During two years of studies conducted on sandy clay loam soils under semi-arid conditions, selective grass herbicides have exhibited the following order of effectiveness 90 days following foliar application: FUSILADE [butyl 2-[4-[5 (trifluromethyl-2-pyridinyloxy)] phenoxy] propanoate] = DOWCO 453 (DOW) > POAST [2-[1-(ethozyamino)-butyl]-5-[2-(ethylthio)-propyl]-3-hydroxy2-cyclohexene-l-one] > CGA 82725 (Ciba-Geigy). Rhizome johnsongrass [sorghum halepense (L.) pers.] control 14 months following foliar application ranged from 70% to 20% for the respective herbicides with the order of effectiveness being FUSILADE = DOWCO 453 > POAST > CGA 82725. Soil preplant incorporated applications of the herbicides to sandy loam soil at 0.6 kg/ha resulted in severe damage to immediate plantings of grain sorghum with the order of toxicity being DOWCO 453 > POAST > FUSILADE > CGA 82725. Greenhouse studies with johnsongrass rhizomes exposed to soil treated with the herbicides indicate high levels of suppression with all chemicals. Field preemergence applications of 0.6 kg/ha of CGA 82725, FUSILADE, and DOWCO 453 have shown acceptable control of Texas panicum (panicum texanum Buckl.).