Research Summaries

Spotted Lanternfly Invades Pennsylvania

By Mike Fidanza, Ph.D.

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has become an unwelcome invasive pest in southeastern Pennsylvania. It was first discovered in Berks County in 2014, and its population has increased to become a threat to agriculture, including grapes, tree-fruit, hardwoods and nurseries. This insect particularly likes the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), which initially was planted in the U.S. as an urban street tree.

At the Center for the Agricultural Sciences and A Sustainable Environment at Penn State Berks Campus, during the summer of 2018, entomologists from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences conducted field trials on various commercially available insecticides that could potentially control this pest on grapes and peaches. A few insecticide products may help manage this pest, but more research is planned. For more information, refer to https://extension.psu.edu/ updated-insecticide-recommendations-for-spotted-lanternflyon-grape. Of note, the spotted lanternfly was observed walking on creeping bentgrass test plots at Penn State Berks, but it seems they are not interested in turfgrass.

Spotted Lanternfly Life Cycle:

Eggs: October – June

Hatch and First Instar: May – June

Second Instar: June – July

Third Instar: June – July

Fourth Instar: July – September

Adults: July – December

Egg Laying: September – December

Illustrations by Colleen Witkowski. Source: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

A National Team of Scientists Embark on a $5.7 Million Award from USDA to Address Annual Bluegrass Epidemic in Turfgrass

By John Kaminski, Ph.D.

The most widely grown irrigated crop in the U.S. — turfgrass — is being threatened, and a team of 16 scientists across 15 universities will be finding solutions to the problem. Annual bluegrass, known as Poa annua, is the most troublesome weed of turf systems, according to a recent Weed Science Society of America survey, and this weed has grown to epidemic proportions, causing severe economic losses. Scientists across the nation will address the threat with a four-year, $5.7 million project designed to limit the impact of annual bluegrass, the most troublesome weed of athletic, golf, lawn and sod turf. The project is being led by Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan at Texas A&M University. Our lab at Penn State will focus on various biological aspects of annual bluegrass and take the lead on the development of educational materials. Funding is from a Specialty Crops Research Initiative Coordinated Agricultural Project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Does phosphorus in starter fertilizer enhance tall fescue ground cover during establishment?

By Bohan Liu and Pete Landschoot, Ph.D., Dept. of Plant Science

Phosphorus (P)-containing starter fertilizer is often recommended for establishing new turf, regardless of P levels indicated by the soil test. However, very little research has been conducted to determine the effect of P in starter fertilizer on the rate of turf establishment. Recently, we conducted a field study to determine if P in starter fertilizer enhances tall fescue ground cover and growth during establishment. Four separate experiments were conducted in late summer/fall on silt loam soil tilled with a rototiller or core aerated and vertically sliced, with soil test P levels ranging from 38 to 270 ppm. Comparisons between treatments with 1.0 lb nitrogen/1000 ft 2 with no P and treatments of 1.0 lb nitrogen/1000 ft 2 with P at rates typically found in starter fertilizers revealed few significant ground cover and growth improvements due to P additions.

Of 12 ground cover assessments in four experiments, we found only one instance where P additions resulted in greater tall fescue ground cover. This occurred in a rototilled soil having a low soil-test P level (38 ppm Mehlich-3 P). Results of this study indicate that groundcover and growth responses of tall fescue due to P in starter fertilizers do not appear to be solely related to soil test P levels, and other factors such as the method of establishment (tilling soil vs. core-aerating and slicing the soil surface), environmental conditions, and the N content of soil may be involved.

For more details see: Liu, B. and P. Landschoot, P.J. 2018. Influence of phosphorus in starter fertilizer on tall fescue establishment. HortScience 53(12):1897-1906.