2013 – 2017 National Bermudagrass Test Final Report NTEP No. 18 – 14
“Based on NTEP’s latest test cycle 2013-2017 for all Bermudagrass comparative testing at 20 locations over the 5 year trial period. (Page 201, Appendix Table)”
the newly elected President of the Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) I was asked by someone, “What have you and your organization done for the industry?” I was excited at the opportunity to address this question. But first let me give you some of my background in the turfgrass industry.
I mentioned I was lucky enough to have been a Certified Golf Course Superintendent for nearly 20 years in Hampton Roads. My enthusiasm for sound environmental practices was developed at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources. Incorporating my dedication to sound environmental stewardship, I was able to publish in the USGA Green Section Magazine “Steppingstones to a Certified Audubon Sanctuary”. My work on environmental stewardship was included in Mike Klemme’s book “A View from the Rough” which highlighted our work with the local High School to test the waters of golf courses and proved they act as filters for the surrounding community’s runoff. These environmental practices distinguished my organization as the first Certified Audubon Sanctuary in Wisconsin. Because of these endeavors I was asked by the World Golf Hall of Fame to contribute to an exhibition on environmental practices in the turf industry.
Then this question allowed me to boast on how the VTC continues to assist its members. They offer continued education like the Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo (MATE). This year’s conference allowed us to partner with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, and the Virginia Agribusiness Council, to discuss pesticide, payroll, and labor issues (H2B) related to our industry. We also had the great opportunity to participate in the Landscape Supply Innovative Research Contest that provides Virginia Tech Graduate Students the opportunity to discuss their research with our turf community. The VTC’s past president, Mike Skelton, selected Dr. Michael Goatley the recipient of the President’s award. Dr. Goatley has been a true friend and great educator to the turf industry and is a most deserving recipient for this award. As always, the VTC always provides free pesticide and fertilizer recertification to its members at no cost.
So then this gave me the time to illustrate the true meaning of “What do you do for the industry”? The Virginia Turfgrass Council Environmental Institute (VTC-EI) allows us to highlight environmental practices and community involvement. Last year VTC-EI partnered with Virginia Beach to plant dune grass plants to stabilize sand loss. VTC-EI doubled that planting this year at their service project at the Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach. This service project allowed us to develop relations with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Lynnhaven River Now. Mayor Bobby Dyer of Virginia Beach addressed our volunteers and thanked them for their community assistance. The VTC-EI also worked with the City of Petersburg and Virginia State University to assist in a community beautification and soil erosion project in their community.
So here is where you can say, “This is What I Have Done for the Industry”. Donate to the VTC-EI to allow us to continue with legislative issues and community involvement. Donate your time to highlight the sound practices to your potential clients.
Thank you for asking “What have you done for the industry”?
Phil Bailey, CGCS
VTC President
Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989
Virginia Beach, VA 23471
Office: (757) 464-1004
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VTC OFFICERS
President Phil Bailey, CGCS Isle of Wight County Parks & Recreation (757) 572-1981
Vice President
Wes Bray Lawns & Gardens Plus (757) 422-2117
Secretary / Treasurer
Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779
Past President
Michael Skelton (540) 718-4133
VTC DIRECTORS
Sam Burris
Ray Funkhouser
Tony Montgomery
Bruce Sheppard
T.J. Skirsky
Harris Wheeler
Craig Zeigler
VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair)
Shawn Askew, Ph.D.
Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D.
David McCall Ph.D.
Dan Sandor, Ph.D.
Cynthia Smith, Ph.D.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004
VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION
Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
VTC recently installed a new President, Vice President, and a new Board Member. All three choices are in line with the strategy of embracing the future and can best be understood by a Dunkirk-Normandy analogy.
In 1940 over 338,000 Allied solders were rescued from the French coastal town of Dunkirk. Behind them was an overwhelmingly superior German army intent on bringing Europe and Russia under Nazi rule. Ahead of these soldiers was the safety of England and the hope of renewing the fight when the time was right.
Our Dunkirk was the culmination of years of constant and effective attacks against the green industry. Before we had an opportunity to recover from one blow, we were hit from another direction. Attacks came from legislators, regulators, extreme environmental activists, and even from segments within our own industry. The very future of our association was, at times, in doubt. We were perceived by some as being irrelevant. Others saw the VTC and the entire green industry as an evil, earth-destroying enterprise that needed to be regulated into obscurity. Dunkirk was not a pleasant place.
We retreated. We licked our wounds. We strategized. We determined the best ways to help our members and the entire green industry.
The invasion to free Europe from Nazi control began on the beaches of Normandy four years after Dunkirk. Much preparation, many battles and sacrifices (especially on the Eastern Front) preceded that fateful day in June 1944. Less than one year later Germany surrendered unconditionally and the madman who led them committed suicide.
Our Normandy is happening! Less than two years ago we established the VTC Environmental Institute, a 501(c)3 corporation, and began implementing our strategy for the industry. Aggressively educating legislators, establishing partnerships with environmental groups, fighting for Virginia Tech’s right to have a research center in Virginia Beach, conducting highly needed and highly visible service projects were a few of our actions.
Are we successful? One of the many measures of our success is the verbiage used by others about us. “Let us explore ways to work together” and “Let us know if you need any help on legislative issues” are indicative of the many comments we have received from legislators and environmental groups.
VTC’s leadership is at the forefront of our success! They are actively involved with planning and implementing our strategies for success. Phil Bailey, the new President, has his first column in this Journal. Read it and you will understand the strengths he brings. Wes Bray, the new Vice President and Chair of the Come to the Bay committee, has expended hours and resources working behind the scenes. Harris Wheeler, our new Board Member, will be featured in the May/June Journal. You will be in awe of his contributions to the green industry.
Our Dunkirk is history. Our Normandy is happening. You haven’t seen anything yet.
Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-5807
askew@vt.edu
Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Virginia Tech
Hampton Roads
Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 363-3900 adelpozo@vt.edu
Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads
Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 363-3912 jderr@vt.edu
Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D. Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-2951 goatley@vt.edu
David McCall, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu
Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 170 Drillfield Dr. 411 Price Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-9775 dsandor@vt.edu
WITH SUPPORT FROM:
Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology
216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-6129
tkuhar@vt.edu
May 7, 2022
Run the Fairway Moseley
June 23, 2022
Turf and Landscape Field Day
Virginia Beach
December 6 – 8, 2022
Turf and Landscape Short Course
Henrico
January 23 – 25, 2023
Come to the Bay Virginia Beach
February 20 – 21, 2023
Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo
Richmond
Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright © 2022 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC.
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The VTC Environmental Institute provides great benefits for the turfgrass and landscape industries. We fight for you! We invite you to become a partner and be part of our unique effort to advance both our industry and the environment through legislative action and partnering with environmental groups.
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Join us as we advocate for best practices and environmental awareness in and around the turfgrass and landscape community. Educating decision makers and environmental activists about the benefits of properly designed, installed, and maintained landscapes is just part of what we do. In just under two years we have established great working relationships with important members of Virginia’s General Assembly, environmental groups, local officials, state regulators, and others.
Our work has just begun! Please join us.
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Phil Bailey, CGCS President
(All Three Year Terms)
Phil Bailey, CGCS
Wes Bray
Wes Bray Vice President
Sam Burris
Ray Funkhouser
Tony Montgomery
Jimmy Viars, GCM Treasurer/Secretary
Bruce Sheppard
Michael Skelton
T.J. Skirsky
ecades ago, Hampton Roads was blessed to have two major newspapers: The Virginian Pilot and the Ledger Star. The former came in the morning. The latter was an afternoon paper. Both were produced by the same company. Content was similar yet there were enough differences to warrant subscribing to both. “As different as night and day. Read both” was the slogan used to encourage subscriptions. Similarly, in February the VTC produced two conferences: the Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo (MATE) in Richmond and Come to the Bay at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Both conferences provided necessary pesticide and fertilizer certification and recertification for hundreds of attendees but were different enough to encourage persons to attend both.
MATE focused on legislative and regulatory issues affecting the turfgrass and landscape industries. Pesticide bans, changes to fertilizer regulations, and restricting gasoline powered equipment are just three of the many concerns discussed. Here are some highlights:
Cameron Douglass (Office of Pest Management Policy)
Every action, both large and small, taken by the Environmental Protection Agency affects the turfgrass and landscape industry. Dr. Douglass explored the direction of this extremely important federal agency.
Michael Goatley (Virginia Tech)
Dr. Goatley organized the WS Connelly and Sons student contest. This annual event gives university students an opportunity to present cutting edge research.
Bob Mann (National Association of Landscape Professionals)
Mr. Mann has unparalleled experience advocating for our industry in states across America. He shared some of those experiences and gave his thoughts on what to expect in Virginia.
Larry Nichols
(Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
Mr. Nichols presented an overview of fertilizer regulations and highlighted changes to the Certified Fertilizer Applicator program. These changes include fines and expanded reporting requirements.
Karla Segundo (National Association of Landscape Professionals)
Ms. Segundo presented an overview of the H2B program and gave tips for navigating its intricacies.
Kyle Shreve (Virginia Agribusiness Council)
For many decades, the Virginia Agribusiness Council led the industry on legislative issues. Mr. Shreve gave an insider’s view of the current General Assembly session and prepared us for future actions by persons opposed to aspects of the turfgrass and landscape industry.
Cindy Smith (George Mason University)
Dr. Smith has a long and rich history of representing our industry at liberal universities and to environmental groups. She gave tips for collaborating with environmental groups.
Lindsay Thompson (24d.org)
Ms. Thompson represents one of the oldest and widest used class of pesticides in America. She gave a history of 2,4-D and discussed its safety and importance.
Micah Raub
(Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
VDACS is in the early stages of implementing an on-line system for pesticide certification and recertification. Mr. Raub gave an early look at the new system.
A special thanks to our MATE Sponsors
Advanced Turf Solutions
Aqua-Aid Solutions
Bulldog Field Equipment
Collins Wharf Sod
Genesis Green Supply McGill Compost Trinity Turf
Come to the Bay focused on industry success and environmental stewardship. The conference was a time to network, build alliances, and seek ways to increase business. It was also a time for the VTC Environmental Institute to shine. Day one was devoted to the Institute’s service project: providing and planting 15,000 American Beachgrass plants at an environmentally sensitive area in Virginia Beach.
Volunteers gathered despite the cold temperatures.
The finished product –15,000 plants in the ground!
In addition to pesticide and fertilizer classes, the next two days featured speakers and topics focused on industry success. Here are some highlights:
Alejandro Del Pozo (Virginia Tech)
Dr. Del Pozo focused on insects and their management. Identifying and protecting beneficials was a core part of his presentation.
Jeff Derr (Virginia Tech)
Weeds are often the number one concern of turfgrass and landscape managers. Dr. Derr presented the latest weed control products and identified problem weeds to watch for in 2022.
Laurie Fox (Virginia Tech)
Dr. Fox discussed fertilizer options for non-turfgrass plants in the landscape.
Holly Gaff (Old Dominion University)
Ticks are a commonly encountered pest throughout Virginia. Dr. Gaff gave tips for identifying disease-carrying species and practical advice on avoiding being bitten.
Michael Goatley (Virginia Tech)
Properly selecting turfgrass for its intended use is the first, and most important, step for successful turfgrass management. Dr. Goatley highlighted types of turfgrass and their most effective uses.
Julie Holt (Leading Edge Communications)
Ms. Holt communicated the value and environmental importance of the turf and landscape industries in our communities and everyday relationships.
Shereen Hughes (Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Certification)
Speaking twice during the conference, Ms. Hughes focused on design and maintenance of buffers. These largely non-turfgrass areas are required in most urban and suburban landscapes.
Meredith King (Virginia Aquarium)
Industry practitioners constantly encounter snakes. Ms. King’s presentation focused on proper and safe protocols when encountering them.
Joel Koci (Virginia State University)
Mr. Koci discussed common sense tree selection and maintenance for long term success. Healthy trees and shrubs complement turfgrass in landscapes.
David McCall (Virginia Tech)
Diseases are a bane of turfgrass and their sudden and total destruction frequently appears without warning. Dr. McCall focused on diseases that appear in the eastern part of Virginia.
Chris Moore (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)
The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries affect all Virginians. Mr. Moore’s bay update focused on partnerships with the industry.
Adam Nichols (Virginia Tech)
Mr. Nichols discussed ways to maximize water usage on various types of turfgrass. The importance of efficiently using this vital resource is paramount.
Joe Rieger (Elizabeth River Project)
Just a few decades ago, the Elizabeth River was devoid of oysters, seahorses, and most other aquatic life. Mr. Rieger focused on the partnerships that enabled a once dead river to teem with life.
Thank you to those who supported Come to the Bay!
Advanced Turf Solutions
Agronomic Lawn Management
City of Virginia Beach
Parks & Recreation
Corteva
Lawns & Gardens Plus McGill Premium Compost
SiteOne Landscape Supply
TruGreen
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chesapeake Bay
Landscape Professionals
Elizabeth River Project
Lynnhaven River Now
We are once again planning on holding the same two conferences in 2023. One will be in Richmond and the other will be in Virginia Beach. Just like the morning and evening newspapers, the events will have enough differences that you should plan on attending both. You will not be disappointed.
Ready to learn
recent years, turfgrass and landscape managers have faced a confounding paradox: while they have worked tirelessly to improve their products and practices in pursuit of a healthy environment and budget conscious operations that produce a beautiful end product, they’ve experienced mounting pressure from environmental activists and regulatory agencies. Newly imposed (and ever-changing) regulations on products, equipment and practices have necessitated a tremendous amount of ingenuity and advocacy on the part of all segments of the turfgrass industry.
From golf course superintendents to lawn care operators, everyone has experienced the pressure to do more with less, even amid a challenging labor shortage. Organizations like VTC have fought to preserve their ability to work within the law while educating policymakers and environmental groups about the many environmental benefits of properly selected and maintained turfgrass and landscapes, and the conscientiousness of turf and landscape professionals who make up the industry.
In the last two years, VTC has created and launched the VTC Environmental Institute with the specific purpose of communicating the value of the industry in promoting and advancing a healthy and thriving environment. Two primary drivers of this effort have been service projects and the Come to the Bay conference.
VTC Executive Director Dr. Tom Tracy says, “This year’s event was a tremendous success in establishing working relationships with well-connected environmental groups. Several representatives of those groups said they look forward to working together on projects. Remember, these are persons frequently cited by politicians, regulators, and media outlets as the go-to sources of expertise on potential environmental regulations. It is very clear that we, the industry, are taking a leadership role on environmental issues.”
The VTC Board of Directors has very thoughtfully planned opportunities for turfgrass and landscape managers to promote our industry’s efforts to protect and improve the delicate natural resources of Virginia’s watersheds and beaches. Individuals representing VTC have been forging relationships with leaders from respected environmental groups such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Elizabeth River Project, and the James River Association to plan service projects and opportunities for our organizations to come together for this cause.
VTC-EI’s efforts will include not only hands-on service projects for turf and landscape professionals, but also a corporate sponsorship element. Many larger corporations call Virginia home, and they have proven their dedication to environmental causes through sponsorships of just these types of efforts. VTCEI is now launching their partnership program to offer those corporations an opportunity to support this cross-industry effort to identify possible needs and projects, and then to fund and staff them. It is proven that Virginians of all stripes love to contribute to a great cause, and we know that our service projects will be no exception. VTC-EI is on the leading edge of planning and promoting these opportunities.
The essential element of success is our collaboration with environmental groups, especially those who previously felt that the turf industry’s work was at odds with their own. For those groups, it has taken years of relationship building and education to understand that we are all on the same team. VTC leadership has taken that role seriously and has fought to educate and demonstrate that turfgrass and landscape professionals are the original environmental stewards.
It will take an intentional and concerted effort on the part of the VTC membership to bring these efforts to fruition. When thinking about how you as an organization or an individual can contribute to this new dimension of promoting and protecting our industry, please consider ways you can build and grow not only the industry, but your own business.
The better represented we are as a group, the more influence we have in policymaking, and we all know that we need more people to understand the work that we do and the pains we take to be conscientious of protecting the environment. We must communicate that we are all on the same side.
Here are some ways you can get involved:
SPONSORSHIP. Sponsor / host a project or contribute to a larger initiative through EI VOLUNTEER. Beach grass / pollinator seeds; other? ADVOCATE. Join our group of legislative advocacy PLAN. Know a service project? Let us know EVENTS. Attend / sponsor / display at Come to the Bay (2023 date) PROMOTE. Enviromental groups and corporations you work with
VTC members and all turfgrass professionals have a stake in this effort. Our industry’s reputation as environmental stewards is important in numerous ways: policy, labor, environmental protection, partnerships, and so many more. We need a united front to support all the needs of our membership and we hope you’ll be on board to plant these seeds and see our industry grow!
By Dr. J. Kevin Mathias Retired Turfgrass Instructor and Advisor University of Maryland Institute of Applied Agriculture
In2021 unprecedented damage from the fall armyworm occurred in numerous areas of the U.S. including locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Many turfgrass managers struggled with the severity and the speed with which the damage occurred to their facilities or their clients’ lawns. The goal of this article is to provide information about the fall armyworm and what we might expect in 2022.
1: The photo is of 6th instar fall armyworm caterpillars illustrating the inverted “Y” mark on the head, 4 dots in a rectangular shape on the last abdominal segment, dark bands on both sides of the body, and 4 dots arranged in a trapeze formation on each abdominal segment.
2: Photo taken on Monday August 30th of a 24-acre sod field severely damaged by fall armyworms.
PHOTO 3: Photo of damage to the 24-acre field and a portion of the field, about 1.5 acres that was not damaged. One can also see some circular patches caused by brown patch in the resistant turf to fall armyworm.
I have been involved in consulting work with a new sod producer in central Virginia over the past two years. I visited his facility on August 17, 2021 to inspect his fields and to discuss weed control options for the coming fall and spring months. During this visit, the tall fescue-Kentucky bluegrass fields were in good condition and showed no damage from any type of pest. However, I received a panicked phone call on Sunday, August 22 to ask if I could come by on Monday to take a look at a field that was turning brown.
During my inspection, there were large areas in one of the production fields that had severe brown patch damage. As I was showing the classic brown patch lesion to the owner, we also started to find small (1st to 3rd instar larvae) and very active caterpillars that were present in other areas of the field. I had never seen the fall armyworm caterpillar during my 38 years as an entomologist and instructor at UMD and I was at first taken aback as to what type of caterpillar we were looking at. I knew it was not a cutworm or sod webworm caterpillar and through a process of elimination came up with an armyworm. Since the caterpillars were quite small, I was not able to identify it as the fall armyworm until I had an older specimen that had the classic markings of fall armyworms.
Because of the number of fall armyworms that we were finding, well over 12 per square foot, and the previous damage from brown patch, I recommended that he treat immediately for the fall armyworm to prevent any future damage from this insect and provide time for the field to recover from brown patch. The sod grower started to treat his fields on Monday afternoon with bifenthrin and was not able to get all of his fields treated due to equipment limitations on Wednesday, August 25. It was not until Thursday, August 26th that he was able to continue to treat his remaining fields. On Thursday afternoon he started to see damage to the edges of a 24-acre field, and by Friday morning the field was completely defoliated.
Damage was first observed on Friday, August 27th. Complete defoliation of this field occurred in less than a 24-hour time period.
I returned on Monday, August 30th to assess the severity of damage caused by the fall armyworm. I have never seen this level of insect damage and was stunned to view the carnage. At an estimated value of $10,000 to $12,000 dollars per acre and a 24-acre field, the sod producer was looking at roughly a quarter million-dollar loss.
Close inspection of the field did show new shoot growth emerging, however it was not consistent throughout the field. My recommendation was to apply a .5 pound of soluble nitrogen per 1,000 ft2 and allow two weeks to see if any reseeding may be required.
During this site visit the owner also showed me a section of this field that was not damaged nor treated and was seeded a year earlier with a different seeding mix of tall fescues and Kentucky bluegrass. The line effect between resistant and susceptible turf to fall armyworm feeding was stunning and begged the question of what was causing the difference. Was it a cultivar difference, age of crop, or an endophyte difference?
I returned to the field on September 23rd to see how much recovery occurred over the previous three weeks. There was considerable turfgrass loss in certain areas of the field, +90% loss, while other areas of the field may have had 30 – 40% loss. The fields were overseeded on September 17. The amount of loss was surprising for an insect that is a leaf defoliator and I had expected to see a greater survival of the turfgrass stand. It is possible that severe defoliation may have exposed the crown to environmental stress and subsequent severe turfgrass loss. The overseeding operation was critical in restoring the harvestability of the sod crop for the Spring 2022 season.
4: Photo taken September 23rd showing a section of the field where there was 90% or more of turfgrass loss.
PHOTO 5: Photo of sod field taken on November 25th shows the quality of sod crop with overseeding and an area of the field which was missed during the overseeding operation. Without the overseeding the sod crop would not have been a harvestable crop in the Spring of 2022.
The fall armyworm is considered a tropical insect unable to survive winter conditions (temperatures that drop below 32 F) in most of the continental U.S. except for areas in southern Texas and in southern Florida. During the spring and summer months the moths begin to fly north into the southern states such as northern Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and northern Texas. In these areas the fall armyworm may undergo 3 to 5 generations and can cause significant damage not only to sod crops but to corn, sorghum, and other field crops. As summer progresses the moths continue to move northwards east of the Rockies and into the mid-West from overwintering sites in south Texas. Fall armyworm moths coming from south Florida travel north and east of the Appalachian Mountains through South and North Carolina and into the Mid-Atlantic area of the country. There is overlapping of both the Texas and the Florida overwintering sites as they fly north as we move into mid to late August and September time periods. The distance the moths can fly is dependent on tropical storm fronts moving in a south to north direction.
The fall armyworm undergoes complete metamorphosis: as a pupa, its overwintering stage, to the adult stage (sexual dimorphism), then as eggs, and finally the destructive caterpillar stage which consists of six instars. Most of the feeding damage is done by the larger caterpillars (5th and 6th instars). During the summer months the fall armyworm can complete its life cycle in 30 days while in the spring and fall months it may take 60 days. Researchers have also identified two strains of the fall armyworm which look identical but have slightly different preferred hosts, susceptibility to certain insecticides, and timing of their northward migration. The two strains are known as the “corn strain” and the “rice strain”; the rice strain prefers to feed on rice, pasture grasses, and turfgrasses while the corn strain prefers to feed on larger grasses such as corn and sorghum.
Why did we see so much damage by the fall armyworm in 2021?
A number of entomologists have speculated that a perfect storm existed for the movement of large populations of the fall armyworm
from southern states up into areas that normally never see fall armyworm activity or damage. Based on blog and scouting reports by ag specialists and entomologists, large populations and multiple generations of fall armyworms were being reported in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida by late May-June. Environmental conditions during this time period were ideal for this expanding fall armyworm population and severe damage was being seen at this time in southern states. For perspective, the last time this level of armyworm movement and destruction occurred was some 50 years ago in the mid-1970’s. With expanding populations of the fall armyworm developing in the southern states all that was needed was a way to move the migrating moths northward. Several major storm systems coincided at the ideal time to move overwhelming populations further north. On average, moths can fly up to 60 miles within a 24- hour period. However if they can catch a major storm front they can easily increase their movement into the hundreds of miles.
Odds are that the level of damage we experienced in 2021 will not occur in 2022. However, there are a few things to consider in planning for the 2022 season. In the southern states there is a network of pheromone trapping data for the fall armyworm that can be found online. This type of data can be used as an early warning system to determine if control actions may be needed. An example of the type of information one can acquire is shown in the following photo.
Also, the preferred hosts for fall armyworms are bermudagrass, tall fescue without endophyte, and creeping bentgrass. Since bermudagrass has extensive rhizome and stolon growth it can recover from defoliation damage by the fall armyworm. Tall fescue and creeping bentgrass turf will require closer monitoring since they appear to be more susceptible. Zoysiagrass, fine fescues, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass show more resistance to the fall armyworm.
There are a number of insecticides that can be applied for control of the fall armyworm. Since the fall armyworm can cause severe damage within a 24- hour time period vigilant monitoring and quick action will be needed to reduce turfgrass damage. Application of contact-type insecticides will perform best when applied early in the day or later in the afternoon based on fall armyworm feeding activity. The following table lists the products that are labeled for fall armyworm. Be sure to read and review the label of these insecticides before application.
What explanation is there for the difference observed in the sod field?
Based on plant age there have been observations that seedling turf is more prone to damage by the fall armyworm. However, a one-year-old crop is not considered a seedling plant.
The tall fescue cultivars of Montana, Tonto, and Toltec which showed minimal turfgrass loss were not in the 2012 NTEP study nor on the current MD-VA Turfgrass Cultivar Recommendation List. Thus, it is difficult to trace any field performance data on these tall fescue cultivars and whether these cultivars have the tall fescue endophyte. The cultivars in the heavily damaged field did have the endophyte present in them based on data from the 2012 NTEP report. The cultivars and the percent endophyte infection are as follows: Titanium (85%), Raptor III (97%), and 4th Millennium (100%). Also, these cultivars are on the MD-VA Turfgrass Cultivar Recommended List. However, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing in 2021 of live field samples showed no or minimal presence of the tall fescue endophyte. The viability of these grass fungal endophytes is dependent on a number of environmental conditions ranging from field conditions during seed production to seed storage conditions. It appears that these tall fescue cultivars lost the viability of the endophyte and ultimately resistance to the fall armyworm.
TABLE 1: RECOMMENDED INSECTICIDES FOR CONTROL OF FALL
Dipel, Javelin, others Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Biological
Conserve, Matchpoint Spinosad A and D Biological
Talstar, Scimitar, Tempo, Deltagard and Others bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, b-cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, and others
Acelepryn, Ferrence and Tetrino
Effective on young caterpillars, Insects must ingest it; rain and sunlight will degrade it; conserves beneficials
Higher rates required for larger larva; conserves beneficials
Pyrethroids
chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole and tetraniliprole
Diamides
Nicotinoid + Pyrethroid
Fast acting, inexpensive, broad- spectrum insecticides. Will reduce beneficials
This is one of the newest insecticide families and will provide extended control of more than a month. Acelepryn has shown up to 4 months residual control
Broad spectrum and fast acting. Will also reduce beneficials
Excellent activity on Lepidopteran caterpillars; minimal impact on beneficial insects
The nicotinoid component of this combination will provide white grub control and the pyrethroid component will give control of surface feeding insects. Will reduce beneficials.
The role of fungal endophytes in plant resistance to leaf feeding insects has been reported in the literature. There are several different techniques that can be used to determine the presence of fungal endophytes from staining techniques to PCR testing. Initially a staining technique, rose-bengal stain, did not provide conclusive evidence of endophyte presence.
A total of four samples, two from the damaged field (-1 and -2) and two from the undamaged field (+3 and +5) were submitted in early November, 2021 to Dr. Hannah Rivedal at the USDA Ag Research Service in Corvallis, Oregon for PCR testing. Each of the samples submitted contained multiple shoot systems that were randomly selected within each field area. Dr. Rivedal then collected 5 tiller samples from each of the four samples and performed nucleic extraction on these samples for PCR testing. The PCR test was designed to determine the presence of several mycotoxins related to fungal endophytes and the table below shows Dr. Rivedal results.
The fields that were not damaged, samples (+3 and+ 5) had the endophyte while sample -2 which was the field area heavily damaged had no endophyte. Sample -1 had only Loline present suggesting a lack of sufficient mycotoxin production to reduce armyworm feeding damage. At the time of this writing, results for the other two mycotoxins, ergot alkaloids and the indole diterpenes has not been reported.
These results strongly implicate the tall fescue endophyte for imparting host plant resistance to the fall armyworm. This further supports the development of tall fescue cultivars with the fungal endophyte to reduce insecticide applications for not only fall armyworm but other leaf feeding insects. However, there needs to be a recommended methodology to ensure the viability of the endophyte from initial cultivar development to field applications. Endophyteenhanced resistance is a major cornerstone in Turfgrass IPM programs and should play an even larger role in pest management programs when municipalities impose restrictions on traditional based insecticides.
By Xunzhong Zhang, Ph.D. and Mike Goatley, Ph.D. School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Nitrogen (N) assimilation is one of the most important metabolic processes of higher plants. Nitrogen is the mineral nutrient required by grass plants in the largest amounts (3-5% dry leaf tissues). Nitrogen fertilization is one of the most important
cultural practices in turfgrass management. Nitrogen nutrition is closely associated turfgrass quality, color, growth, and tolerance to abiotic stress. Nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) are the common forms of N available for plants. Plants require substantial metabolic energy for uptake of inorganic N from environments and assimilation into organic N. Nitrate, the most commonly available form of N for grasses, has to be reduced to nitrite (NO2-) and then ammonium which is incorporated into amino acid biosynthesis. Amino acids are not only building blocks of proteins and enzymes, but also involved in transporting of N between roots, leaves, and fruits, etc. and are precursors in the synthesis of chlorophyll and many other N-containing compounds. Amino acids also serve as the carbon and N source for the production of most ‘secondary’, or ‘natural’ products. Amino acids are also associated with antioxidant and hormone metabolism and play an important role in plant tolerance to abiotic stresses (Rai, 2002). In nitrogen metabolism, glutamate is the amino acid that receives ammonium to form glutamine. Glutamate and glutamine are considered the initial amino acid products in overall amino acid biosynthesis. Amino acids play an important role in turfgrass growth and physiological fitness. For example, glutamate is a precursor of chlorophyll and associated with photosynthesis. Glutamine level is regulated in response to photosynthetic activity. Amino acid tryptophan serves as a primary precursor of the hormone auxin (indole-3- acetic acid, IAA) which is closely related to root initiation.
The energy required during nitrate reduction and amino acid biosynthesis is provided through photosynthesis and respiration. As photosynthesis declines and carbohydrates for respiration reduces under abiotic stress, the available energy for N metabolism becomes limiting, which may lead to the reduction of formation of endogenous amino acids. Exogenously applying certain amino acids will improve N metabolism and turfgrass performance, especially under abiotic stress environments and/ or N deficiency. Exogenous amino acids can be readily absorbed and translocated by plant tissues (Joy and Antcliff, 1966; Makela et al., 1996). In a recent study with creeping bentgrass, they used both 15N-labeled and 15N, 13C double-labeled L-glutamate applied exogenously to creeping bentgrass foliage, and measured the uptake of glutamate and its integration into γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-proline, two amino acids with known roles in plant stress adaptation. The results demonstrate that glutamate is rapidly absorbed into creeping bentgrass foliage and that it is utilized to produce GABA and proline which are closely associated with plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. Glutamate is predominantly taken up intact (McCoy et al., 2020). Once absorbed, the exogenous amino acids have the capacity to function as compatible osmolytes, regulate ion transport, serve as signaling molecules, and modulate stomatal opening among other benefits. In addition, exogenous amino acids may improve soil microbial activity and chelate micronutrients once they entered the soil environments.
FIGURE 1: The responses of leaf color (1-9 scale, 9 = dark green) (A), leaf chlorophyll content (B), and root biomass (C) of creeping bentgrass to foliar applications of amino acid-containing protein hydrolysate products (vegetable protein hydrolysate, VProH at 0.92 fl oz/1000 ft 2 biweekly), protein hydrolysate (ProH, at 1.1 fl oz/1000 ft 2 biweekly) and VProH plus ProH at the same rates. Leaf color and chlorophyll content were the averaged across five sampling dates during 56-day trial and root biomass was determined at the end of trial. Bars marked with same letters are not significantly different at p=0.05.
Foliar application of amino acid may improve plant N metabolism and turfgrass quality. It has been documented that exogenous application of amino acids can increase endogenous amino acids in plant leaves (Carbonera et al., 1989; Vidmar et al., 2000). Zhang et al. (2013) reported that exogenously applying an amino acid-based biostimulant GreenNcrease enhanced improved turf quality and chlorophyll content when compared to ammonium sulfate. It also increased shoot density, leaf soluble protein content and antioxidant superoxide dismutase activity relative to the control and ammonium sulfate under drought stress conditions. In a study with barley, exogenous application of glutamine, glutamate, asparagine, or aspartic acid increased root concentrations of the applied amino acids and those of other amines and amides. Application of glutamine also increased nitrate concentration of plant roots (Vidmar et al., 2000). Application of tryptophan increased concentrations of the amino acids proline, lysine, histidine, alanine, and leucine in carrot cells (Carbonera et al., 1989). Zhang et al. (2018) at Virginia Tech examined effects of exogenous amino acid-containing protein hydrolysate products of Harrell’s sources on creeping bentgrass quality and stress tolerance, and applied the two products (vegetable protein hydrolysate, VProH, at 0.92 fl oz/1000 ft2 biweekly and protein hydrolysate, ProH, at 1.1 fl oz/1000 ft2 biweekly and the combination of the two products for 4 applications, and the grass was subjected to heat and drought stress conditions after initial application. The results showed that the two products, applied alone or in combination, exhibited beneficial effects on leaf color, chlorophyll content, and root growth in creeping bentgrass under heat and drought stress conditions (Fig. 1). The results of this study suggest that exogenous amino acid may improve turfgrass N metabolism and leaf chlorophyll biosynthesis. The grass with better N metabolism may have greater photosynthesis and carbohydrate production which benefits root growth and tolerance to abiotic stresses. In addition, tryptophan in the products may increase endogenous production of auxin which benefits root initiation and growth. Meretz et al. (2019) reported application of a tryptophan-containing product or tryptophan plus urea at 24.5 kg N ha−1 every two weeks may improve leaf and root auxin content, root biomass, and subsequent creeping bentgrass quality relative to applications of urea only. Zhang et al. (2009) showed that application of a tryptophan-dosed organic fertilizer enhanced endogenous levels of IAA and cytokinins, increased leaf antioxidant enzyme activity, and improved root growth in tall fescue under drought stress conditions. Therefore, the research has provided evidences showing exogenous amino acids can be readily absorbed and translocated by plant tissues and play an important role in improving turfgrass quality, growth, and physiological fitness, especially under abiotic stress.
We like to thank Harrell’s for the support of this work.
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