Keeping Summer Lawn Diseases in Check Using Integrated Management Practices
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Summer 2016 • Vol. 5/No. 3 Keeping Summer Lawn Diseases in Check Using Integrated Management Practices Plus, KAFMO Cup Open and 2015 Field of Distinction Winners 8 Vol. 5 / No. 3 • Summer 2016 12 Features Departments 7 Research Summary 12 Between the Lines 6 President’s Update Update on Research by KAFMO Cup Open and 2015 7 Penn State News Penn State’s Turf Team Field of Distinction Winners 14 Calendar of Events 8 Cover Story Keeping Summer Home Lawn 14 Advertiser Index Diseases in Check Using Integrated Management Practices 4 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2016 Summer 2016 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 5 President’s Update Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 99 APPRECIATION Boalsburg, PA 16827-0550 Phone: (814) 237-0767 for Green Industry Fax: (814) 414-3303 Publisher: Leading Edge Communications, LLC Professionals 206 Bridge St. • Franklin, TN 37064 Phone: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 info@leadingedge communications.com Pennsylvania Turfgrass Editor reetings, PTC members, friends and colleagues. It’s that time of year yet John Kaminski, Ph.D. Penn State • [email protected] again! Summer is here, and for green-industry professionals, workweeks have lengthened, expectations are at their highest, and steps that were Pennsylvania Turfgrass Associate Editor G Heather Treaster taken during the off-season to plan and prepare are now paying off. Penn State • [email protected] Nothing is more rewarding in summer than receiving positive feedback and appreciation for all that you do from clients, members, guests and superiors. I don’t President believe anyone would disagree that the green industry truly makes a difference in Andrew Dooley Berkshire Country Club • Reading, PA the lives of many. Whether you are responsible for maintaining a golf course, sports (610) 451-3229 field, school grounds, a park, residential lawns, commercial properties or a research Vice President facility, or you provide products and or services to those who maintain these entities, Pete Ramsey you play a vital role in the green industry. Personally, I am responsible for the main- Messiah College • Grantham, PA tenance of an 18-hole golf course and the grounds of a private country club. I take (717) 577-5401 great pride in our club’s staff and the product that we provide for our members Secretary-Treasurer and guests every day. Nothing is more rewarding than receiving their appreciation Chase Rogan for the hard work and the long hours that my team and I dedicate to their club. Be GCSAA Field Staff, Mid-Atlantic Region sure to know that your hard work, expertise and dedication are not going unnoticed Pittsburgh, PA this summer season, in whichever sector of the green industry you may be serving. (814) 241-3037 Over the winter months, green-industry professionals spend countless hours Past President preparing for the year ahead. Educational opportunities are paramount for stay- Jason Hurwitz ing abreast of the latest advancements in the industry. The PTC provided several Fox Chapel Golf Club • Pittsburgh, PA opportunities to learn of these innovations in 2015, and we are striving to continue (412) 447-4434 this excellence in 2016. The PTC has many exciting events and opportunities on Directors the 2016 calendar. If you were unable to attend an educational conference over the Tom Bettle winter season, please check the Calendar of Events on page 14 and take note of Joseph Valentine Turfgrass the several PTC events listed. Research Facility • Penn State Finally, please take the time to share this publication with your friends and Bill Brown colleagues, and remember that your hard work, expertise and dedication to the Turf Republic green industry aren’t going unnoticed this summer season! I thank you for reading Bob Capranica this update and for your continued support of the PTC. If I or the PTC can help E.H. Griffith you in anyway this summer, please do not hesitate to contact me (610-451-3229 Dan Douglas or [email protected]) or the PTC office (814-237-0767 or Reading Fightin Phils [email protected]). Tom Fisher Wildwood Golf Club Dave Foresman Andrew Dooley Green Industry Consultant 2015–2016 PTC President Shawn Kister Longwood Gardens Dr. Peter Landschoot Penn State Rick Pagett The Penn State Golf Courses 6 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2016 Research Summary Penn State News McGraw Lab Research Penn State Summary TURF UPDATES esearch in the Turfgrass Entomology Laboratory Jordan Gleim (B.S. 2013) is currently with Mississippi State University R was off to an earlier-than- as the assistant superintendent of Sports Turf Management. usual start in 2016, with the above- average temperatures in March Joe Maloney (Cert. 2001) is working for Toro distributor MTI, stimulating early insect activity. serving as a demo specialist. Many of our early-season research projects focus on understanding Edward (Trey) Palmer (B.S. 2014) is the owner of Palmer’s Turf Farm annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) in Dunlap, TN. population development, develop- ment of insecticide resistance and forecasting the potential for turf- Congratulations to the Spring 2016 grass damage. We are continu- Penn State Turf Graduates! ing a project that was initiated in 2015, investigating the effects that Bachelor’s Degree in Turfgrass Science cultural practices have on ABW egg-laying behavior in hopes of developing Best Management Prac- Matthew Clymer Timothy Johnson Zachary Stephen tices (BMPs) for putting greens. Christopher Douglas Jessica Lenihan Nicholas Sujkowski Graduate student Ben Czyzewski George Fitch Matthew Moser Maxwell Tomazin is in his second year of his Master’s Thomas Ford Robert Nese Stephen Valente project, examining the effects that Debra Harlow Timothy O’Brien Cameron Walls mowing height and nitrogen fer- Kyle Howell Casey O’Reilly Andrew Woodlin tility have on ABW behavior and Stephen Jevnick Michael Simmons larval development. Ben observed a strong effect of mowing height Associate Degree in Turfgrass Science & Management on weevil removal. Approximately 30% of adults were removed in a Brent Archer Brandon Cormier Cody Sander Matthew Statz single mowing at the lowest heights David Chandler Aaron Fish Leslie Schneider (0.100"). However, the majority of removed adults remained undam- Masters of Professional Studies in Turfgrass Management aged after mowing, which sug- gests that adults may reinvade turf Shawn Jeffries Anthony Stockwell Caleb Violette Michael Watson areas from areas where clippings are deposited. We will continue to conduct research to advance the BMP pro- ject, as well as initiate new projects in 2016, including understanding the potential for ABW to develop on novel host plants and the mech- anisms behind the development of pyrethroid resistance. 7 Update submitted by Ben McGraw, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Turfgrass Entomology, and Ben Czyzewski, Grad- uate Student, Penn State University. Summer 2016 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 7 Cover Story / Lawn Care Tips Keeping Summer Home Lawn Diseases in Check Using Integrated Management Practices By Wakar Uddin, Ph.D., Professor of Plant Pathology, and Gary V. Nolan and Brian Aynardi, Ph.D. Students, Penn State University nderstanding the concept of Many turfgrass diseases common in goal as a turfgrass manager. Under- integrated pest management home lawns do not require the use of standing these three components, in U (IPM) is an important facet fungicides unless disease severity has addition to knowing your clientele, will of disease-management strategy in the reached the economic threshold (or assist you in developing an effective lawn care industry. Such knowledge is the amount of damage that surpasses IPM strategy. essential when serving homeowners the acceptable level of damage in con- and clientele who are dedicated to text of financial output necessary to Monitor for pathogens environmental stewardship. manage the disease). Knowledge of Preventing pathogens that are ubiq- The main concept of an IPM pro- interactive effects of pathogen biology, uitous in home lawns — such as red gram is to effectively utilize every tool susceptible host species and environ- thread, brown patch or chronic root at your disposal without relying solely mental conditions favoring disease and crown diseases — can be difficult. on chemical control as the solution. development should be your primary Careful monitoring of susceptible 8 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2016 Photo Photo turfgrass stands throughout the grow- 1 2 ing season is essential, particularly when environmental conditions are optimal for disease development. Monitoring should not apply only to turf but also to the surrounding area. For example, if there is little air circu- lation and minimal morning sun to an area of a home lawn, it would be pru- dent to trim shrubs or trees to increase both air flow and sunlight penetration to promote drying of the turfgrass can- opy. Monitoring also includes determin- ing what turfgrass species are present. Whitish covering of mycelium on leaf Zone of dead turf seen with If a property has severe summer patch blades is characteristic of powdery mildew. Type 1 fairy ring. Image from each year, perhaps transitioning to a Image from www.extension.purdue.edu. www.campbellturf.blogspot.com. non-susceptible host such as perennial ryegrass is the best approach. Remember, there is no turfgrass spe- Green rings associated with Type 2 Ring of mushrooms observed cies resistant to every disease, nor can fairy ring. Image by Brian Aynardi. with Type 3 fairy ring. Image from www.greenindustrypros.com. we manipulate every environmental condition. Therefore, careful inspec- tion and monitoring for disease signs and symptoms will not only allow turf managers to stay ahead of a potential disease outbreak, but it will help them in recommending proper cultural prac- tices to the property owner. Common lawn diseases Several diseases are common on home and commercial lawns, including pow- dery mildew, spring leaf spot, fairy rings, Photo Photo slime mold, red thread, rusts and cer- tain root and crown diseases. Although 3 4 chemical management is available for most of these diseases, fungicides are most likely not an option for the typical and weakens the turf stand, which may all grass species.