Technical
“By making educated
decisions based on your findings, it is possible to feel more in control and provide more consistent playing
Fusarium is capable of causing extensive damage
Golf course managers, for example, visually inspect putting greens and fairways daily for signs of disease activity. Look out for signs of disease activity by detected the presence of fungal mycelium early in the morning. Monitoring weather conditions is one of the best means of anticipating pest development and damage. There is a great amount of information available through the Met Office and some industry websites, such as Syngenta’s Greencast, can help to predict possible outbreaks according to current weather conditions.
Accurate records of pest problems at a particular site can be a valuable aid in a successful IPM programme. Record keeping can aid in determining the best location and timing for a pesticide application. A good record-keeping system can reduce the chance of repeating mistakes.
Include the name of the pest, where it occurred and the amount of damage it caused. Other important information could include the approximate date at which the pest or pest damage occurred, the weather conditions present, the control measures used and the results. Details on pesticide applications should involve the name of the product or products used, rates, formulations, the
type of equipment used for the application, the name of the person who applied the treatment and the results obtained from that treatment. The decision to implement pest control measures in an IPM programme involves using and interpreting information from the site assessment, the pest survey, pest response threshold levels, and the monitoring programme. Site assessment information can be used to develop management strategies designed to improve turf vigour and reduce the level of infestation. Pest survey information can be used to determine which pests are present at the site. Once pest response threshold levels have been determined, a programme can be initiated to monitor populations and pest development.
When, and if, a pest becomes a problem, it should be identified so that the appropriate control measures can be selected. This may involve assistance from reference manuals or from other sources. Once the pest response threshold level has been reached, the decision to use control measures can be made. Control options can include cultural practices, genetic controls, biological and pesticide applications The decision to implement particular control options depends on several
conditions for your end users”
factors. These include the effectiveness of the control procedure, cost of the treatment, size of the area to be treated, availability of labour, availability of equipment necessary to do the job and the reaction of the end user. It is also important to consider any possible side effects that may result from your course of action.
It is also very useful, and can form part of your plan, to regularly communicate with other sportsturf managers locally, and even further afield, to exchange trends and current pest outbreaks that you or others may be experiencing. By making educated decisions based on your findings, it is possible, through these methods, to feel more in control and, as a result, provide more consistent playing
conditions for your end users, whilst also being kinder to the environment.
Ray Hunt is Technical Sales Manager for Maxwell Amenity
APRIL/MAY 2013 PC 135
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