Field studies were conducted in 1996, 1997, and 1998 to determine the effectiveness of several grasses as filter strips for reducing sediment and herbicide losses in runoff. Big bluestem, eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, and tall fescue reduced total runoff volume by at least 55, 76, 49, and 46%, respectively. Within the 127-d sampling period, each perennial grass filter strip investigated reduced total sediment loss in surface runoff by at least 66%. All four species reduced total fluometuron loss in runoff at least 59%. Big bluestem and eastern gamagrass reduced norflurazon loss in runoff 63 and 86%, respectively. When a filter strip was present, fluometuron and norflurazon losses did not exceed 5 and 3% of the total applied, respectively, compared to 12 and 5%, respectively, when a filter strip was not present.

Nomenclature: Fluometuron; norflurazon; big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘DES-119’; eastern gamagrass, Tripsacum dactyloides L.; switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., PANVI; tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb., FESAR.