Cale Bigelow and Glenn Hardebeck. Purdue University-Agronomy Dept., Purdue University, 915 West State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-4773
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.:AB) is an invasive weed in golf course fairways and tees. A variety of herbicides and plant growth regulators (PGRs) are available to suppress and reduce annual bluegrass populations. This field study evaluated the effects of various combinations of paclobutrazol (PB), trinexapac-ethyl (TE), and prodiamine (PD) applied throughout the growing season to a newly seeded creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera Huds. Farw. ‘Penncross') research fairway. After two successive years of application PB alone significantly reduced AB compared to the untreated control (> 24%). Where PB was combined with PD applied spring and late-summer AB populations were < 3%. This study indicates PB combined with PD can effectively suppress AB resulting in higher turfgrass quality and improved fairway conditions.