re
The Quarterly e-bulletin of EPA's Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program Summer, 2012
7th International IPM Symposium
"IPM on the World Stage" in Memphis, Tennessee
The Environmental Protection
Agency presented four outstanding
organizations with a 2012 PestWise
Award at the 7th International Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) Symposium on
March 27, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee.
The awardees were recognized for their
extraordinary commitment to IPM and
environmental stewardship.
The awardees include: the National
School IPM Demonstration Project, the
County of Santa Clara, California, the
University of Arizona, Arizona Pest
In This Issue
1
2
3
4
7th IPM Symposium
Sherry Glick's SIPM Award
PestWise Awardees
Modern Mosquito Control
Defined
— A column by Joseph Conlon of
the American Mosquito Control
Association.
Fight the Bite!
— How to avoid mosquito bites.
Integrated Mosquito
Management (I.MM)
Golf Course & IPM Systems
Research
— An interview with Dr. Jennifer
Grant.
Golf Courses &
Environmental Stewardship
— An interview with
Greg Lyman of the GCSAA.
*
Management
Center, and the
IPM Institute of
America. More
information
about the
awardees can be
found on page 2.
The PestWise
awards are a
component of the
EPA's Pesticide
Environmental
Stewardship
Program (PESP),
a premier
partnership program that works with the
nation's pesticide-user community to
implement pest management strategies
and reduce the health and environmental
risks associated with pesticide use.
Members of PESP are categorized into
three tiers: bronze, silver, and gold,
• All Risk Reduction measures
• All Education/Promotion measures
• All Economic Benefit measures
• All Risk Reduction measures
• All Education/Promotion measures
• Encouraged to report on Economic Benefit measures
¦
L
• Reduced use of higher risk pesticides
» Number of people and buildings impacted by their IPM program
» One Education/Promotion measure and
» One Economic Benefit measure
The visual above demonstrates the three tiers of the PESP Program.
based on their capabilities and growth in
IPM implementation (see visual above).
The PestWise awards program was
established to encourage membership
participation, promote IPM
accomplishments and provide members
and public../continued on page 2)
EPA's Sherry Glick Wins International Award of
Recognition for School IPM
During the 7th International Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) Symposium,
Sherry Glick from the EPA's
Environmental Stewardship Branch was
presented the International Award of
Recognition for School IPM on March
27th.
Sherry has been immersed in school
IPM and passionate about risk reduction
activities for over 20 years.
For the International Award, she was
nominated by peers both within EPA and
from EPA's partners who support
School IPM implementation.
For example, Sherry works closely
with IPM experts from universities
(extensions and within academia), IPM
Centers, non-governmental
organizations...(continued on page 8)
epa.gov/ pestwise
-------
2
PESPWire Summer, 2012
pm i
l_ Integrated Pest Management ^
fui uur environment •fur t/ur future
' (h International
Integrated Pest
Management
Symposium
(continued from IPM Symposium on
page 1) ...organizations the
opportunity to align with the goals of
EPA's Administrator and Office of
Pesticide Programs.
The partnership program fosters
collaborative innovations among IPM
stakeholders, and encourages
solutions to pest management that
improve human health and the
environment.
The PestWise awards program is
comprised of three competitive
categories that are based on IPM
promotion, performance, and impacts
accomplishments.
The IPM Innovator Award
recognizes a public organization's
accomplishments during the previous
calendar year, specifically in risk
reduction and IPM promotion beyond
their own internal operations. The
award is based on evidence of
substantial impacts from effective
programs that promote the following
goals:
(1) Increasing public
understanding of pests and
pesticide risks
(2) Promoting reduced-risk
practices and IPM adoption
(3) Expanding biopesticide use and
technology transfer
(4) Promoting IPM adoption by
implementing the IPM
Roadmap, and
(5) Achieving strides in regulatory
transition assistance
The PESP Shining Star Award
recognizes silver and gold tier
members' accomplishments in
implementing IPM principles. The
award is based on evidence of
impacts in risk reduction, education/
promotion, and economic benefits.
The Sustained Excellence in IPM
Award recognizes silver and gold tier
members who have received multiple
PESP awards for their continuing
commitment to demonstrate the
economic benefits associated with
IPM, participated in education and
outreach activities, reduced risk to
human health and the environment
through 1PM implementation, and
promoted environmental stewardship
through the adoption of best
management practices.
For more information about the
IPM Symposium, and to view many
of the documents presented at this
event, go to the event's online
Abstract Book (PDF).
IPM Innovator Award: National School IPM
Demonstration Projects
The National School Demonstration Project ("the
Demonstration Project"), a consortium of university
extension services and other IPM school experts, non-
governmental organizations, and school districts, is
recognized as an IPM Innovator for increasing public
understanding of pest and pesticide risk using high-level
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.
Specifically, the Demonstration Project has reduced
pest complaints and pesticide use in schools and other
public buildings by 71% to 93% without acquiring long-
term cost increases.
The Demonstration Districts have initiated several
projects that have collected verifiable IPM metrics and
have held over 50 workshops and training sessions.
These events have
educated hundreds of
school staff and
administrators across the
country and impacted
over 400,000 students
and 26,000 faculty and
staff across 14 states.
YOU APE HERE > SCC Putlic Portal "> Integrated Seer Management
The Shining Star Award: Santa Clara County,
California
Santa Clara County is located at the southern end of
the San Francisco Bay Area in the State of California that
has a population of approximately 1,781,642.
The County was recognized as a PESP Silver Tier
Shining Star for their continued commitment to education
and the adoption of a reduced-risk approach to park
systems and urban landscape management.
In the 50,000-acre county park system, approximately
83% of road right-of-way vegetation and 20 out of 27
parks are managed using non-chemical methods.
The County has demonstrated efficacy and cost-benefit
ratio of using rubber mulch and wood mulch in controlling
weeds in recreational landscapes and right-of-ways.
This image shows the Santa Clara County 1PM Pesticide
Reporting Database.
The database can be found at
the following link: http://
www, sccgov. org/sites/ipm/
Integrated Pest Management
PESTICIDE
fj£h
<*
REPORTING
"...preventive and corrective measures to keep pest
from causing significant problems, with minimum
risk or hazard to human and desirable
components of their environment."
Pages/IPM-Pesticide- Use-
Re par tin s-Database. aspx
(continued on vase 8)
epa.gov/ pestwise
-------
PESPWire Summer, 2012
Modern Mosquito Control Defined
By Joseph Conlon of the American Mosquito Control Association
As early as 1905, mosquito control pioneers recognized the value of a
diversified approach to control—including, integrating surveillance, source
reduction, personal protection, and chemical and biological control.
Since the 1950's. control programs have progressively adopted the use of
nationally registered public health larvicides and adulticides to take advantage of
mosquito vulnerabilities within an increasingly environmentally friendly context.
That tradition continues today. In fact, the American Mosquito Control
Association (AMCA) has established a formal partnership with the EPA in
investigating means of improving effective mosquito control while reducing
reliance upon public health insecticides.
The integrated mosquito management methods currently employed by control
districts and endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and EPA are comprehensive and specifically tailored to safely counter each stage
of the mosquito life cycle. Larval control, through water management and source
reduction, where compatible with other land management uses, is a prudent pest
management alternative, as is the use of environmentally friendly, EPA-approved
larvicides.
When source elimination or larval control measures are clearly inadequate, or
in the case of imminent disease, the EPA and CDC have emphasized the need for
the application of adulticides by certified applicators who are trained in the
special handling characteristics of these products.
Hie extremely small droplet aerosols utilized in adult mosquito control are
designed to impact adult mosquitoes that are on the wing at the time of the
application. Degradation of these small droplets is rapid, leaving little or no
residue in the target area at ground level. These special considerations are major
factors that favor the use of very low application rates for these products,
generally less than 4 grams of active ingredient per acre, and are instrumental in
minimizing adverse impacts.
The safety profiles of public health insecticides are undergoing increasing
scrutiny because of concerns with how the specialized application technology and
product selection protect the exposed public and environment, hi fact, since 1980,
well over 2,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies in various national and
international journals have documented the safety and efficacy of these public
health insecticides at label rates, in addition to their application techniques.
Despite intense pressures to eliminate the use of public health insecticides,
the CDC, World Health Organization, and other public health groups agree that it
is essential that these products remain available for disease prevention, and that
editorial or irresponsible misrepresentation of the risks involved not lead to the
greater risk of not having them available when tally needed. They simply must
remain available for the control of vectors in the times of even greater public
health emergencies.
The recent emergence and spread of West Nile Virus has underscored this
need for safe, effective mosquito control to meet unforeseen threats. The
continued increase in worldwide tourism and trade virtually guarantees further
challenges from exotic diseases requiring ready control expertise to prevent their
spread and establishment, (continued on page 4)
The above species is Toxorynchites
rutilis. This species was featured
in the movie "Jurassic Park " as
the mosquito captured in amber
from which dinosaur DNA could
be extracted. Unfortunately, is the
only genera of mosquitoes that
does not bite.
Surveys o f mosquito larvae are
standardized using counts per
dipper. Photograph courtesy of
Thomas Wilmot, Ph.D.
Aedes sp. larvae in a neglected
retention pond. Proper
maintenance of retention ponds
makes them unsuitable habitats for
mosquitoes.
epa.gov/ pestwise
-------
PESPWire Summer, 2012
Gambusia, the type offish pictured above, is a voracious predator of mosquito larvae, and is often used as a
control measure. Photograph courtesy of James E. Johnson, United States Fish and Wildlife Service
(continued from Joseph Con Ion's
\ Mosquito Management column on
page 3)
We must remain prepared to meet these
challenges - our citizens deserve no less.
Hie mosquito control profession enjoys a
long and proud legacy of community service
in its pursuit of improved quality of life and
a society free from the ravages of mosquito-
borne diseases that have afflicted our
country in times past.
This goal remains the primary focus and
is fully consistent with the very finest
traditions of public health.
Integrated Mosquito Management is a comprehensive
mosquito prevention/control strategy that utilizes all
available mosquito control methods, singly or in
combination, to exploit the known vulnerabilities of
mosquitoes to reduce their numbers to tolerable levels while
maintaining a quality environment.
• IMM does not emphasize mosquito elimination or
eradication. IMM methods are specifically tailored to
safely counter each stage of the mosquito life cycle.
• Prudent mosquito management practices for the control
of immature mosquitoes (larvae and pupae) include
such methods as the use of biological controls (native,
noninvasive predators), source reduction (water or
vegetation management or other compatible land
management uses), water sanitation practices as well as
the use of EPA-registered larvicides.
• When source elimination or larval control measures are
not feasible, or are clearly inadequate, or when faced
with imminent mosquito-borne disease, application of
EPA-registered adulticides by applicators trained in the
special handling characteristics of these products may
be needed.
• Adulticide products are chosen based upon their
demonstrated efficacy against species targeted for
control, resistance management concerns and
minimization of potential environmental impact.
See the two boxes below for interesting facts and tips on
IMM.
Did you know...
The principles of IMM were first developed by
Albert Freeman Africanus King, MD, an obstetrician, in
a publication entitled,"Insects and Disease -
Mosquitoes and Malaria "published in Popular Science
Monthly in 1883 - long before the concept of IPM
became popular, and 15 years before Ronald Ross
proved that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes.
Dr. King was one of three physicians who attended
President Lincoln at his assassination.
The photo to the
right shows a
treehole where
mosquitoes can breed in
great numbers.
A good IPM
technique is to fill this
space with cement in
order to prevent the
accumulation of Photo courtesy of Joel Jacob son.
standing water. To
learn more about safely implementing Integrated
Mosquito Management (IMM), visit:
http://www.mosquito.org/control
epa.gov/ pestwise
-------
Fight the Bite!
The following information is pulled from the Centers for Disease Control Website.
When dealing with West Nile vims, prevention is your best bet. Fighting mosquito bites
reduces your risk of getting this disease, along with others that mosquitoes can carry.
Take the commonsense steps below to reduce your risk:
• avoid bites and illness;
• clean out the mosquitoes from the places where you work and play;
• help your community control the disease.
Something else to remember: the chance that any one person is going to become ill from
a single mosquito bite remains low. the risk of severe illness and death is highest for
people over 50 years old, although people of all ages can become ill
Get double protection:
wear long sleeves during
peak mosquito biting
hours, and spray repellent.
Avoid Mosquito Bites
Use Insect Repellent on exposed skin when you go outdoors. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent
such as those with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Even a short time being outdoors can
be long enough to get a mosquito bite. For details on when and how to apply repellent, see Insect
Repellent Use and Safet» in our Questions and Answers pages.
Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites
When weather permits, wear long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors. Mosquitoes may
bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-
registered repellent will give extra protection. Don't apply repellents containing permethrin directly
to skin. Do not spray repellent on the skin under your clothing.
Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours
The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many species of mosquitoes. Take extra care
to use repellent and protective clothing during evening and early morning — or consider avoiding
Drain standing
water from around
your home.
Mosquito-Proof Your Home
Mosquito Control Programs
Install or Repair Screens
Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them
outside by having well-fitting screens on both windows
and doors. Offer to help neighbors whose screens might
be in bad shape.
Help Your Community
Report Dead Birds to Local Authorities
Dead birds may be a sign that West Nile virus is
circulating between birds and the mosquitoes in an area.
Over 130 species of birds are known to have been
infected with West Nile virus, though not all infected
birds will die. It's important to remember that birds die
from many other causes besides West Nile virus.
By reporting dead birds to state and local health
departments, you can play an important role in
monitoring West Nile virus. State and local agencies have
different policies for collecting and testing birds, so check
the Links to State and Local Government Sites page to
find information about reporting dead birds in your area.
Check with local health authorities to see if there is an
organized mosquito control program in your area. If no
program exists, work with your local government officials
to establish a program, the American Mosquito Control
Association can provide advice, and their book
Organization for Mosquito Control is a useful reference.
A report overview of Public Health Confronts the
Mosquito: Sustainable State and Local Mosquito Control
Programs by the Association of State and Territorial
Health Officials is located on this website, including
"what vou can do" about mosquito control, the entire final
report from the Mosquito Control Collaborative is also
online.
More questions about mosquito control?
A source for information about pesticides and repellents
is the National Pesticide Information Center, which also
operates atoll-free information line: 1-800-858-7378).
-------
6
PESPWire Summer, 2012
IPM Systems Research on NY State Golf Courses
A brief interview with Dr. Jennifer Grant
Quick profile:
Name: Jennifer Grant, Ph.D.
Title: Co-Director of the New York
State Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) Program
Professional focus: Jennifer is an
entomologist by training, but has
focused professionally on turfgrass,
diseases, wildlife and weeds, in
addition to insects.
Current research: Conducting
"systems research" on golf courses in
New York.
Tell us about your research:
"We have over 800 golf courses
in New York State, so it's one of the
major arenas where we are trying to
reduce pesticide use and reduce any
potentially negative environmental
impacts.
We have been running a project
for 12 years now which is a systems
approach of how to manage golf
courses.
When we first started we were
mimicking some legislation on Long
Island (New York), specifically
Suffolk County where several million
people live.
Their pesticide laws were very
restrictive - and focused on phasing
out pesticides over a three-year
period.
We were interested in helping to
detennine what the quality would be
like with fewer pesticides, and what
the costs might be in quality, and
dollars. We also wanted to help
superintendents know what the best
approaches might be.
To do this, we set up a large scale
experiment on an operational golf
course, the Bethpage Green Course -
and to this day, we are still running
that experiment.
We are not testing just one tactic,
we're using a systems approach. This
means that we're talking about a
cultural shift in management
practices.
Systems research is sometimes
hard for people to understand what
that means... it's the whole suite of
practices. A daily life example would
be like comparing people on different
diets: Weight-watchers, Atkins and
people eating normally.
They each have different set of
rules and guidelines. And that's
similar to how we set up our
research. This approach is
useful because it allows us to
consider the reasons behind the
cultural practices used by golf
course superintendents.''
IPM at various levels:
"IPM by nature is very site
specific. What they're going to
do on one course is different
from what they're going to do
on another.
The Black Course at
Bethpage is a championship
course so they have different
quality standards and
tolerances, and expectations
from their golfers.
So right there, where
there's the same climate, the site
specificity - quality expectations and
management style come together for
a different package.
hi the Bethpage experiment, we
experimentally divided the 18 greens
- which are the hardest parts to
manage so we focused on those.
There were three pest management
systems—conventional, IPM and non
-chemical—with six greens each
We further divided these
treatments so that half of the greens
were managed using a standard
cultural management system, and
three used alternative practices that
would reduce the stress on the turf
grass plants.
When we went totally non-
chemical on six greens in the first few
years we really couldn't maintain the
quality, so we've gone toward a low-
chemical, low-risk approach.
We have modified the systems
over time. It keeps evolving - so for
example, ..."
(continued on page 9)
A vacuum blower was used to detect
adult annual bluegrass weevils and
estimate their densities in linear tracts
across fairways. Ultimately, this work
will aid in reducing unnecessary
chemical applications.
iti- H
epa.gov/ pestwise
-------
PESPWire Summer, 2012
GCSAA Promotes IPM and Sustainability on Golf Courses
powered people. They are able to integrate
many techniques to reduce the damage
from pests and minimize the inputs
needed, including pesticides, to provide
the desired golf conditions.
Many of these techniques involve
optimizing the growing conditions and
health of the turfgrass plant so that it can
better withstand the pest pressure.
A landmark study conducted by
Cornell University at the Bethpage Golf
Course nearly ten years ago indicated that
an IPM approach can provide acceptable
playing conditions.
It can also reduce overall pesticide use
A brief interview with Greg Lyman day, but the conditions are
changing constantly because
I I of the environment - the plant response,
I \ season weather, and that these are primary
I 1 I elements of the game."
I I Pests on the Course
"There are roughly 16,000 golf courses
within the US with many different
landscapes which need different inputs
including land, water, energy, nutrients
and pesticides.
They also need the professional
management of these inputs.
Superintendents' and golfers do recognize
that the game is played out in the
A quick introduction to Greg Lyman,
GCSAA Director of Environmental
Programs
Greg's background is in weed science
and horticulture. Before working for the
GCSAA, he worked as an enviromnental
education specialist at the Michigan State
University's Department of Crop and Soil
Science for more than ten years. At MSU,
Greg worked directly with representatives
from several industries including golf
course, lawn care, group maintenance and
athletic fields.
"My role [at MSU] was to take all of
our programs - in disease control, soils
management and fertility - and identify
enviromnental elements of what is being
managed and find out how to maximize
the value to the turf in terms of
enviromnental protection and economic
value - whether it was for a golf course,
home lawn or corporate campus."
In his current position Greg says he has
learned that GSCAA members are
intuitively committed to sustainability.
"This is one of the few games that is
played on a plant. For golfers to really
enjoy it, they need to be able to enjoy the
landscape. They understand that they may
be playing on the same course day after
"Superintendents and golfers do recognize that the game is played
out in the environment, so while in schools, biting insects, ticks
and mosquitoes are called 'pests,' we just call them 'wildlife.
environment, so while in schools, biting
insects, ticks and mosquitoes are called
'pests,' we just call them 'wildlife.
[On golf courses] the usual suspects
include mosquitoes and the occasional
snake in play areas. [Wildlife] is just not
that big of an issue.
But a great deal of
work lias gone into
maximizing the
wildlife capacity on
golf courses.
Deer, turkeys,
alligators, lizards,
birds, raptors and
sometimes elk can be
routinely seen on
many golf courses,
and they all make way
for passing golfers."
What do golf course
superintendents need
to know about IPM?
''Superintendents
are the land managers,
and these are solar-
during years of moderate pest pressure.
Since the time of the Bethpage study,
the use of predictive models, newer
turfgrass cultivars, scouting, monitoring
and cultural practices are routinely used on
golf courses.
(continued on vase 10)
Lightweight rolling of putting greens is a cultural
practice that has been shown to reduce the occurrence of
anthracnose and dollar spot. Photo by Mike Morris.
epa.gov/ pestwise
-------
\
. t ^ N
(continued from Glick Award on
pci2e 1) ... and industry experts.
Sherry also supports strategic
partnerships and collaborations
between the EPA and other Federal
Agencies including the Centers of
Disease Control and Prevention, the
Departments of Agriculture, Defense,
Health and Human Services, and
Education.
Sherry's abilities to energize and
motivate others have fueled her
collaborations with EPA's voluntary
programs which recognize school IPM
Ias an integral part of EPA's
Healthy Schools program. This
program promotes and
advocates for environmental
health and protection for our
nation's children.
Through Sherry's efforts,
EPA's Tools for Schools
Program now recognizes school
IPM as a key component in their
Healthy Indoor Air Quality
Strategic Plan.
Since 2000, Sherry Glick
developed and led a School IPM team
within the Office of Pesticide
Programs. This team designed and
published brochures and websites to
promote SIPM and was recognized in
2002 with an IPM recognition Bronze
Medal award.
Even though priorities have
sometimes changed within EPA,
Sherry has consistently and steadfastly
forged ahead to promote and advocate
for more opportunities to increase the
adoption of school IPM in our nation's
schools.
PESPWire Summer, 2012
Recently, more resources have
been directed to children's health, and
EPA's current administration,
including Administrator Lisa Jackson,
has made children's health atop
priority. Building on EPA's priorities,
Sherry and a diverse group of
stakeholder teams have worked
tirelessly to give school IPM more
visibility and, importantly, to provide
our nation's children with a safer
learning environment.
All ten EPA Regions are involved
and engaged with resources to work
together in concert to collaborate with
stakeholders to work towards
realization of school IPM
implementation in our nation's
schools.
With Sherry Click's personal
commitment and dedication to
children's health, she continues to
work tirelessly to ensure that school
IPM stays at the forefront of EPA and
remains a top priority for the Office of
Pesticide Programs.
(continued from IPM Symposium on
Pase 2)
Sustained Excellence Award: IPM
Institute of America, Inc.
The IPM Institute was founded in
1998 to foster recognition and rewards
in the marketplace for goods and
service providers who practice
integrated pest management. EPA
recognized the IPM Institute as a
Sustained Excellence awardee for
creating and marketing its innovative
program for IPM certification to
schools and pest control companies.
Through the Institute's IPM Star
Program many schools are adopting
IPM practices and reducing pesticide
risk, while its Green Shield Certified
program for pest control companies
certifies verified practitioners of
advanced 1PM methods.
Gold Tier Shining Star Award:
University of Arizona, Arizona Pest
Management Center (APMC)
APMC was recognized as a PESP
Gold Tier Shining Star for its
extraordinary level of commitment to
IPM.
The center has participated in
several PESP workshops, served on
the EPA School IPM Tool Box
Committee, and is currently a member
of both the School IPM Stakeholder
Group and Agency's Pesticide
Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC)
Integrated Pest Management Sub-
Work Group.
The university's school IPM
programs have impacted 390,841
students, 587 schools, and 41 school
districts in Arizona by reducing pests
and pesticide risks to students,
teachers and staff.
Through their educational
programs, they have improved
compliance to pesticide regulations,
personal safety, and encouraged IPM
adoption with five Arizona school
districts receiving STAR certifications.
APMC's IPM in Public Housing
Program has supported IPM education
and implementation in 2,908 homes
and improved the lives of more than
5,200 residents.
The Center's Community IPM
Team has sponsored 22 meetings,
workshops and presentations which
have reached 668 stakeholders,
including school personnel,
homeowners, and turf and landscape
professionals.
The Cotton IPM program has
resulted in cumulative statewide
savings to growers in reducing
pesticide costs and yield losses
estimated at over $223 million.
epa.gov/ pestwise
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9
PESPWire Summer, 2012
Event Announcements:
56th Annual Conference of the Association of
Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials
Date: August 26, 2012, 8:00 AM - August 29, 2012
Location: Seattle, WA
National Pest Management Association - Regional
Conference - Mid- Atlantic.
Date: July 26 - 28
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Link: http://www.npmapestworld.org/events/documents/
NPMA Regionalconferences Brochure Mid-
Atlantic v08 pages.pdf
(continued from Jennifer Grant interview on vase 6)
"... one of the treatments we used seven years ago may be
very different from what we're doing today. If something is
not working, we throw it out and keep the effective
tactics/'
Bethpage State Park, the U.S. Open, and IPM
"We were using the putting greens at the Bethpage
State Park - a very well-known state park where they have
a championship course which has hosted the US Open two
times. The park superintendent firmly believed that this
project would be beneficial to golf and to State Parks. They
were willing to give us access to one course because they
have five, so they could shoulder a loss in usable turf, and
would hopefully never lose golfers. If the quality on one
area decreased, golfers could simply choose a different
course."
IPM Tactics and Lessons Learned
"Over the last 5 years, we got to a place where we felt
very comfortable and developed a good suite of low-risk
practices. At Bethpage, the practices started to spread
naturally to other courses, and we've been working very
intensely to train managers in other state park golf course.
For example, we've recognized that wiping the dew off
the greens or the fairway can be very helpful to minimize
disease. It's a great practice and some other golf courses
are getting into it. Dollar spot is one of the major diseases
that plague golf courses in the Northeast US. Leaving the
grass wet over those extra few hours gives the disease a
good chance to get going. So golf course management can
shift the work hours in their labor plan for this.
It may take extra labor and certainly extra labor earlier
in the morning - like between 5 and 8 AM. Tee times are at
daybreak, so if you are not ahead of the golfers, there's a
lot less that can be done once the course is populated by
golfers, and there is a premium, or a re-arrangement of
labor.
Advice for Golf Course Superintendents
"If you're going to manipulate the cultural practices,
the superintendents need to know everything about how it's
going to affect the playability of the game. A good way to
start would be to think about the environmental impacts of
the products you use. Management is often in the position
where they are putting out a pesticide as an insurance, but
they can back off and still provide excellent playing
surfaces. We do have the data to say that we are able to
manage with fewer and safer pesticides and still keep the
course quality.
In the work we do, we use a tool - the Environmental
Impact Quotient - which helps us to categorize our
pesticides for which are softer and which are harsher on the
environment and human health. And we try to get our
managers to pick the softer products. They need to pick
something that works, and they're looking at cost, but this
is a whole different area - we want to encourage people to
look at the effects of the pesticides that they're using.
What Do Golfers Think?
"In some ways, you hope that the golfers don't notice.
If the quality stays as good as before, if not better, then the
golfers are happy. I've found that the golf audience is very
receptive if you have something that really works.
Golfers can help make their management team aware of
some of the options and be more tolerant - there's a lot of
pressure that they want professional level golf courses-
they're creating their own problems by expecting courses
to be TV perfect.
Where to Turn for Additional Information?
Cornell University's Cooperative Extension - or Cornell
Turfgrass has released a 98-page manual
titled "Reducing chemical use on golf
course turf: Redefining IPM." It is $30,
available in English or Spanish, and
provides information on how to adopt
cultural practices and pest management
systems to reduce pesticide and fertilizer
use.
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PESPWire Summer, 2012
(continued from Greg Lyman article
on page 7)
Ultradwarf bermudagrass varieties
are becoming much more
commonplace on southern golf courses
as an alternative to bent grass putting
greens.
An example of a cultural technique
is the lightweight rolling of putting
greens. This has been effective at
reducing the damage caused by dollar
spot, a common summertime disease
on golf courses."
How can GSCAA help
superintendents learn more about
IPM?
"GSCAA is committed to the
Gray Leaf Spot Infected
advancement of the profession, so we
provide educational opportunities and
set the professional standards for golf
course superintendents.
For example, we have a
certification system that sets the level
of competency in several areas such as
agronomy and environmental
management, and these include
specific standards that deal with pest
Appropriate irrigation levels can reduce disease and thereby reduce
inputs. Poor irrigation uniformity resulted in moist and dry areas
on this kikuvugrass fairway. The only areas attacked by gray leaf
spot were those with low moisture. Photo by Larry Stow ell, PACE
Turf LLC.
Anthracnose is a destructive fungal disease
that affects tiirfgrass throughout the United
States, Canada and Western Europe as well
as in Australia and Japan. Its severity can be
significantly reduced through the use of
cultural practices such as light, frequent sand
topdressing and lightweight rolling. Photo by
Larry Stowell, PACE Turf LLC.
management and pollution prevention.
Mr. Lyman mentioned that the
GSCAA also offers webinars and an
annual conference held in the
beginning of each year where
association members collaborate
directly with scientists from around the
country to provide seminars to
attendees.
Additionally, GSCAA
produces Golf Course
Management magazine that
features case studies and
highlights new research on
innovative management
techniques."
How can golfers help?
"Ultimately, the golfers
decide what conditions are
appealing. It would be
helpful if the golfers
understood that the pla> ability
does not depend on a perfect-
looking course.
Different turf types might
look mottled or have different
shades of green. To move away
from a monotone green and
focus on the playability and enjoyment
is important.
Some players do understand
that some of the techniques like core
aerification - poking holes in the turf -
can be disturbing to the play of the
game - but it helps to build a stronger
plant which leads to better tolerance to
pest damage throughout the year.
It's the golf turf version of the
mouldlboard plow used in corn,
soybean and wheat.
Also, during periods of stress -
high heat and humidity during the
summer, you are going to see more
pest pressure from diseases - and it's
important for golfers to realize that
that is part of the cycle.
We could go from a perfectly
conditioned course and drastically
improve the environmental condition
and still have a very good quality
course.
What is best for the environment is
what is best for the game. In order to
have a desirable product for the
clientele, there are inputs required.
We strive to strike that balance on
continually improving our processes
while still maintaining a quality
product.
Our job (GSCAA's job) is to help
promote techniques to do this."
Healthy Near Irrigation Heads
Irrigation heads
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