Manual E, Chapter 9: Environmental concerns

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Manual E, Chapter 9Environmental concerns
Dr. Vera Krischik Department of
Entomology University of Minnesota

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Learning objectives

• Understand the environmental benefits of
  healthy turf.
• Identify first steps to avoid misapplication of
  fertilizer.
• Develop an awareness of environmental hazards
  associated with misuse of pesticides.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Learning objectives

• Explain the difference between transportation
  and transformation
• Understand how following appropriate principles
  can reduce environmental hazards
• Utilize he book to continue your professional
  development.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Terms to know

• Transportation The movement of a pesticide
  away from its intended site.
• Transformation When a pesticides chemical
  structure is altered.
• Volatilization When a pesticide changes from a
  solid or liquid phase to a gaseous phase.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Introduction

• Water contamination from grass is a big
  concern.
• Dense healthy turf with thatch will absorb
  fertilizers before they migrate off the grass.
  Dense turf reduces the velocity of runoff.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns The
benefits of turfgrass

• Produces per 25 sg ft enough oxygen for one
  person for a day.
• Absorbs gaseous pollution such as carbon
  dioxide from vehicles, lowering greenhouse
  gases.
• Controls dust and pollen in air, which can cause
  allergic reactions.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns The
benefits of turfgrass

• Provides significant cooling.
• Reduces noise by absorbing, deflecting,
  refracting sounds
• Reduces discomfort from glare and light
  reflection.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns Use
fertilizers responsibly

• Provides significant growth of turf
• Must be used responsibly.
• Use a soil test to determine fertilization
  needs.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns Use
pesticides responsibly

• Overuse or misuse of pesticides results in
• Reduction of bird populations
• Appearance of detectable residue in aquatic
  systems
• Implication of pesticides as a carcinogen

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns Use
pesticides responsibly

• Long term contamination of persistent
  pesticides
• Destruction of nontarget organisms
• Evolution of pest resistant strains

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Environmental influence

• The fate of pesticides can be grouped into two
  classes
• Transportation processes result in movement
  away from the intended site. Leaching and runoff
  potential may affect water quality.
  Volatilization, Adsorption, plant absorption
• Transformation processes result in an
  alteration in chemical structure.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Environmental influence

• The fate of pesticides can be grouped into two
  classes
• Transformation processes result in an
  alteration in chemical structure.
  Photodecomposition, microbial decomposition,
  chemical degradation

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Environmental influence

• Transportation processes
• Leaching downward movement of pesticides and
  nutrients into soil
• Runoff Precipitation rate exceeds he rate of
  water infiltration into the soil. Movement from
  row crops to bare soil. Dense turf grass can
  reduce runoff.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Environmental influence

• Transportation processes
• Volatilization Change in form from solid to
  gaseous. Vapor pressure is where solids vaporize
  into liquids which evaporate. Broadleaf
  herbicides formulated as esters volatilize more
  than amine formulations. So don not use ester
  above 80 to 85degrees F.
• Absorption Movement of pesticide into plant or
  mulch to be broken down

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Environmental influence

• Transformation processes
• Photo decomposition Sunlight brakes down
  pesticides for further degradation by microbes.
  Dinitroanline herbicides (benefin, trifluralin,
  pendimethalin, prodiamine)
• Microbial decomposition Warm, moist soils, ph
  6.5 to 9.0 encourage microbial decomposition.
• Chemical degradation The hydrolysis of
  pesticide and water.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Pesticide application practices

• Determine the economic threshold.
• Read the label.
• Timing
• Post application irrigation
• Application water volume

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Application practices

• Never apply chemicals to waterways.
• Clean up spills. Never wash spills into the
  street or hard surfaces that might lead to
  sewers.
• Drop spreaders are more precise than rotary
  spreaders. Near lakes do not use rotary
  spreaders. Buffer zones of native plants absorb
  nutrients.

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Manual E, Chapter 9 Environmental concerns
Application practices

• Avoid fertilizers moving into natural drainage.
• Return grass clippings to lawns to decompose.
• Do not blow clippings onto hard surfaces.