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Choosing the Right Pre-Emergent Active Ingredient for Your Turf Program

Successful turf management starts with proactive weed prevention. Pre-emergent herbicides create a protective soil barrier that stops germinating annual weeds; including crabgrass, goosegrass, and common broadleaf species before they compete with healthy turf.

For turf professionals, early-season weed prevention means:

  • Cleaner playing surfaces
  • Improved turf density
  • Reduced in-season rescue applications
  • More predictable program performance

Choosing the Right Pre-Emergent for Your Program

Not all pre-emergents perform the same across every site. Choosing the right active ingredient and formulation helps you match weed pressure, turf tolerance, and timing windows - so you get consistent control without compromising playability or establishment plans. When selecting a product, consider:

  • Turf type (greens, fairways, sports fields, residential/commercial lawns)
  • Nutrient requirements
  • Desired residual length
  • Application timing flexibility
  • Insect pressure
  • Seeding plans

The Andersons herbicide portfolio is built on proven active ingredients, differentiated by formulation quality and delivery technology. From proprietary premixes to DG lite carriers, these products are designed to improve handling, dispersion, and on-turf performance. Below is the complete pre-emergent offering featured in our professional catalog:

Barricade® (Prodiamine) Products

Barricade (prodiamine) is a proven, long-residual pre-emergent option most commonly used in residential and commercial lawn programs. Our DG Technology helps deliver even coverage and rapid dispersion into the soil profile, stopping 30+ grassy and broadleaf weeds before they emerge.

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Dimension® (Dithiopyr) Products

Dimension (dithiopyr) is a strong fit for residential/commercial lawn care and sports turf programs when you want reliable pre-emergent control plus a little more timing flexibility. Beyond preventing crabgrass and other annual grasses, dithiopyr offers early post-emergent activity on young crabgrass - making it a smart option if your application window is pushed later or you’re trying to reduce early breakthrough pressure. Choose Dimension when crabgrass performance and application-window forgiveness matter more than the longest possible residual.

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Dimension® (Dithiopyr) + Acelepryn® (Chlorantraniliprole) Products

This combination is designed for programs that want to cover two early-season priorities in one pass: crabgrass prevention with Dimension plus preventive insect control with Acelepryn. It’s most often used in lawn and sports turf settings where grub/armyworm pressure is a known annual issue and a single granular application helps simplify spring operations. Choose it over Dimension-only when insect pressure justifies the added value; choose it over insecticide-only options when you also need a pre-emergent foundation for annual grass control.

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Ronstar® (Oxadiazon) Products

Ronstar (oxadiazon) is typically selected for warm-season and transition-zone turf programs - especially in the South - where annual grass pressure (including goosegrass) is a recurring challenge and granular pre-emergent performance is preferred. Compared to prodiamine or dithiopyr, oxadiazon is often chosen for its fit on certain warm-season areas and for operations that want a stable, dust-free granular that spreads evenly and stays where it’s applied. All Ronstar products use SFT™ hot-melt formulation technology to create a uniform, low-dust granule for consistent coverage and handling.

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ProPendi® (Pendimethalin) Products

ProPendi (pendimethalin) is a practical, budget-friendly pre-emergent that’s most often used in lawn care and general grounds programs where you want dependable annual grass prevention in a granular application. It provides strong prevention of crabgrass and other annual grasses with added broadleaf suppression, making it a solid foundation product for early-season applications or for rotating actives as part of a resistance-management strategy. Choose ProPendi when you need reliable, straightforward control at a strong value - especially when ultra-long residual (prodiamine) or the added timing flexibility of dithiopyr isn’t required.

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Specialty Pre-Emergent Products

For specific weed challenges and niche applications:

  • 18-6-15 + 0.164% Dithiopyr
    A higher-nitrogen, more aggressive feed-and-prevent option when you want noticeable green-up alongside dithiopyr protection early in the season.

These solutions provide targeted control for ornamental beds, difficult annual grasses, and specialized turf programs.


Pre-Emergent Herbicides for Seeding (Mesotrione)

Designed for new seed and renovation windows, mesotrione helps suppress key weeds during establishment without the stand-reduction risk associated with many traditional pre-emergents - making it a go-to choice when you need early-season weed control and successful germination at the same time.

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With options that span long-residual barriers, timing-flexible actives, warm-season specialty solutions, and seeding-safe mesotrione, you can build a pre-emergent program that fits your turf and your calendar. Start by identifying your primary weed targets and application window, then select the active ingredient and carrier that best match the site’s tolerance and performance expectations. The result is cleaner turf, fewer rescue applications, and more consistent season-long outcomes.

Contact Us!

With a focus on quality, service, and technology, the products we bring to market are designed to make work easier for those who use them. From a broad range of fertilizers, control products, and soil enhancers, to patented products and delivery systems, we’re committed to delivering next-generation solutions with the highest level of quality and customer service in the industry.

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