Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Turf

1. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Turf Matt Fagerness KSU Turfgrass Extension

2. Turfgrass Sites are Vulnerable to: • Soil erosion (especially during establishment) • Surface runoff (imperfect irrigation) • Movement of fertilizer and pesticides away from the site • Improper use of fertilizers and pesticides

3. ‘Train’ Approach to Resource Management • Non-’train’ approach: • Aggressive watering, unrestricted flow into storm drains/sewer • ‘Train’ approach: • Responsible fertilizer/pesticide applications • Moderate watering • Buffers between irrigated areas and streets/sidewalks • All the above tie together when implemented together

4. What are BMPs? • Practices implemented before and during management to protect natural resources both on and off the turfgrass site.

5. Two Main Types of BMPs • Land Use BMPs: Practices engineered and incorporated into turf/landscape design and construction. • Source Prevention BMPs: Practices implemented during management of a turf/landscape site

6. Five Primary Goals of BMPs: • 1) Reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides (LU, SP) • 2) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach (SP) • 3) Control the rate, method, and types of chemicals used (SP) • 4) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices (LU) • **5) Educate the public on the relationship between environmental issues and turf management

7. Goals of BMPs • 1)Reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides (LU, SP) • 2) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach • 3) Control the rate, method, and types of chemicals used • 4) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices • **5) Educate the public on the relationship between environmental issues and turf management

8. Land Use BMPs Minimizing Offsite Transport of Nutrients, Pesticides, Soil, etc. • Landscaping: may help prevent excessive transport of or intercept mobile materials before they move offsite • raised mulch beds • shrubs • trees • other ground covers

9. Source Prevention BMPs Minimizing Offsite Transport of Nutrients, Pesticides, Soil, etc. • Proper irrigation: right time, frequency, & amount • Proper fertilization and pesticide use: correct rates, types, and timings

10. Improper IrrigationWater can carry a lot with it!

11. Goals of BMPs • 1)Reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides • 2) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach (SP) • 3) Control the rate, method, and types of chemicals used • 4) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices • **5) Educate the public on the relationship between environmental issues and turf management

12. What is IPM? • IntegratedPestManagement • Objectives: • Develop healthy turf that can withstand pest pressure • Use chemicals judiciously and efficiently • Enhance populations of natural, beneficial organisms • Tackle pest problems when pests are most vulnerable

13. Six Approaches to IPM • Genetic * • Regulatory * • Cultural • Physical • Biological • Chemical * Represent IPM approaches at the planning stage, not active ways to manage pests

14. Planning Stage IPM • Genetic approach: • Selecting improved turfgrass varieties which do well in the Kansas climate and show resistance to both environmental stress and pest problems • Regulatory approach: • Using certified seed, sod, or sprigs to optimize genetic uniformity and prevent unwanted weed contamination

15. Seed Label ** Look for % other crop seed, % weed seed, and % germination Good Not so Good

16. Active IPM Approaches • Cultural: proper mowing, irrigation, fertilization, and aerating make pest control much easier. • Physical: hand weeding, cleaning mowers and tools to avoid spreading disease and weed seeds • Biological: promoting natural pest predators (e.g. bird houses, bird baths)

17. Active IPM Approaches • Chemical: often necessary but to supplement rather than replace other approaches • Steps to take: • Identify the pest properly • Identify and correct site conditions promoting the pest • Implement other IPM approaches to augment pest control • Select a pesticide suitable for the pest • Apply the pesticide as directed and when the pest is most vulnerable

18. Goals of BMPs • 1)Reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides • 2) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach • 3) Control the rate, method, and types of chemicals used (SP) • 4) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices • **5) Educate the public on the relationship between environmental issues and turf management

19. Types of Lawn Inputs • Fertilizer • Natural and synthetic, pH modifiers • Water • Natural and intentional • Pesticides • Herbicides, fungicides, insecticides • Other • e.g. soil sterilants, fuel

20. Sloppy Fertilization“feast or famine”

21. Canine “Fertilizer” ProblemsBefore

22. Canine “Fertilizer” ProblemsAfter

23. Fertilizer Analysis • Sequence of three numbers that reflect the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium respectively.

24. What’s in the Bag?: Primary Turf Nutrients • Nitrogen - Used for above-ground growth and good green color (soil mobile, nitrate contamination) • Phosphorus - Used for root growth and formation of seeds and fruit (less mobile in soil but can contaminate watersheds like nitrate) • Potassium - Used for basic plant growth and helps plants withstand stress (soil mobile)

25. Tips to Manage Fertilizer Input • Determine exact amounts for specific areas • Avoid the tendency to give the turf “a little extra” • Avoid overshooting onto sidewalks/pavement • Drop spreader is more precise than whirlybird • Be as precise as possible with spreader spacing • Don’t confine Fido to the same spots every day

26. Area Determination the Wrong Way 20’ Total: 1800 sq. ft. 40’ 50’ 20’

27. Area Determination the Right Way 15’ Total: ~1200 sq. ft. 15’ 30’ 15’x12’/2 =90sq. ft. 40’

28. Tips to Manage Irrigation Input • Water only when necessary: avoid irrigating when it rains (automatic systems) • Water in morning or evening to maximize turf use • Try to minimize irrigation water hitting driveways or streets (surface runoff) • Deep, infrequent irrigation instead of light, frequent irrigation (improves root system)

29. Irrigation Tips - Soil Wetting

30. Irrigation Tips - Turf Use

31. Tips to Manage Pesticide Input • Know your pests! Improper diagnosis of a problem can lead to unnecessary pesticide use. • Let the pesticide do its job- Be patient! • Avoid pesticides prone to drift: your neighbors will appreciate it • Follow label specifications!!!

32. Improper Diagnosis What caused this problem? Not disease or insects but dull mower blades. The solution should be a grinding file, not a pesticide.

33. Other: Petroleum Contaminationaka Gas Spill

34. Goals of BMPs • 1)Reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides • 2) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach • 3) Control the rate, method, and types of chemicals used • 4) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices (LU) • **5) Educate the public on the relationship between environmental issues and turf management

35. Good and Bad Soil Conservation Good Not so good

36. Biological Soil and Water Conservation • Turfgrass!! • Turf is an excellent soil stabilizer and is an efficient user of water, especially certain species • Mulch • Helps with soil water retention and stabilizes bare ground • Other plants • Can offer a buffer to prevent excessive surface movement of water, soil, etc.

37. Water Conserving Turfgrasses Bermudagrass Buffalograss Tall fescue

38. Turfgrasses Requiring More Water Kentucky bluegrass Perennial ryegrass

39. Mechanical Soil and Water Conservation • Well positioned and/or raised mulch beds • Separate sloped sites and potential collection areas • Retaining walls • Limestone, railroad ties, processed timbers • Plastic sheeting for mulch beds • Helps with soil stabilization and with weeds

40. Mechanical Soil and Water ConservationMulch beds

41. Mechanical Soil and Water ConservationRetaining walls

42. Goals of BMPs • 1)Reduce or eliminate offsite transport of sediment, nutrient, and pesticides • 2) Reduce total chemical use through an IPM approach • 3) Control the rate, method, and types of chemicals used • 4) Use biological and mechanical soil and water conservation practices • **5) Educate the public on the relationship between environmental issues and turf management

43. Summary • The point in all of this is not to foster criticism of how things are currently done but rather to promote “better” or “safer” ways to apply inputs to home lawns. • We all want the same thing: a lush, healthy lawn!!

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