Weeds

Spring is just around the corner

by John Kaminski | Mar 21, 2023 | General Updates, Weeds

Spring Awakening: Golf Course Season Kicks Off with Turf Pest Diagnostic Focus

As the sun peeks out from the cloudy winter skies and the temperature rises, golf enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the start of the golf course season. While the players are honing their swings and preparing their equipment, turf managers are also gearing up for a busy season ahead. A key aspect of managing golf course greens is turf pest diagnostics, with the primary focus on keeping the grass healthy and pristine. In State College, PA, we are hitting the perfect timing for controlling annual bluegrass seedheads.

Turfgrass Waking Up

The transition from winter to spring marks a significant change in the life cycle of turfgrass. As temperatures rise and daylight hours increase, the grass begins to break dormancy and enters a period of active growth. This is a critical time for turf managers, as they must carefully monitor the health and vigor of the turf and address any issues that may arise. For those managing bentgrass greens, this is the time when anthocyanin build up in patches can sometime mimic disease activity. These patches will disappear as the turf starts to grow.

Annual Bluegrass Seedhead Control

Annual bluegrass, also known as Poa annua, is a common turfgrass species found on many golf courses. Although it can provide a playable surface, it is not the most desirable grass for golf courses due to its propensity to produce seedheads, which can affect ball roll and overall playability.

As we enter the prime seedhead production period in State College, PA, it’s essential for turf managers to focus on implementing effective control measures. This is usually done by applying plant growth regulators (PGRs) that suppress seedhead formation and reduce the overall Poa annua seed bank on the greens.

Timing Is Everything

Applying PGRs at the optimal time is crucial for effective seedhead control. The ideal window for application is when the turfgrass is just beginning to break dormancy and before the seedheads start to emerge. To determine the best time to apply PGRs, turf managers can monitor growing degree days (GDDs), which is a measurement of accumulated heat units. The target GDD range for effective PGR application is typically between 200-500 GDDs, depending on the product being used. At Penn State we hit 200 GDDs this week and seedhead treatments have gone out.

Best Practices for PGR Application

Choose the right PGR: Select a product specifically designed for annual bluegrass seedhead control, such as mefluidide (if you still have any) or combinations of ethephon + trinexapac-ethyl or prohexadione calcium.
Follow label instructions: Read and adhere to the recommended application rates and guidelines provided by the manufacturer.
Monitor weather conditions: PGRs are most effective when applied under mild temperatures and adequate soil moisture. Avoid applying during extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rain or drought.
Keep an eye on GDDs: Monitor GDDs to help determine the most effective window for PGR application.
Record your results: Keep a log of your PGR applications, including the date, product, rate, and weather conditions. This will help you refine your approach in future seasons.

Conclusion

The start of the golf course season is an exciting time for both players and turf managers. As the turfgrass wakes up and begins to grow, it’s crucial to stay vigilant and address any potential pest issues promptly. Also note that turfgrass in our area isn’t going to really move until some warmer temps make their way here. Despite The Masters being on TV soon, remind your members that we don’t live in Georgia!

PSU Turf Pest Update – June 6, 2022

by John Kaminski | Jun 6, 2022 | Disease, Insect, Weeds

Turf pest updates from what we are seeing around the region and in the lab.

Brown Ring Patch to Pythium

Samples in our lab indicate major outbreaks of brown ring patch (aka, Waitea patch) throughout much of the central and western portions of Pennsylvania, with the Pittsburgh area being hardest hit (Fig 1). I wasn’t too surprised about seeing the disease in State College, but felt like it might have been past “prime time” for BRP in western PA. It once again goes to show that we should be predicting disease outbreaks based on weather patterns and not the time of the year. I remember seeing Microdochium patch as a graduate student at UMD this time of the year and everyone thought I was crazy. If you suspect you may have BRP, incubation in a Tuperware container on your desk should reveal the presence of mycelium.

Speaking of Maryland, temperatures and rainfall around the mid-Atlantic have been right for several warmer diseases including Pythium and brown patch. Although we usually talk about July 4th as the hotspot for these diseases, it appears that we are going to see them early so be on the lookout and keep your preventive controls in place where warranted.

Weevil update (from Dr. McGraw)

While trial evaluations are happening this week, there are some early reports that ABW larva are absent from many of the properties he’s visiting in western PA. This may be due to a combination of reduced populations this year or (more likely) the fact that he visits the region twice per week all spring and many of the clubs are following very closely monitored recommendations for their initial insecticide timings. Regardless, there have been reports of damage in other areas of Pennsylvania as well as the surrounding regions of Ohio, New Jersey, Metro New York, and southern Connecticut. If you’re fortunate to not see much damage consider yourself lucky, but keep an eye out on any insect updates moving forward.

Crabgrass and other weeds

Crabgrass is pretty much hitting its stride these days throughout the state and preemergent control is obviously long gone. It is important to note the tillering stage of the crabgrass if you’re going with a post or early-post herbicide as some of these do well with early and late stages, but not those in the middle. One area of interest for us at Valentine is the vast difference in crabgrass populations between our recently renovated fairway vs our established ryegrass fairway. Not surprisingly, the area that was recently renovated has higher populations that are farther along. This once again reinforces the notion that a well-established lawn is one of the best measures to prevent crabgrass populations from getting out of control. Along with crabgrass, we continue to see high populations of dandelion and clover and suspect that if you haven’t had any goosegrass germination yet that you should soon expect it to be emerging.

Fig 1. Brown ring patch symptoms on a golf course fairway.

Fig 2. Mycelium of Waitea circinata, causal agent of brown ring patch, following incubation in a Tuperware container.

Seedheads, dollar spot and more.

by John Kaminski | May 23, 2022 | Disease, Insect, Weeds

The entire state of Pennsylvania finally received some warmth over the weekend with some regions cracking 90F on Saturday. Although temperatures held in the 80’s on Sunday, this week continues to track back to the high 60’s to mid 70’s. However, warmer temperatures are set to return this weekend and this is where active pests will start to pick up.

As has been reported previously, this has to be one of the worst year for Poa seedheads on record. We continue to see seedheads flourish in all areas from putting greens to home lawns. Having said that, seedheads in the lower cut turf does seem to be subsiding quicker than in turf sites maintained at a higher height of cut. The broadleaf weeds are in full swing as well and crabgrass has germinated throughout the state. If you missed your preemergence timing, you might want to consider your postemergent options.

Diseases

We have continued to see Microdochium patch active during recent periods of cooler temperatures in combination with moist conditions. I suspect that this will subside by the weekend as warmer temperatures move in. Dollar spot popped up in Central PA this past weekend and I suspect it’s been in the warmer parts of the states for a bit longer. Look for dollar spot to take off in the next couple of weeks as it becomes the number one nemesis on everyone’s minds. Luckily, we are still early for summer time diseases like brown patch and Pythium, but don’t let the calendar dictate your decisions. Pay attention to the forecast and make decisions accordingly.

Insects

According to WeevilTrak, annual bluegrass weevils are in Stage 3 throughout much of the state with the exception of northeast PA. Traditionally cooler, the Scranton area weevils are stuck in Stage 2. Keep an eye out for any current updates from Dr. McGraw on Twitter.