Blog | | Solutions for professional turf and landscape managers

Got goosegrass?

March 15, 2019 · Corteva Agriscience

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) is a troublesome grassy weed commonly found in athletic fields; golf tees and fairways; and in other turfgrasses that are mowed short. With a prostrate growth habit and wagon-wheel-like appearance, goosegrass competes very well with warm- and cool-season turf that is subject to intense traffic or use.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Dimension^® specialty herbicide provides preemergence goosegrass control. Here are tips to help you get goosegrass under control this spring:

For best results, apply Dimension at 0.5 lb a.i./A just prior to goosegrass germination. Make sure to base your timing on experience or soil temperatures. Apply a second application at 0.5 lb a.i./A roughly six weeks after your first application.
Working with bermudagrass? Dimension can be applied at any time on bermudagrass in wet or dry conditions, and will not delay spring greenup.
Dimension allows for overseeding six weeks after the initial application, and will also provide early-season Poa annua

To learn more, visit DimensionHerbicide.com.

State restrictions on the sale and use of Dimension apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Weeds 101: Goosegrass

February 27, 2019 · Corteva Agriscience

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) is a troublesome grassy weed commonly found in athletic fields; golf greens, tees and fairways; and in other turfgrasses that are mowed short. It competes very well with warm- and cool-season turf during summer months and is most competitive in thin open turf and turf subject to intense traffic or use.

Goosegrass has a prostrate growth habit and is often white to silver in the center with a wagon-wheel-like appearance. Unlike crabgrass, it does not root at the nodes but grows well in compacted soils. It is a prolific seeder; in most cases, having three to seven fingerlike racemes on a stem. A mature plant may grow 20 stems and contain as many as 50,000 seeds. Once goosegrass becomes established, annual reinfestations are likely to occur.

Applying a preemergence herbicide sequentially in the spring, with the first application prior to soil temperatures reaching a consistent 55 degrees is recommended. This timing will provide season-long control of both crabgrass and goosegrass. For control of goosegrass, use Dimension^® specialty herbicide at 0.5 lb. a.i./A just prior to goosegrass germination and soil temperatures at 55 to 60 degrees.

State restrictions on the sale and use of Dimension specialty herbicide products apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Defendor specialty herbicide buys you a little extra time

January 29, 2019 · Corteva Agriscience

Spring can’t come soon enough for much of the country that endures long winters. However, lawn care operators (LCOs) are not awoken with the sound of birds chirping but rather a throbbing headache and a need to race against the clock – or more accurately – to race against Mother Nature.

“There is a lot of pressure on LCOs to get those first fertilizer and preemergence applications of the season made before the crabgrass germinates,” Jamie Breuninger, technical leader for Dow AgroSciences, said. “The window of opportunity is slim, and they need to get to all their customers before the weather warms and the phone starts ringing with customers complaining about weeds.” Pressure continues to build as the next big weed to make an appearance is likely the most dreaded of all — the dandelion. With its conspicuous bright-yellow blossom, it is one of the most hated by homeowners nationwide. According to recent research conducted by Jefferson Davis, once a customer calls a lawn care company to complain, the likelihood the customer will cancel the service is more than 45 percent¹ — even if the lawn care company comes out to re-treat.

Timing is everything

Timing of the first application of the season is critical. For effective preemergence control, LCOs need to make that first application in the spring before weeds begin to germinate. So, while they’re racing to get the first applications made to provide their customers’ lawns with a quick greenup and prevent crabgrass, dandelion, chickweed and clover, which have overwintered, are just waiting to bloom.

A new tool

There are many effective products on the market to control dandelions, but they typically should be applied later in spring or summer when the temperatures rise and the weeds are actively growing. What if there was a way to treat dandelion, as well as clover and other annual and perennial weeds, during the first applications of the season? Defendor^® specialty herbicide is most effective when applied early in the season before dandelion and clover bloom.

“Defendor acts somewhat like a growth regulator when applied pre-bloom, because it stops the emergence of the dandelion seed head while the herbicide slowly controls the plant,” Breuninger explained. “The end result keeps the declining weed below mower height and nearly invisible to the homeowner. This weed often has a large taproot, so a second application in round two may be needed for total control, but this gives the LCOs more time to control them without ever going to flower.” Defendor, with the active ingredient florasulam, is a liquid postemergence herbicide that can be tank-mixed with Dimension^® 2EW specialty herbicide and applied at the same time your customers are putting down the first fertilizer and preemergence crabgrass applications of the season. The combination can be used on both cool- and warm-season grasses. “The fact that there aren’t yellow blooms and seed heads covering their lawns greatly increases homeowner satisfaction with their lawn service company,” Breuninger said. “And it buys them more time to finish up the first application and come back with the postemergence second application.” ¹Jefferson Davis 2012 State restrictions on the sale and use of Defendor and Dimension 2EW apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Weeds 101: Broadleaf plantain

January 23, 2019 · Corteva Agriscience

Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) is a perennial that grows best in moist areas with full sun or partial shade, and compacted soil.

The broad, oval-shaped leaves have three to five prominent parallel veins and are attached to the root system by a fibrous celery-shaped plant. The upright flowering stalk terminates in a long cylindrical spike head that can range from two to six inches in length. This weed produces a fairly weak root system. Buds grow from the uppermost area of the root, producing a crown that can regenerate “new” plants even when the plant is cut off at or below the soil surface. There are no true stems; rather, the leaves are clustered in a rosette at the base of the plant.

Help your customers control broadleaf plantain with Confront^® specialty herbicide or Turflon^® Ester Ultra specialty herbicide. For your commercial accounts, recommend Confront to provide postemergence broad-spectrum weed control in established cool- and warm-season nonresidential turfgrasses. Turflon Ester Ultra can be used on commercial and residential sites to control actively growing weeds in ornamental turf. Broadleaf plantain is more easily controlled when applications are made to younger plants in the early spring. Confront is not for sale or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York. State restrictions on the sale and use of Confront and Turflon Ester Ultra apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Customized Turf Services LLC wins Z-Spray Z-Max at the 2018 GIE+EXPO

December 1, 2018 · Corteva Agriscience

At the 2018 GIE+EXPO, Corteva Agriscience^™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, gave lawn care operators the chance to win a ride-on sprayer spreader in the Defend Your Turf Giveaway. Rich VanderVeen, president and owner of Customized Turf Services LLC in Duanesberg, New York, was announced the winner of the Z-Spray Z-Max at the show.

“Adding a new Z-Spray to the current fleet will be huge for us,” VanderVeen said. “By adding this machine, and its capabilities, our weed control and service capabilities will increase.”

Rich VanderVeen winner of the 2018 Defend Your Turf Giveaway

The Z-Max sprayer is large enough to handle commercial sites and agile enough for residential properties and combined with powerful weed control products, like Dimension^® specialty herbicide and Defendor^® specialty herbicide, it maximizes business operations.

“We’ve been using Dimension for many years and more recently, Defendor,” VanderVeen said. “We look forward to using new postemergence herbicides such as GameOn^™ specialty herbicide from Corteva Agriscience. As a growing company with those products and the addition of this machine, it will help excel my business forward.”

GameOn has not yet received regulatory approvals; approvals are pending. The information presented here is not an offer for sale. State restrictions on the sale and use of Dimension and Defendor apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Corteva Agriscience launches 2018-2019 Power of More Reward Club

November 15, 2018 · Corteva Agriscience

Corteva Agriscience^™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, launches its 2018-2019 The Power of More™ Reward Club with early order incentives for lawn and landscape professionals, nursery managers and golf course superintendents.

Through the program, customers can save on qualifying products purchased between Oct. 1, 2018, and Sept. 30, 2019. In addition to year-round savings, qualifying customers will receive additional rebates during the early order period, which runs through Dec. 31, 2018. Customers have the freedom to purchase products they need when they need them without having to buy season packs or preselected bundles. The Power of More Reward Club makes it easy to save on turf and ornamental products, especially if purchased through Corteva Agriscience direct distributor.

“The Power of More Reward Club allows customers to take advantage of cost savings and help their businesses’ bottom line,” said Karan Bansal, Product Manager for Corteva Agriscience Turf & Ornamental division. “Allowing our customers to buy the products they need, without requiring them to purchase a seasonal pack or bundle puts the power back into their hands while providing rewards along the way.”

Lawn and landscape, nursery managers and golf course superintendents can simply select from more than 50 Corteva Agriscience products or products containing Corteva Agriscience active ingredients. Submit completed rebate forms by Jan. 15, 2019, to receive a March 2019 rebate check or by Oct. 31, 2019, for a December 2019 rebate. Complete program details, eligible products and rebate forms are available at www.POMRewardClub.com. Customers can also contact their local distributor sales representative or Corteva Agriscience territory manager.

Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.

Kerb SC no longer an RUP

October 4, 2018 · Corteva Agriscience

Kerb^® SC specialty herbicide, manufactured by Corteva Agriscience^™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, has received EPA federal registration on an amended label, removing the restricted use pesticide (RUP) classification.

Kerb SC T&O specialty herbicide provides preemergence and early postemergence control of winter annuals and perennial grasses, and offers exceptional control of Poa annua on golf courses. An easy-to-apply liquid formulation, Kerb SC aids in the removal of perennial ryegrass from warm-season turfgrass during the spring transition. Read the full amended label here. For additional questions, customers can contact their local distributor sales representative or Corteva Agriscience territory manager. ^™®Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. Always read and follow label directions. ©2018 Dow AgroSciences LLC

Indiana LCO defends commercial lawns with Gallery SC + Dimension 2EW specialty herbicides

August 23, 2018 · Corteva Agriscience

Keeping weeds out of sight is a constant battle. You don’t need to tell Pierre Bridger that. Bridger is the director of operations for Vibrant Outdoors in Whitestown, Indiana. The company covers both residential and commercial markets, but the bulk of its operation is in commercial maintenance, including condo associations, business parks, municipal parks and even traffic islands.

“Commercial lawn care is so different from residential because management companies and board members aren’t focused on having a specific program. First and foremost, they just don’t want to see any weeds,” Bridger said.

Knowing the products

As many lawn care operators (LCO) know, not seeing any weeds can be a challenge to accomplish. It requires diligence and re-evaluation of current application programs to deliver the best results. Bridger has a variety of products in his arsenal to fight weeds across a commercial property. Weed control in ornamental beds is a key concern for his customers. “We combine Gallery SC and Dimension 2EW for bed maintenance,” Bridger said. “New and existing customers will receive Gallery and Dimension for their preemergence application as a part of their mulch bed maintenance program.” The combination provides broad-spectrum preemergence control of broadleaf and grassy weeds. Gallery^® SC specialty herbicide is a preemergence herbicide that provides control of broadleaf weeds and vastly reduces the need for hand-weeding. Dimension^® 2EW specialty herbicide takes care of crabgrass and 47 other grassy and broadleaf weeds.

“We converted to Gallery and Dimension for all of our properties because it allows us to get applications down earlier and have better control. Although, we still use Snapshot on areas like traffic islands,” Bridger says.

Prior to the converting to the liquid combination of Gallery SC and Dimension 2EW, Bridger applied the granular Snapshot^® specialty herbicide for those properties.

Customer applications

Whether Vibrant Outdoors’ LCOs are applying Gallery SC and Dimension 2EW or Snapshot, they’re still able to get out earlier to make first applications. Although a second application is typically not needed, high-maintenance areas like traffic islands often get a second application around July.

“Every application program is client-specific, based on wants and needs,” Bridger explains. “The key is to get out earlier, if you really want to make money and provide superior results on a bed maintenance program. You need to do it early before it becomes an afterthought, and by doing so, it reduces your labor cost almost immediately.”

Application programs are constantly changing based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the weather, turf species, weed type or the product. For example, when treating ornamental beds, Bridger has found success with combining preemergence and postemergence herbicides during early applications. As a postemergence, Defendor^® specialty herbicide is effective when applied early in the season before dandelion and clover bloom. Defendor, with the active ingredient florasulam, is often mixed with Dimension 2EW and can be used on cool- and warm-season turfgrasses. “For early spring applications, we use Defendor and Dimension 2EW, with applications that are typically six weeks apart,” Bridger says. “We cover 150 to 175 acres in the fall with Defendor and see outstanding weed control, which allows for more freedom in the spring.” Combining two products, such as Gallery and Dimension or Defendor and Dimension, is an innovative solution that provides control of tough weeds while maintaining a flexible application program. “I’ve never been as excited about any product since we first tried Defendor plus Dimension in 2015,” Bridger said. “It allows us to treat more acres with the same manpower, get out earlier and extend the window of control.”

Customer retention

When it comes to the customer, commercial properties are a much tougher market to get into and retain.

“The loyalty factor is very difficult with commercial properties, especially with homeowner or condo owner associations because you’re not just dealing with a management company, but with board members,” Bridger says. “It is important to ensure you have a voice with the people who actually make the decisions.”

Frequent board turnover is another challenge that commercial LCOs face, as well as the challenge of having to bid on the turf maintenance of the property. “All bids are different, and what is helpful is to let them know that we are using premium products for extended control,” Bridger says. While the commercial property market can be more difficult to break into, determining the right application program and combination of products can benefit your business for the long haul and with customer retention. “You know, getting a complaint or a callback is one of the first things that will get you fired,” Bridger says. “We don’t get service calls on turf anymore and have renewed more than 92 percent of our business in 2017.” State restrictions on the sale or use of Defendor, Dimension 2EW, Gallery SC, Snapshot specialty herbicides apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Tough turf diseases this summer? Try Eagle 20EW fungicide

July 27, 2018 · Corteva Agriscience

Turfgrass that is maintained using proper cultural practices (irrigation, fertilization, mowing) is less likely to become diseased than turf that does not receive proper care. However, an integrated management program that includes cultural and chemical methods is the key to preventing and controlling turfgrass diseases.

Eagle® 20EW specialty fungicide works systemically to control more than a dozen diseases, so you can cure problems and prevent recurrence. Eagle 20EW migrates upward through plant tissue and provides continuous protection as new foliage appears for up to 28 days after an application. It is an ideal wall-to-wall solution and is labeled for use on a variety of common residential turf, flowers, shrubs, ornamentals and high-visibility plants such as crabapples and backyard fruit trees.

Eagle 20EW comes in convenient packaging sizes — 1-gallon jugs and 16-ounce bottles — making it easy to measure, mix and apply the recommended treatment for any size property or planting bed. Optimum disease control is achieved when Eagle 20EW is applied as part of a regular preventive disease control program on a 10- to 14-day schedule. State restrictions on the sale and use of Eagle 20EW apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

Weeds 101: Carolina geranium

May 31, 2018 · Corteva Agriscience

Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum), often called crane’s bill because of the shape of the fruit, is a winter annual or biennial, depending on its location. Known for its deeply dissected leaves, typically divided into five to nine toothed segments. As it matures, the basal rosette experiences stem elongation and branching. Applying a postemergence broadleaf herbicide – at preemergence timing – can reduce callbacks and minimize complaints.

Courtesy of James H. Miller & Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, Bugwood.org.

What to look for: divided leaves; whitish-pink to purple flowers Life cycle: winter annual or biennial Leaves: deeply dissected and divided into five to nine toothed segments; the densely hairy stems are erect, usually pink to red in color Flowers: whitish-pink to purple flowers Roots: shallow taproot; sometimes lower stems sprawl along the ground Look-alikes: various annual geraniums and common mallow Commonly found: sites with poor soil that are gravelly or sandy; prefers full or partial sun and dry conditions

Treatment recommendations

Applications in fall or early spring are recommended. Apply Defendor^® specialty herbicide, a postemergence product, when it’s too cold for other herbicides to be effective. State restrictions on the sale and use of Defendor apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.

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