The Mid-Atlantic outlook

Darin Bevard, director of the Mid-Atlantic Green Section for the USGA, talks about current weed pressures facing superintendents, including kyllinga and dallisgrass.

What type of weeds are causing the heaviest pressure in your region right now?

Goosegrass and kyllinga are probably the biggest weed problems I am seeing in my travels. Crabgrass is also problematic on some courses.

How is weather affecting the region and those pressures?

Overall, the weather has been very good. We have had more nights in the 50s than days in the 90s in much of the region which is not normal for July. Even in areas from Richmond to the Tidewater of Virginia, high temperatures have been mild, especially when compared to the hot, wet weather that was prevalent in the last three growing seasons.

What kind of pressure could superintendents see from kyllinga or dallisgrass this season?

Kyllinga is a major problem and has been for several years. Dallisgrass is certainly a concern, but it is more isolated than kyllinga. Kyllinga spreads very quickly, but dallisgrass has fewer options for control.

What sort of factors would affect how strong kyllinga or dallisgrass growth?

Once these weeds are present, they are going to grow, and while the weather has been cooler than normal as a whole, this hasn’t slowed the spread of kyllinga or dallisgrass from what I have seen.

What can superintendents do to keep ahead of them?

Well, first, they should thank their lucky stars if it hasn’t been a problem at their course. To stay ahead of these weeds, it is a matter of scouting and making sure that they aren’t present on the golf course. If these weeds do show up, they should be addressed immediately. In the case of dallisgrass, it can be physically removed or spot treated with herbicides for control. The same is true of kyllinga. Remember, both of these weeds are perennial. Without control measures, they will continue to spread to other areas of the golf course over time. One patch of dallisgrass or kyllinga is too many to ignore.