Efficacy of pre and postemergence herbicides on weed suppression in established turfgrass with a conventional and an ultra-low volume sprayer

Previous research has shown the effectiveness of an ULV (Ultra-Low Volume) sprayer compared to a conventional sprayer for weed control in row crop applications. This sprayer produced comparable disease control and foliar nutrient applications to a conventional sprayer in turfgrass, but has not previously been evaluated for weed control in established turf. Four weed control field studies were conducted in the spring and summer of 2012 and 2013 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass Research Facility near Mead, NE, USA to compare the weed control efficacy between a novel ULV sprayer and a conventional sprayer. The studies compared the two sprayers for the control of: ground ivy and dandelion in established turf in a summer application; preemergence control of large crabgrass in established turf in a late spring application and ground ivy control in established turf in a late spring application. No differences were observed in weed control between sprayer types in the four studies over both years of the study despite a thirty fold decrease in application volume rate across different herbicide modes-of-action in all of the studies. The Kamterter ULV sprayer system may be a useful and effective management option for control of the weeds in turfgrass.