Turf test

What is the largest segment of the turfgrass industry in CO?

Home lawns

5 steps of IPM

education, monitoring, prevention, intervention, evaluation and planning

Desirable soil pH for turfgrasses

6-7

What is a plant mix

combination of two or more species of turfgrass

What is a plant blend?

combinations of 2 or more cultivars of the same species

2 benefits of collecting grass clippings while mowing

reduces seed spread while seeds are in flower, reduce spread of diseases during period of infection

Turfgrass is an intensively cultivated crop that is managed for its ____ not its ____

appearance, yield

2 forms to apply N to soil

ammonium and nitrate

ammonioum ___ soil pH

decreases

nitrate ____ soil pH

increases

2 nutrients required more highly in CO because high pH of soils?

iron and phosphorus

Effects of mowing on turfgrass

temporary cessation of root growth, reduces carbohydrate production, creates entry points fo pathogens, temporarily increases water loss, reduces water absorption by roots

Recommended mowing height for lawns

2.5-3 in

When mowing you should never cut more than ___ of the blade length

1/3

Benefits of coring

increases infiltration capacity, stimulates root growth within holes, increases shoot growth atop holes, controls thatch, improves response to fertilizer

A lawn should be aerated at least once per ____

year

Cross pesticide resistance

resistance to 2 or more pesticide families in the same SOA

multiple pesticide resistance

resistance to 2 or more pesticides with different SOA

athropods

body is divided in segments, legs are jointed, and have an exoskeleton

insects

have body divided into three regions- the head, thorax, and abdomen

Adult insects have

three pairs of legs and developed wings

simple metamorphosis

eggs → nymphs, 3-5 instars, feed like adults and look similar but smaller and lack wings → adults

Examples of simple metamorphosis

aphids, leafhoppers, true bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, and thrips

complete metamorphosis

eggs → larvae → pupae → adult

examples of complete metamorphosis

beetles, caterpillars, flies

How does a resistant variety of turfgrass impact pests

may be less preferred by pest, adversely affect its normal development and survival, or the plant may tolerate damage without economic loss

endophytic fungi

grow within the plant beginning at the seedling stage and can help protect plants from insects that feed on the leaves

turfgrasses with endophytic fungi

perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue

Over watered lawn is breeding grounds for what bug

Japanese beetles and masked chafers

Drought conditions in the spring favor what bug

Banks grass mite and clover mites

Hot, dry conditions in summer are associated with which bug

chinch bugs

Contact herbicides

Pesticides that enter bugs through the exoskeleton

How are stomach poisons effective

when the pest eats the poison

3 major classes of herbicides used in turf

pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and anthranilic diamides

Botanical insecticides are derived from

plants

Microbial insecticides are derived from

microbes

Water-soluble pesticides are best used when?

For moving into the soil to kill root-feeding insects

Non-water-soluble pesticides are best used when?

Controlling surface active insects and mites

The higher the pH, the ____ the pesticide is broken down

faster

3 ways to protect pollinators while spraying

1. read label for bee hazard statements 2. never apply insecticide to turf with blooming weeds 3. mow blooming weeds prior to application

3 major types of white grubs

masked chafers, may and june beetles, japanese beetles

Signs of white grubs

lawn appears drought stressed or dying, roots are clipped by larval feeding and turf may easily roll up like carpet, soil has loosened, distinctive c-shaped larvae in root zone

Contol for white grubs

Irrigate prior to treatment, young larvae are more susceptible, applications must reach root zone, water immediately after to reduce residue and increase movement

Masked chafers description

annual white grubs, shiny light-brown scarab beetles with a dark band (mask) acoss the head and spot in thorax, distinctive C shape

masked chafers damage

damage is caused by larval stage that feeds under turf cover, cause wilting or death

Masked chafers IPM methods

Increasing mowing height to increase root mass, irrigation,

Largest white grub species found in lawns

May and June beetles

What year of their life cycle do May and June bugs inflict the most damage

Year 2

Japanese beetle description

c shaped white body as larvae, adult is metallic green with coppery-brown wing tips, small patched of short white hairs on abdomen

Japanese beetle damage

larvae feed on grass roots, adults can also feed on leaves, buds, and flowers, skeletonizing leaves

Example of biologic control for Japanese beetles

parasitic nematodes

types of billbugs

bluegrass billbug and Rocky Mountain billbug

Signs of billbug presence

lawn appears drought-stressed, sadust-like frass, soil under turf is firm, damaged grass breaks at crown when pulled, legless grubs found in the crown/root zone of grass

Bluegrass billbug description

larvae look like white grubs but LEGLESS, produce sawdust-like excriment

Bluegrass billbug damage

adult females cause minor damage to turf when they cut holes in the stems to insert their eggs, grubs are the primary damaging stage, young grubs feed in crown area of plant, ends appear sawed off

Rocky Mountain billbug description

more common than bluegrass billbug in colorado, adult is larger and darker than bluegrass and has light-colored marking on wing covers

Types of sod webworms

larger sod webworm and cranberry girdler

Sod webworm sign

general thinning or failure of lawn to green up in spring, general thinning in midsummer, flocks of birds on lawns, cupped leaves, green pellet-like droppings, silk or larvae in thatch

Larger sod webworm damage

damage occurs in caterpillar or larval stage, they chew grass blades near soil surface and expose crown to the sun, adults do not cause damage,

What pesticides are effective on larger sod webworms

insecticides that adhere in surface residues, such as pyrethroids

Cranberry girdler description

caterpillars have an orange head with indistinct body markings, moths are small with pale forewings

Differences between cranberry girdler and larger sod webworms

cranberry girdler active in summer rather than spring, feed on grass roots rather than blades, pesticides need to shift to root zone

Which cutworm species is a serious pest on golf greens?

Black cutworm

Two species of cutworms

Bronzed cutworm and armyworm

Bronzed cutworm description

most common cutworm associated with Colorado turfgrass, larvae are bronze with yellow and orange striping, greasy looking

Bronzed cutworm damage

feed extensively on turf, infestations result in thinning or failure to green up, clipped leaves, piles of green-pelleted droppings, larvae in thatch

Armyworm description

resemble bronzed cutworm but with pale striping

armyworm damage

rarely damage turfgrass, when damage occurs it is rapid and in summer or fall, damage is patchy in wet areas

Two mite species

clover mite and Banks grass mites

Clover mite description

smaller than the head of a pin, dark gray with red/orange legs, long front pair of legs

clover mite damage

damage lawns by feeding on grass blades with rasping-sucking mouthparts, areas around feeding site dry out and die, giving grass stippled appearance, damaged areas are small, early in season

IPM methods for clover mites

spot treatments of miticides to sites of feeding and egg laying

Banks grass mites

smaller and lighter than clover mites, green, temporarily turn bright red

Banks grass mite damage

In early stages of feeding injury there is small stippling similar to clover mites, purpling of injured grass blades, dead grass blades are stiff, related to drought stress

Systemic disease

spreads itnernally throughout the plant, pathogen or toxins move in the plant and produces symptoms

Localized disease

lesions at the point of infection, can increase in size but don’t give rise to new legions

Biotic diseases and problems

fungal disease, thatch, algae, moss, dog urine

Abiotic problems

compaction, soil type, fertility, water, heat stress

Signs of plant disease

visible structures of the pathogen, mushroom and ooze are two signs of plant disease

symptoms of plant disease

The visible expressions or reactions of plant because of the disease. Include leaf spots, blights, stunting, and wilting

Pathogens

biotic entities that incite disease, infectious and pass from plant to plant

vectors

organisms that transmit the pathogen

How do pathogens reproduce

particle replication, fission, or spores

Fungi

multicellular organisms with filamentous vegetative state, attack all plant parts, reproduce from spores or mycelium

Symptoms of fungal disease

leaf spots, distortions, stunting, wilting, damping-off, blights, necrosis, rots, rusts

signs of fungal diseases

mushrooms, mycelium, sclerotia

Nematodes

microscopic round worms, multicellular, complex systems, reproduce sexually via eggs, cause injury by feeding on roots and yellow grass, can contribute to breakdown of genetic resistance and open the way for other pathogens

Plant parasitic nematodes are ___ in CO

very rare

Symptoms of nematodes

poor growth, yellowing of grass foliage, distortions, stunting

Can abiotic issued by controlled through use of insecticides

No, they are not infectious

Causes of abiotic disorders

moisture imbalance, nutrient imbalance, temperature extremes, chemicals, cultural practices

protectant fungicides

Work by forming barrier between the plant and pathogen to prevent infection and the disease process, they work on contact if applied after a pathogen is in place, requires complete coverage

systemic fungicides

transported across membranes into the plant and translocated within the plant, complete coverage is not as critical. May protect or cure the plant at any point in the disease cycle

What kind of pesticide are most nematicides

contact poisons

Fungicide classes with little to no resistance

inorganic compounds, dithiocarbamates and dicarboximides

Fungicide classes with resistance

aromatic compounds, systemic fungicides, benzamidazoles and triazoles

Turfgrass diseases can be sperated based on how much ___ is in the soil

Nitrogen

Examples of high N diseases

Ascochyta leaf blight, pink snow mold, typhula blighy, leaf spot and melting out

Examples of low N diseases

Anthracnose, dollar spot

Ascochyta leaf blight description

large uniform areas of straw colored turf, patchy appearance, healthy leaves interspersed with infected, blades start dying from tips, margins appear pinched