Seeking solutions: From Crane flies to new grasses Pam Charbonneau OMAFRA Turfgrass Specialist
New in 2012 ONturf blog @ONturf twitter
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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
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
Why regenerative perennial ryegrass? Subspecies of PR that produces pseudostolons Breed under traffic stress for strong recuperative ability Contains endophytes
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
RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Seeded Sept. 21, 2011 at GTI Rhizomatous tall fescue - 2.5 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.
RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Fertility Fertilized 3 x per season 20-5-10 at a rate of 50kg/ha of N Mowing Mowed weekly at 5 cm height of cut
RTF, RPR and Home Lawn Mix Trial Fall 2012
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
Irrigated plot Each irrigated plot was irrigated separately with a flow meter and hose end nozzle.
Rain and irrigation for June 2012 40 35 30 mm of Rain for the month of June Irrigation events 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 June
Rain and irrigation for July 2012 30 25 All plots mm of rain Irrigation 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 July
% Species Composition Species Composition May 2, 2012 120 Grass 100 Bare Total BLW 80 60 40 20 0 Non-irrigated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrigated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR
% Species Composition % Species Composition June 8, 2012 120 Total BLW 100 TF KB 80 FF PR 60 Bare 40 20 0 Non-irrgated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrgated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR
% Species Composition Species Composition Aug. 4, 2012 120 100 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
Plots July 2012
% Species Composition % Species Composition Aug. 23, 2012 120 100 Dead/Brown 80 60 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
120 % Species Composition Oct. 18, 2012 100 80 % species 60 40 20 Bare TF FF PR KB BLW 0 Non-irrigated RTF Irrigated RTF Non-irrigated HLM Irrigated HLM Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated RPR
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
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
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
RTF Non-irrigated RTF Irrigated RPR Non-irrigated RPR Irrigated
Serendipity HLM Nonirrigated HLM Irrigated
Grub assessment Cup changer 6 plugs per 2 x 2 m plot Taken in November Visual assessment of digging Visual rating Taken in November
% visual damage 60 Visual Damage 50 40 30 20 10 0 HLM Irrigated RTF Irrigated RPR Irrigated HLM Nonirrigated RTF Nonirrigated RPR Nonrrrigated
Number of grubs 14 No. of grubs/0.1m2 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 HLM Irrigated RTF Irrigated RPR Irrigated HLM Nonirrigated RTF Non-irrigated RPR Nonrrrigated
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)
Alternative Insecticide Control for European Crane Fly Larvae 2011 2011 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.
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
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)
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 837.73a 5.25a 606.64a Acelepryn 4.42ab 510.38ab 3.42ab 394.80ab Neu1161I 4.42ab 510.38ab 1.58b 182.95b Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki 3.25b 375.54b 3.08ab 356.24ab EPN s 3.08b 356.24b 2.58b 298.50b Neu1138I 2.75b 317.76b 3.08ab 356.24ab
Leatherjacket results 2011 3 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
Control for European Crane Fly Larvae 2012 2012 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.
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)
Treatment # Treatment Results 2012 # of leatherjackets/cup changer (4 WAT) 1 1million ij/100m2 1.75 ns 2 2 million ij/100m2 1.583 ns 3 Untreated control 2.5 ns
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
Late fall fertilization are we doing it right? Current recommendations 1.0-1.5 kg/n/100 m2 Late October/early Nov. Quick release fertilizer
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
Literature review in 2012, Bauer et al. Citations 36 studies from North America Between 1930 and 2006 Two from Europe
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
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
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Acknowledgements Dr. Michael Brownbridge, VRIC Paul Cote, VRIC Taro Saito, VRIC Erica Gunn, GTI Karen Montgomery-Wilson, OMAFRA SEP