Question

I have heard turf managers talk about the difference in effectiveness of preemergents formulated as a liquid vs. on a fertilizer carrier. I personally have never experienced this. Is there any truth to it?

Answer

Everyone has questions. And BASF Professional Turf has answers.

There have been differences in performance with some products over the years, but most of this has occurred with newer products as they are being developed. Some herbicides have very low water solubility which has required manufacturers to decrease fertilizer particle size in order to obtain adequate herbicide coverage on the turf surface. Other active ingredients have higher volatility which makes sprayable formulations more prone to gaseous loss. One problem that does surface on occasion however, is poor/non-uniform impregnation of herbicide onto fertilizer due to poor manufacturing processes. Make sure you are purchasing product from a reputable distributor.