Using ethephon for suppressing spring seedheads in interspecific zoysiagrass hybrid (‘DALZ 1701’)

Plain Language Summary Zoysiagrass ( Zoysia spp. Willd.) is commonly used on golf courses and sports fields in the southern half of the United States but tends to produce unsightly seedheads in spring, requiring more mowing inputs. Ethephon (Proxy; Envu), a plant growth regulator, can reduce these seedheads when applied in fall. Our study focused on a new type of zoysiagrass, ‘DALZ 1701’, which is an interspecific hybrid with good cold tolerance and other desirable characteristics. An experiment was conducted to determine whether ethephon would work on this new variety and, if so, what the best time for application in the fall would be in comparison to past studies. Applications were made in early September, October, November, and mid‐April. Results showed that early September and October applications reduced seedheads by 87%–91%, while November and April applications were less effective, suppressing fewer than 50% of seedheads. This indicates that early fall application of ethephon is effective for managing DALZ 1701 zoysiagrass.