Turfgrass fertility, pesticide programs compared

Traditional turfgrass management programs rely heavily on the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. In response to increased public scrutiny and legislation, organic and biological alternatives are becoming more accepted, but research indicates that these alternatives have not been widely adopted by either homeowners or the lawn care industry. Results of a new study that compared common but disparate turfgrass management approaches may help lawn care professionals to evaluate, market, and implement alternative management programs.

Purdue University researchers reported on a field study that evaluated and compared the aesthetic and economic characteristics of four turfgrass fertility and pesticide programs. In a recent issue of HortTechnology Victoria A. Caceres, Cale A. Bigelow, and Douglas S. Richmond noted that the reasons that homeowners and professionals do not adopt organic alternatives “primarily revolve around a combination of high aesthetic standards and a perceived lack of reliability or cost effectiveness associated with biologically based alternatives.” For the study, the researchers compared four turfgrass fertility and pesticide programs in an effort to provide a framework for lawn care professionals. Programs included a consumer program (CP), an integrated pest management program (IPMP), a natural organic program (NOP), and a no-input program (NIP). The researchers measured aesthetic characteristics such as canopy greenness and turfgrass quality (color, density, and uniformity) and determined economic aspects by recording the cost of materials and labor associated with each fertility and pesticide program.

“Results of the experiments showed that all programs significantly improved visual appearance compared with the no-input program (NIP), and, although the integrated pest management program and consumer programs consistently had the highest ratings, the natural organic program produced lawns of similar quality on the majority of rating dates”, stated Purdue’s Caceres. “The no-input program also resulted in canopy greenness levels similar to or significantly greater than those provided by the IPMP and CP on most dates. Aside from the NIP, the lowest total maintenance costs were associated with the IPMP during both study years.”

Although homeowners and professionals still have choices when it comes to turfgrass management, results of the study may help to clarify some of the impacts and potential benefits associated with different approaches. The researchers added that “the results highlight how incorporation of scouting into different fertility and pesticide programs may provide short-term economic benefits without any significant aesthetic impacts.”

More information: http://horttech.as … act/20/2/418

 

Organic Dandelion Control

Q: Why talk about weed control in winter?

A: Dandelions have the potential to show up very early in the Charlotte Metro area.

Organic weed control for dandelions

Spring and summer often find homeowners out in their yards, busily attempting to control the onslaught of dandelions in a quest for green, weed-free lawns. Dandelions, broadleaf perennial plants that have a questionable reputation as lawn wreckers, can make even the most patient gardener reach for chemical weed killers to control the onslaught of the ubiquitous weeds. Now, the answer to an environmentally responsible way to control dandelions could be right on the front lawn.

Responding to criticism that synthetic herbicides can be harmful to the environment, researchers around the world are experimenting with organically derived weed control methods. A team at Michigan State University recently studied the effectiveness of pesticide-free mulched maple and oak leaves on common dandelions in established Kentucky bluegrass comparable to residential lawns.

Previous research indicated that mulched maple leaves resulted in fewer dandelions when incorporated into established turfgrass, but the leaves used in that research may have contained herbicide residues. These findings triggered a subsequent study designed to compare the effects of mulched leaves from herbicide-free maple and oak species on established turfgrass as an organic broadleaf weed control method, according to Alexander R. Kowalewski, lead author of a study published in HortTechnology.

“The objectives of our research were to quantify the effectiveness of four maple and one oak species leaf mulch as an organic broadleaf weed control method in an established Kentucky bluegrass turfgrass stand, then to identify specific maple species that provide effective broadleaf weed control. The final two objectives of this research were to determine the optimum leaf litter particle size and rate per unit area for the most effective broadleaf weed control”, Kowalewski explained.

The scientists compared the effects of pesticide-free mulched maple and oak leaves on dandelion populations in an established Kentucky bluegrass lawn in field experiments at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center in East Lansing. The team tested red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (A. saccharinum), sugar maple (A. saccharum), high sugar content sugar maple, and red oak (Quercus rubra) in coarse and fine particle sizes and differing application rates.

Mulch applications were made in fall and data collected beginning in spring on Kentucky bluegrass spring green-up and common dandelion plant counts. The data showed that the high application rate, regardless of tree genus or species, resulted in the highest green-up ratings. Common dandelion plant counts after one and two mulch applications at the high rate showed that up to 80% and 53% reduction was achieved, respectively.

Although the results from the research do not suggest that mulched leaves can be used exclusively as an alternative to herbicides to provide high-end weed control, Kowalewski stated: “If home owners want to incorporate this practice into an annual maintenance program, the findings of this study suggest that an increased spring green-up and a reduction in common dandelion population could be observed.”

More information: The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortTechnology electronic journal web site: http://horttech.as … act/19/2/297

Source: American Society for Horticultural Science

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