Seeking solutions: From Crane flies to new grasses. Pam Charbonneau OMAFRA Turfgrass Specialist

Transcription

1 Seeking solutions: From Crane flies to new grasses Pam Charbonneau OMAFRA Turfgrass Specialist

2 New in 2012 ONturf twitter

3 ONturf Blog ONturf Timely You can send me comments

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7 Rhizomatous tall fescue and regenerative perennial ryegrass Background As part of the toolbox with the Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Looking for alternative grass species that are: Drought tolerant Resist weed invasion Resist insect feeding

8 Why rhizomatous tall fescue? Grows better in summer and late fall than tall fescue Has endophytes that are different from other tall fescue Has rhizomes Requires less water Deep roots

9 Why regenerative perennial ryegrass? Subspecies of PR that produces pseudostolons Breed under traffic stress for strong recuperative ability Contains endophytes

10 Three turf species RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Rhizomatous tall fescue (RTF Barenbrug) Regenerative perennial ryegrass (RPR (Barenbrug) Home lawn mixture (50% Kentucky bluegrass, 20% perennial ryegrass 30% fine fescue) Irrigated and non-irrigated

11 RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Seeded Sept. 21, 2011 at GTI Rhizomatous tall fescue kg/100m2 Regenerative perennial ryegrass 3.0 kg/100m2 Home lawn mixture (50% Kentucky bluegrass, 20% perennial ryegrass 30% fine fescue) 2.0 kg/100m2 Irrigated plots were irrigated to supply 25 mm of water in a one week period.

12 RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Fertility Fertilized 3 x per season at a rate of 50kg/ha of N Mowing Mowed weekly at 5 cm height of cut

13 RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Fall 2012

14 RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Data Point quadrats monthly summer of 2012 % Rhizomatous tall fescue % Regenerative perennial ryegrass % Kentucky bluegrass/ perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in home lawn mixture % broadleaf weeds % bare

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16 Irrigated plot Each irrigated plot was irrigated separately with a flow meter and hose end nozzle.

17 Rain and irrigation for June mm of Rain for the month of June Irrigation events June

18 Rain and irrigation for July All plots mm of rain Irrigation July

19 % Species Composition Species Composition May 2, Grass 100 Bare Total BLW Non-irrigated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrigated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR

20 % Species Composition % Species Composition June 8, Total BLW 100 TF KB 80 FF PR 60 Bare Non-irrgated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrgated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR

21 % Species Composition Species Composition Aug. 4, Dead/Brown TF 80 KB FF 60 PR Bare 40 Total BLW 20 0 Non-irrgated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrgated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR

22 Plots July 2012

23 % Species Composition % Species Composition Aug. 23, Dead/Brown TF KB FF PR Bare 40 Total BLW 20 0 Non-irrgated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrgated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR

24 120 % Species Composition Oct. 18, % species Bare TF FF PR KB BLW 0 Non-irrigated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrigated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR

25 Conclusions: Year 1 Non-irrigated rhizomatous tall fescue >40 %broad leaf weeds 20% bare 10% tall fescue Irrigated rhizomatous tall fescue <25% broadleaf weeds <65% tall fescue Almost no bare ground

26 Conclusions: Year 1 Non-irrigated regenerative perennial ryegrass 30% bare 52% perennial ryegrass 12% BLW Irrigated regenerative perennial ryegrass Almost no bare ground 89% perennial ryegrass 9 % BLW

27 Conclusions: Year 1 Non-irrigated home lawn mix 37% bare 16% broad leaf weeds 20 % perennial ryegrass 20% fine fescue 0.5% Kentucky bluegrass Irrigated home lawn mix No bare ground 16%broad leaf weeds 40% fine fescue 33% perennial ryegrass 11% Kentucky bluegrass

28 RTF Non-irrigated RTF Irrigated RPR Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated

29 Serendipity HLM Nonirrigated HLM Irrigated

30 Grub assessment Cup changer 6 plugs per 2 x 2 m plot Taken in November Visual assessment of digging Visual rating Taken in November

31 % visual damage 60 Visual Damage HLM Irrigated RTF Irrigated RPR Irrigated HLM Nonirrigated RTF Nonirrigated RPR Nonrrrigated

32 Number of grubs 14 No. of grubs/0.1m HLM Irrigated RTF Irrigated RPR Irrigated HLM Nonirrigated RTF Non-irrigated RPR Nonrrrigated

33 Anecdotal information Irrigation effect All irrigate plots had more grubs Better egg survival Skunk digging preference Irrigated home lawn mix plots were preferred by skunks Species composition easier to dig (fine fescue)

34 Alternative Insecticide Control for European Crane Fly Larvae Trial Determine efficacy of four bio-controls and one reduced risk insecticide for the control of early instar European cranefly (Tipula paludosa) larvae (leatherjackets) on a mixed stand of turf maintained as a home lawn applied in the fall.

35 1 Untreated Control 5 Acelepryn at 0.58 g a.i/100 m 2 7 Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki at 2.85 g a.i. /100 m 2 8 Neu1138I (2.5% solution) 2.5 ml /100 m 2 9 Neu1161I (2% solution) 2.0 ml/100 m 2 10 Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN s) (a 50/50 mixture of Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) at 2 million ij (infective juveniles) 100 m 2

36 Treatments 2011 Treatment date Treated Nov. 4 th, 2011 Experimental design RCBD with 6 reps Plots 1x2m (areas with suspected leatherjacket pupulations) All treatments watered in except the Neudorff treatments Post-treatment counts Post-treatment counts using destructive sampling 4 cup cutter plugs/plot at 3 weeks after treatment (3 WAT) and six weeks after treatment (6WAT)

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38 Treatment 3 WAT (Nov. 25, 2011) 6 WAT (Dec. 16, 2011) Larvae/core 1 Larvae m -2 Larvae/core Larvae m -2 Control 7.25a a 5.25a a Acelepryn 4.42ab ab 3.42ab ab Neu1161I 4.42ab ab 1.58b b Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki 3.25b b 3.08ab ab EPN s 3.08b b 2.58b b Neu1138I 2.75b b 3.08ab ab

39 Leatherjacket results WAT Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, EPN s and Neu1138I were effective Control amongst those three treatments did not differ significantly from each other and ranged from ~ 55, 57.5 and 62% control respectively 6 WAT Only the EPN s and Neu1161I were effective Control ranged from ~ 50-70% control

40 Control for European Crane Fly Larvae Trial Determine efficacy of two rates of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN s) (a 50/50 mixture of Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora) for the control of early instar European cranefly (Tipula paludosa) larvae (leatherjackets) on a mixed stand of turf maintained as a home lawn applied in the fall.

41 Treatments 2012 Treatment date Treated Nov. 7 th, 2012 Experimental design RCBD with 6 reps Plots 1x2m All treatments watered in Post-treatment counts Post-treatment counts using destructive sampling 4 cup cutter plugs/plot at 4 weeks after treatment (4 WAT)

42 Treatment # Treatment Results 2012 # of leatherjackets/cup changer (4 WAT) 1 1million ij/100m ns 2 2 million ij/100m ns 3 Untreated control 2.5 ns

43 It was a sad day Were not able to repeat 2011 s results If we lose snow cover will do more post-treatment counts Try again in 2013

44 Late fall fertilization are we doing it right? Current recommendations kg/n/100 m2 Late October/early Nov. Quick release fertilizer

45 Recommendations do not take into consideration: Fate of nitrogen at that time of year Time of year with lots of rainfall Low or no evapotranspiration

46 Literature review in 2012, Bauer et al. Citations 36 studies from North America Between 1930 and 2006 Two from Europe

47 Findings The only benefit in our climate is enhanced fall colour and early spring green-up. Increased root mass or deeper roots has not been substantiated. Research has shown a high potential for N leaching at that time of year

48 Recommendations Timing No later than Sept. 15 N source Lowest leaching potential with slow release forms of N Rate Adjust rates down until further research is available 0.5 kg N/100m2

49 ONturf Blog ONturf Timely You can send me comments

50 Acknowledgements Dr. Michael Brownbridge, VRIC Paul Cote, VRIC Taro Saito, VRIC Erica Gunn, GTI Karen Montgomery-Wilson, OMAFRA SEP