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.

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

The Basics

• Site assessment

• Pest profiles

• Monitoring

• Setting thresholds

• Stress management (the turf’s)

• Identifying management options

• Evaluation

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.

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

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?

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 $$$.

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

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

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

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)

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.

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

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

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.

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)

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

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

Chemical Control Risks

• Runoff

• Leaching

• Volatilization

• Removal in/on clippings

• Dislodgeable residues

• Human toxicity - chronic and acute

• Toxicity to non-target organisms