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Annual Bluegrass Growth and Quality as Influenced by Treatments of Growth Retardants and Wetting Agents 1
Author(s) -
Petrovic A. M.,
White R. A.,
Kligerman M.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1985.00021962007700050003x
Subject(s) - poa annua , acetamide , loam , agronomy , wetting , chemistry , poaceae , horticulture , zoology , soil water , biology , ecology , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material
It is difficult to maintain the visual quality of annual bluegrass ( Poa annua L.) during the summer because of its poor heat and drought tolerance, which could be related to the reduction of the root system and/or depletion of the carbohydrate reserves that occur during the intensive spring flowering period. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of treatments of plant growth retardants and wetting agents on the growth and visual quality of annual bluegrass. The growth regulators mefluidide [ N (2,4‐dimethyl‐5{[ (trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]amino}phenyl) acetamide] and amidochlor { N ‐[(acetylamino)methyl]2‐chloro‐ N ‐(2,6‐diethylphenyl) acetamide} and the wetting agents Aqua Gro (Aquatrols Corp. of America, Pennsaukin, NJ), Hydro Wet (Kalo Labs., Inc., Kansas City, MO), Basic H (Shakley Marketing Corp., Emeryville, CA), and Amway Spray Adjuvant (Amway Corp., Ada, MI) were applied prior to or at the initiation of the flowering period to annual bluegrass fairways (Dunkirk fine silt loam, fine silty, mixed mesic, Glossoboric Hapladalfs) over a 3‐yr period. Seedhead production and seed yield were reduced significantly by mefluidide, Aqua Gro, and amidochlor. The reduction ranged from 64 to 99%, 26 to 77%, and 40% for mefluidide, Aqua Gro, and amidochlor, respectively, depending on rate and timing of application and year of the study. The other wetting agents had no affect on seedhead production. Mefluidide reduced clipping yields 20% over a 2‐month period, whereas Aqua Gro had no effed. In 2 of the 3 yr of the study, mefluidide applications caused a reduction in the visual quality of annual bluegrass 14 to 24 days after treatment. Aqua Gro effects on the visual quality during the spring flowering period were inconsistent. The visual quality of annual bluegrass during the summer months, however, was not affected by the degree of spring seedhead production.