Simazine Use on Golf Courses in Arizona

Date: January 4, 2005

To: Rick Melnicoe
Director, Western Region Integrated Pest Management Center

To: Harold D. Coble
Agronomist
USDA/ARS/OA
Subject: Simazine

Simazine is still used by golf course superintendents in the desert. It is used on non-overseeded bermudagrass for general weed control of Poa annua, weedy ryegrass, and mustards.

Golf courses will use it on rough areas not overseeded to keep them clean. It is inexpensive to use and relatively safe on the dormant bermudagrass. I had put an inquiry out to local consultants who work with courses and to manufacturers.

Syngenta's sales rep indicated that she could provide some data about how much is used. I had personally happened upon a course that did not overseed and was spraying simazine on the day that I visited. Sorry that not much concrete data could be available but respondents just indicated that it is still used.

Kai Umeda
University of Arizona
Cooperative Extension
Maricopa County
4341 E. Broadway
Phoenix, AZ 85040
Phone: (602) 470-8086 x-314
Fax: (602) 470-8092