# Timely Use of Roundup on Coastal Bermuda?



## GeneRector

Howdy! I live on the cusp of Central and East Texas and the land is all sand. Coastal Bermuda is the main hay crop around here. I read something in a thread recently about applying Roundup on a Bermuda hay meadow just as it starts to green to kill out weeds, etc. This does set your hay back a bit; however, I am not familiar with this procedure. How much Roundup per acre and when? We usually just have Weedmaster added to the liquid fertilizer for the first application. I would like your views and experience on this matter. Thanks! Always, Gene


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## Agfarmer

Hello Gene
I new here and I live in North Alabama. I always apply round up BEFORE the coastal starts growing but after the rye and fescue grass has started turning green. I have never used liquid fertilizer how does that work out for you. How does that compair to using urea?


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## GeneRector

Howdy! Where I live you have your granular and liquid fertilizers. I usually have 2 pints of Weedmaster per acre added to the liquid fertilizer and have it spread when the frost danger is over and the bermuda is starting to grow. However, I am exploring new things to combat weeds because I seem to have lots of Winter weeds and then warmer weather broadleaf weeds when the bermuda is growing. Usually we need a fair amount of nitrogen, potash, and potassium for our meadows. I sometimes use granular fertilizer after the first cutting because it may not rain for more than a week or so in the Summer. Summer 2009 was very dry. I don't know much about Urea, but some farmers put down chicken manure on their meadows at times. How much Roundup do you use per acre? Thanks! Always, Gene


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## kingranchf350

Gene,
AgFarmer is right on track. I generally apply Roundup WeatherMax around the 2nd or 3rd week of March here in North Alabama. Although it looks like I'm gonna need to order some pontoons to float across the fields to do my spraying this year







We had a few years where we had a emergency exemption from the EPA to use a couple of good pre-emergence products for crabgrass, goosegrass, etc... but they have since expired and are no longer labeled. As far as Glyphosate goes, I prefer Roundup WeatherMax because it has a bit higher concentration of surfactant than the generics. Your application rate will depend on the maturity of your target plants - but it's usually 1 to 2 qt/acre.


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## RCF

We use Diuron (sp) for a pre emergence spray because it is the only thing currently labeled for that use on grassland. As far as round up goes I would do it BEFORE your coastal starts growing when all your other weeds or grasses are greening up. I have also heard of people doing it between cuttings spraying round up right after all the hay is off while the grass is still dormant but we have never done this.


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## cattleman4170

I use a mix of Gramoxone and 2-4-D here in Central Alabama. As a matter of face, will probably start in another week or so. This kills off all the winter grass and some weeds. Then about mid June I hit it with Grazon P+D. However, due to the very dry season in 2007, seems Crabgrass has come back strong. Anyone have a suggestion to get Crabgrass out?? I have thought of going the Roundup route this year maybe that would kill the Crabgrass. I'll have to look at the cost difference.


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## sharpescovehayer

You might look at the Panoramic for crabgrass. It does a good job. You may be surprised at the weeds it controls. What will the Diuron control?


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## kingranchf350

Diuron (aka Karmex) sometimes used as a preemergent under a EPA emergency exemption for the control of crabgrass, goosegrass, etc....


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## watertankman

Prowl H2O was labled for use in dormant Bermuda in January. I plan to spray this weekend. Should control crabgrass and others


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## GaryMcc

I spray roundup max prior to the bermuda starting to grow. I think the soil needs to get to around 60 degrees for bermuda to start growing whereas the other grasses start growing with cooler soil tremperatures. Don't make the mistake of letting the bermuda start to grow before you spray roundup because you may damage or kill it.


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## mtarrant

I am in East Texas, and some of the guys around here are spraying Roundup at I believe 1 quart per acre. Red River Specialties in Tyler, Tx has been involved in the testing.
I have not done this, but they spray 5-7 days after cutting and are getting good control on grassy weeds, including bahai!!


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## geiselbreth

look at dupont for pastora coming out in april for sec 18 exemption we see


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## hay wilson in TX

I have not looked lately, but I believe Velpar is labeled for bermudagrass. 
A Velpar Karmex Mix works well for alfalfa. There are better alfalfa preemerge herbicides but that one works.

I am a bit late on my roundup this year. As it is I am cutting some ruts in this black clay in the low spots.

Normally I knife anhydrous and 11-37-0 into the bermudagrass sod. Then spray RR when the weeds come up in the openings.

It is still not to late to use RR on Coastal down near Temple, TX ie 31°N. I like to use RR to set the bermudagrass back about two weeks, giving me more time to get the alfalfa into the barn.

I need to use Post Plus on some rescuegrass growing on the ends of my alfalfa. I am holding off to keep from cutting ruts.


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## jpruett

GeneRector said:


> Howdy! I live on the cusp of Central and East Texas and the land is all sand. Coastal Bermuda is the main hay crop around here. I read something in a thread recently about applying Roundup on a Bermuda hay meadow just as it starts to green to kill out weeds, etc. This does set your hay back a bit; however, I am not familiar with this procedure. How much Roundup per acre and when? We usually just have Weedmaster added to the liquid fertilizer for the first application. I would like your views and experience on this matter. Thanks! Always, Gene


Yes, if you are seeing some green sprigs, you can set your hay back.... been there and done that, but still better than not spraying if you are trying to produce quality over quantity. With generic roundup (41%), I almost always spray a 1% solution @ 25 gallons per acre, which is 1 quart per acre. Sometimes I will use an extra 2 quarts in my 200 gallon tank (full 2.5 gallon jug). The trick is, per the label, apply when air temp is 70 degrees. Hard to catch the weather just right on some years with wind and rain before it starts to green up. This year was optimum for me and I even burned the wild rye down pretty good. Finally a cost break this year... generic roundup for $39 for 2.5 gallon jugs... half price after last years double price. It is too late for spraying Bermuda this year with roundup... I have seen years where we got a killing late frost or other years where it was April before spraying, but that is rare.

That Panoramic is highly effective on crabgrass later in the summer, but you will lose a cutting... you might even think you have lost your field for a while!! I would only use if I have almost lost the field to crabgrass. I laid down some "Prowl H2O" preemergent this year since the label was just changed for bermuda hay and hope to report good success with crabgrass and foxtail control later in the year.


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## DKFarms

I had asked about using Roundup as well, a few weeks back. Guess I didn't search the right thread!! I did buy a Spiedel weed wiper to try and take out that %$# volunteer rye that came up EVERYWHERE this spring. In some places it's hard to tell I have Jiggs growing underneath it. Mixed it 3 to 1 and ran it 2 days ago. Waiting on results. I wanted to do the Prowl H2O application when it became labeled but by the time it dried up enough to run a spray rig, the bermuda started sprouting. Unless we get a dry winter, I don't know that I would ever be able to put out Prowl without flying it on. Pastora was fully labeled for Louisiana a couple weeks ago, got the e-mail from LSU AgCenter. Looking forward to trying that between cuttings to reduce the crabgrass and vaseygrass.


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## bsmoyers

Anyone have results to report for applying Prowl H20 this spring, or using Pastora between cuttings this year? I was too late for Prowl H20 this spring, but I did apply Roundup in March here in KY with good results. I am planning to take our 2nd cutting of bermuda grass this week and apply Pastora for the first time after a few days of regrowth to knock back crabgrass and Johnson grass. Just wondering if it is going to be worth the money...


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## BTaylorzx

I used Prowl in the spring. It kept my field clean for the first two cuttings. I'll be applying Pastora before my third cutting to make sure I keep the sandburs out.


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## DKFarms

I didn't get to try the Prowl H20, either. Just too wet over the winter to get on the field with a spray rig. Maybe next year. My wick bar worked magic for the volunteer rye this year. In three weeks the field was clean. Now it's the crabgrass and I'm starting to have an encroachment of Bahia coming in from the road ditches that border the fields. Planning to do a Pastora application after the next cutting. Hope it works cause that stuff sure is expensive.


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## bsmoyers

Thanks for the replies. I applied 1 oz/Acre of Pastora today to the bermuda. I really hope it helps with the crabgrass - that stuff really messes up our time to cure the hay properly. We don't have sandburs here to worry about, so I'm just going after crabgrass, Johnsongrass and the random broad-leafs. Anyone know if using the wickbar on Johnsongrass will cause it to produce prussic acid like it does during a frost or drought? I considered running the wickbar over some of our hay destined for horses and got worried about that possibility.


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