxadiazon, oxyfluorfen, and sulfosulfuron as safe and effective for establishing transplanted seashore dropseed plugs.