Turfgrass IPM

1. Turfgrass IPM • Integrated Pest Management or • Intelligent Pest Management • Ecosystems are composed of beneficial and detrimental organisms. Ideally want selective control of the detrimentals! • The use of all control measures to reduce a pest population or minimize its impact. Cultural, biological and chemical controls are all included.

2. A New Philosophy • Reduces dependence, but does not eliminate or preclude the use of pesticides • Site specific • Relies on tolerance thresholds rather than elimination • Cost effective • Good for the environment • Good for public image • Good for the industry

3. The Basics • Site assessment • Pest profiles • Monitoring • Setting thresholds • Stress management (the turf’s) • Identifying management options • Evaluation

4. Site Assessment • Of entire area • Maps of irrigation, drainage, trees, soil types, elevations, shade patterns, traffic patterns, surface waters, structures, beds, and turf species. Also note problem areas, pest history.

5. Pest Profiles • Pest ID • Symptoms • When and where, life cycle, biology • Scouting and monitoring, threshold levels • Cultural control practices • Biological control options • Chemical control options

6. Monitoring • What does damage look like? • Patches? Size? Do they coalesce? Color? Lesions on the blades? Is turf intact, rooted? • Where does damage occur? • All or one species? All or one area? Shade? South facing slopes? Wet soils? Dry soils? Dead air? • When does the damage occur? • What are the associated conditions?

7. Monitoring • Need to monitor before and after control treatment to assess effectiveness • Evaluate the success or failure. Was weather involved? Timing? Incorrect ID? Improper selection of control/chemical? Improper management? • Know life cycles to avoid monitoring during wrong seasons. Saves time and $$$.

8. Monitoring Techniques • For insects (grubs mainly) • Soil samples • Soap flush • Flooding • Traps (pheromone, light, pitfall) • For weeds • Transect lines • Random samples using frame • Daily collection, mapping

9. Monitoring Techniques • For diseases • Active mycelia • Disease symptoms • Disease clinic • Disease often in same locations, map! • Nematodes • Composite 4” soil cores, seal in plastic, send to laboratory • Take samples from site with/without symptoms

10. Setting Thresholds • Cannot rid a turf of pests, so need to establish limits for their presence and activity • Based on aesthetics, use, expectations, species, time of year • Also on whether control measures are available, and costs of control • Site specific

11. Controls - Stress Management • Mowing at proper height to maximize photosynthesis • Water management (rain, irrig’n, dew, ice) • Water quality (salts) • Turfgrass selection • Fertilization • Soil management (pH, compaction, thatch, salinity, nutrition)

12. Biological Controls • The use of living organisms, or products of living organisms to suppress pest populations or activity • Natural ecosystems contain checks and balances, predators and prey, which keep things on an even keel - few epidemics. • Many insect pests have been introduced or imported from overseas, without their natural enemies.

13. Biological Controls • Most fungi are not pathogenic, and many are critical to the normal health of a soil ecosystem. Some produce natural products which inhibit other fungi, including pathogens. Isolating these materials can lead to natural fungicides, eg. Heritage • Adding organic matter to soils usually stimulates general microbial activity, which can inhibit turf pathogenic fungi

14. Insect BioControl • Parasites, usually flies or wasps, lay eggs in their host. The larvae hatch and feed on the host. Often host specific, but difficult to do. eg. Parasitic wasps on white grubs • Predators which seek out and attack host. Usually adults. eg. Lady bugs, preying mantis

15. Insect BioControl • Pathogens, eg. Entomopathogenic nematodes, which enter host and transmit a toxic bacteria. • Bacteria which produce toxins specific for some insects. The BT toxin is the industry standard, and can be applied in living bacteria or in transgenic plants. • Several fungi attack certain insects but not plants or animals. They are not always stable in the soil, however.

16. Insect BioControl • Insect growth regulators. Juvenility hormones repress development and prevent the insect from growing and reproducing. These are usually species specific • Some growth regulators interfere with molting. These may be more general, and can target beneficial organisms. • Endophytes are fungi which live inside the turfgrass plant, between the cells, and produce toxins to insects (and livestock)

17. Problems with Biocontrol • Few success stories (Heritage and related fungicides the exception) • Introduced organisms often fail to establish or survive long enough to impact target host. • Organisms are easily damaged prior to application • Shear numbers and diversity of native organisms may exceed introduced organisms

18. Chemical Control • Decisions need to be based on: • environmental risks • timing for optimum control • pesticide characteristics • mobility • persistence (many ways to lose activity) • pH sensitivity • spectrum of activity (other organisms?) • resistance management

19. Chemical Control Risks • Runoff • Leaching • Volatilization • Removal in/on clippings • Dislodgeable residues • Human toxicity - chronic and acute • Toxicity to non-target organisms