Establishing Kleingrass and Bermudagrass Pastures using Glyphosate and Tebuthiuron

Abstract

Tebuthiuron and glyphosate were applied at 1.1 and 2.2 kg/ha in 1976 before land preparation for the sprigging of Coastal Bermudagrass or seeding of kleingrass in the claypan region of Texas. Tebuthiuron at 1.0 kg/ha was re-applied in February 1977 either as the 80% wettable powder spray or as 3.2-mm or 1.6-mm extruded pellets, to a set of plots superimposed across the 1976 plots. Kleingrass top-growth production in 1977 was increased by the preplanting treatment with glyphosate in both rates and tebuthiuron at the low rate. Tebuthiuron at 2.2 kg/ha prevented establishment of kleingrass. Bermudagrass cover was significantly increased by a preplanting application of tebuthiuron at 1.1 kg/ha, but was not affected by preplanting application of glyphosate. Tebuthiuron at 2.2 kg/ha had no effect (beneficial or detrimental) on Bermudagrass cover. Crude protein content was higher in kleingrass from plots treated in 1976 with tebuthiuron at 1.1 kg/ha than in kleingrass from the control plots. No differences in grass stands were attributed to formulation of tebuthiuron re-applied in 1977.