The label is the law. Rates and restrictions below are taken from the product labels listed under Sources. Your product's own label governs; read it before you mix or apply. Mixing calculator · Disclaimer
- Active ingredient
- Bentazon (as the sodium salt)
- Chemical class
- Benzothiadiazinone; WSSA Group 6 photosystem II inhibitor.[2][1]
- Mode of action
- WSSA Group 6: Photosystem II inhibitors (benzothiadiazinones)[2][1]
- Signal word
- Basagran T&O Herbicide: Caution[1]
Lawns and plants it can go on
Listed turfgrasses include bahiagrass, bentgrass, bermudagrass, bluegrass, buffalograss, carpetgrass, centipedegrass, fescue, ryegrass, St. Augustinegrass, seashore paspalum and zoysiagrass. Perennial ryegrass gets one 0.75 fl oz application with at least 21 days before the next.[1]
Avoid spraying over the top of nearby trees, shrubs and flowers unless they're listed for it. Spraying near the base of established ornamentals shouldn't injure them, except sycamore and rhododendron.[1]
Adding an oil concentrate
Some weeds on the label need a nonphytotoxic oil concentrate at 0.75 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft, about 5 teaspoons. Oil can slightly burn grass and ornamentals in high heat and humidity, and must never go over the top of ornamentals.[1]
Where it is used
For yellow nutsedge, spray once the sedge is 6 to 8 inches tall and make a second application 7 to 10 days later or when new growth appears. It only controls nutsedge that has already come up.[1]
Rain or sprinkler irrigation within 8 hours can cancel out the treatment, and the label expects good soil moisture: water first if the soil is dry, because drought-stressed weeds aren't controlled well.[1]
It works mainly by contact, so every target weed must be thoroughly covered. Hold off mowing for 3 days before and after for broadleaf weeds, and 5 days for sedges.[1]
Skip turf stressed by drought, cold or other herbicides, and don't spray newly seeded or sprigged lawns until the grass is well established.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basagran T&O Herbicide[1] | BASF Agricultural Solutions US, LLC | 7969-326 | 44.0% | soluble liquid | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basagran T&O Herbicide | Established lawns, athletic fields, golf courses (not greens or collars), sod farms and other maintained turf | Yellow nutsedge, annual sedge, Canada and musk thistle, purslane, wild mustard, dayflower, lawn burweed and other listed broadleaf weeds | 0.55–0.75 fl oz product per 1,000 sq ft[1] Mix in 1 to 2 gallons of water per 1,000 sq ft. The residential directions put 0.75 fl oz at about 5 teaspoons. At most 2 applications a year, at least 7 days apart, and no more than 1.5 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft per year on home lawns. |
Safety and environmental hazards
People
Signal word CAUTION: harmful if swallowed or absorbed through skin, moderately irritating to eyes, and repeated skin contact may cause allergies. Wear long sleeves, long pants, shoes with socks and waterproof gloves.[1]
Pets
Keep people and pets out of the treated area until the spray has dried.[1]
Bees and pollinators
A pollinator advisory says drift onto non-target areas may harm forage and habitat for pollinators such as monarch butterflies, plus birds and bats. Follow the drift rules to protect them.[1]
Fish and water
Don't spray directly onto water. Bentazon is known to leach into groundwater, especially in permeable soils with a shallow water table, and it can injure non-target plants off the treated area.[1]
Common questions
- Does Basagran kill nutsedge?
- Yes. Yellow nutsedge is its signature target: two applications of 0.55 to 0.75 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft, 7 to 10 days apart, starting when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall.[1]
- Will bentazon kill crabgrass?
- No. The label states Basagran T&O does not control grass weeds.[1]
- How long does it need before rain?
- About 8 hours. Rainfall or sprinkler irrigation within 8 hours of application may reduce or nullify its effect.[1]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Basagran T&O Herbicide label, EPA Reg. No. 7969-326 (EPA-stamped, Sept. 11, 2024).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/007969-00326-20240911.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Weed Science Society of America, “Summary of Herbicide Mechanism of Action According to the Weed Science Society of America.” wssa.net/wp-content/uploads/WSSA-Mechanism-of-Action.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)