SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/621615
and multiple applications should be avoided to the same target pest. 2. Be sure to follow the manufactur- er's label recommended application rate Avoid using rates that are below the manufactures labeled rate to control the problematic pest. The rates on the label are developed from years of stud- ies by the chemical companies and their partners to determine the most effective rates to manage the pests on the label. Applying lower rates can expose the pest population to the chemical but may not control the pests sufficiently enough, which could provide a greater number of individuals for reproduction and growth of the pest. 3. Use preventive applications for common pests based on prior experi- ences and environment Once you have managed fields in your area for a number of years, you likely have a strong grasp on the com- mon pests you are working with and when they will appear on your fields. Using that prior knowledge of envi- ronmental conditions or seasons when the pests become problematic, you can schedule preventive applications for those common pests. Managing the pest in this manner before the populations explode in size requiring curative appli- cations can extend the livelihood of the pesticides you currently use. 4. Consider tank-mixing single-site mode of action pesticides with multi-site products Tank-mixing various MoA into single products at purchase or mixing compat- ible pesticides on your own is a great way to manage populations that may have some resistance building up. The more specific MoA products will effectively control all the susceptible individuals in the population, but the alternative prod- uct can provide some detrimental effects to the resistant individuals to keep them in check as well. 5. Incorporate an integrated pest management (IPM) plan using cultural practices and other resources to inhibit disease formation Pesticides are always going to provide short-term benefits when managing common turf pests. Even before any con- cerns of pesticide resistance may arise, the application of a pesticide should effectively control a target pest. However, the pest will normally come back at some point when the environment is favorable for it again. Longer-term con- trol requires changing the management practices and environment to make the athletic field less desirable for the pest and more desirable for the turf grow- ing on it. Some things are out of your control as a turf manager, but your cul- tivation and management practices can alter the environment to be less favorable for pests. ■ ST Joseph Young, PhD, is an assistant profes- sor in the department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Texas Tech University, and the technical editor for SportsTurf. www.stma.org January 2016 | SportsTurf 25 Annual bluegrass plants sprayed with a 2X rate in a research greenhouse using a commonly applied herbicide. Image is courtesy Dr. Matt Elmore, Texas A&M Extension in Dallas, TX.