Turf

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Pest Management Concepts for Urban Ornamentals
Turf
David J. Shetlar, Ph.D. The BugDoc Landscape
Entomologist The Ohio State University
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IPM Principles and Concepts
Traditional Approaches (based on crops)

• sample pest populations on a regular basis.
• develop pest economic injury levels.
• determine economic threshold levels (action
  thresholds) for each crop and pest.

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IPM Principles and Concepts
Problems Applying Field Crop Concepts to Urban
Areas

• urban areas are aesthetic crops
• general public fear or distaste of pests (I
  dont like bugs!)
• extremely diverse habitats are involved, not
  monocultures.

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IPM Principles and Concepts
How do we handle diverse habitats?

• Number of Plants urban landscapes can contain
  over 100 species of plants!
• Number of Pests each plant may host 1 to 5
  pests each!

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IPM Principles and Concepts
Urban Approaches (for landscapes, Raupp et al.)

• Key Plants - plants prone to damaging pest
  problems.
• Key Pests - pests that can cause serious damage
  or plant loss.

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Traditional Ornamental Plant Maintenance Program

• Fertilize spring and fall all plants treated
  the same.
• Mulch in spring and put down preemerg-ence
  herbicide (crab grass and other annual weeds)!
• Visit landscape 4-5 times per year and use
  cover spray (contains mixture of miticide,
  fungicide and insecticide)!
• Sell other services pruning, weeding, etc.

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Current Approach to Ornamental Plant Maintenance

• MAP landscape, identifying key plants and key
  pests.
• Evaluate individual plants and consult with
  owner about desires for plants maintenance,
  push growth, etc.
• Use targeted pesticide applications.
• Recommend crop rotation!?

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Plant Health Care Current Thinking
In Plant Health Care (PHC), the concept of
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is only ONE
component of the system - the one dealing with
"intervention" after a plant stress has been
identified as being caused by a pest.
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Environmentally Based??

• Sustainable environment?
• Plant Health?
• Urban habitat health?
• Reduced toxic risk?

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Sustainable Environments

• Need little or no inputs
• Resistant to change
• Tolerate stresses

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Plant Health Care
Plant Evaluation
Plant
Client
Stress (or Pest)
Intervention?
Management
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Integrated Pest Management
Chemical Controls
MONITOR
PESTS
Insects
Diseases
Weeds
Cultural Controls
Biological Controls
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Chemical Controls
Plant Evaluation
MONITOR
PESTS
Client
Plant
Insects
Diseases
Weeds
Stress (or Pest)
Intervention?
Management
Cultural Controls
Biological Controls
In Plant Health Care,
In Integrated Pest Management,
the PLANT and its OWNER
the PESTS are the central
(client, manager, etc.) are
focus of the system
the central focus of the
system
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Our concept of urban landscapes try to mimic
outside habitats. Notice the similarities?
Trees on the outside perimeter, short-cut plants
in the foreground and a water feature.
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Most urban landscapes put stresses on the
ornamental plants, thereby making them more prone
to insect damage. These oaks were planted
three-in-a-spot (four foot squares in the parking
lot). They were being killed by borers and the
manager was mystified!!
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Typical school landscape with insect-prone plants.
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Environmentally Based Lawns and Landscapes
Reality
Ideal World

• Select plant for site
• Amend soil before plant
• Use new plants
• Pest controls do not affect non-targets
• "Healthy" plants defend themselves

• Plants already installed
• Amend after plant
• Deal with old plants
• Pesticides affect non-targets
• "Healthy" plants are better able to defend

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Selecting Environmentally Based Products -
Insecticides

• Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) toxins
• Spinosad (Conserve)
• Avermectin (Avid)
• Soaps and Oils
• IGR's
• Natural Botanicals - Synthetics

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Selecting Environmentally Based Products - Plants

• Native - Imported
• Perennial - Annual
• Wet - Dry Tolerant
• Sun - Shade Tolerant
• Pests Rare or Common
• Pest Tolerant or Intolerant

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Environmentally-Based Program (an example)

• Soil Sample and Characteristics
• Site Characteristics
• Plant Inventory - identify map
• Pest Inventory - "key pests
• Client Needs and Desires
• Short Long Term Interventions

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What about biological control?
In its most simple definition, biological
control is using naturally occurring organisms to
control pests, whether the pests be vertebrates
(fish, birds, reptiles, or mammals), diseases
(usually plant pathogens fungi), weeds, or
arthropods (insects and mites). Biological
controls are usually predators, parasites, or
diseases (pathogens), but some biological control
experts also include competitors.
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Biocontrol or "BioBased"?

• Paenibacillus popillae grub milky disease
• Bacillus thuringiensis d-endotoxin
• Saccharopolyspora spinosa spinosyns
  (Conserve)

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Classic Insect Biocontrols
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Chinese mantis, a common imported predator
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Convergent lady beetle eating aphids
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What is this?
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Keys to Successful Biocontrols

• Easy to recognize
• Easy to use
• Public acceptance
• Cost effective
• Shelf life

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Polistes wasp eating black cutworm
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Using Biocontrols in Landscapes

• Introduction
• Augmentation
• Conservation

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Conserving Biological Controls

• Learn to recognize biocontrols
• Provide food and habitat
• Use least toxic chemicals
• Target chemicals WHERE needed
• Educate customer
• BE PATIENT!!

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Selecting Least Toxic Insecticides

• Soaps and Oils (kill by contact only)
• Use short residual products
• Use IGR-type products (very selective)
• Use neonicotinoids ??
• Use microbial products
• ??

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Insecticide LD50s
Organophosphates (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors)
Acephate (Orthene) 980 Chlorpyrifos
(Dursban) 270 Diazinon 400 Ethoprop
(Mocap) 62 Fonofos (Crusade)
18 Isofenphos (Oftanol) 20 Isazofos
(Triumph) 40-60 Malathion
1000 Trichlorfon (Dylox/Proxol) 250
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Insecticide LD50s
Carbamates (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors)
Bendiocarb (Turcam) 156 Carbaryl (Sevin) 246
Pyrethroids (disrupt nerve sodium pump)
Bifenthrin (Talstar) 375 Cyfluthrin (Tempo)
826 Fluvalinate (Mavrik) 282 L-cyhalothrin
(Scimitar) 79 Permethrin (Astro) 430
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New Insecticide LD50s
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New Insecticide LD50s
The Neonicotinoids
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Urban Landscape Ecology Program ULEP A new
approach

• Interdisciplinary team (over 40 faculty staff
  including representatives from Public Health,
  Education, Architecture, Engineering, Psychology,
  CBS FAES)
• Use campuses as model ecological landscapes
  (demonstrate proper plant materials and
  conversion techniques)
• Establish model communities with commercial
  developer (currently working with Dominion Homes)
• Establish a university major

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Dominion Homes Burr Oak Development proposed
plan including wetland, a bio-swale water
conservation area (will also be a park), as well
as low and medium density homes and condo sites.
In Upper Darby Watershead.