Little Barley Control with Herbicides in Dormant Bermudagrass Hayfields

Little barley is a winter annual grass weed commonly found in pastures and hayfields across the southeastern United States. Its dense growth can delay bermudagrass greenup and is highly undesirable as a forage after flowering. A study was conducted at two sites in Alabama to evaluate the efficacy of glyphosate and nicosulfuron for little barley control, bermudgrass response, and subsequent warm season weedy grass response. Herbicide treatments were applied in mid March just prior to bermudagrass greenup. In general, glyphosate controlled little barley faster than nicosulfuron treatments but all herbicides were effective by six weeks after treatment (WAT). Bermudagrass injury was less than three percent at 6 WAT for all treatments. At 13 WAT, large crabgrass and other weedy grasses were generally released by herbicide treatment but were strongly suppressed by little barley in the untreated plots. Bermudagrass cover did not respond consistently to little barley control but this was more likely a function of summer annual grass competition than herbicide injury.