Page 25 - GreenMaster Fall 2023

pest
for turf
Drill and fill: Drill and fill is a method to increase infiltration of a root zone that does not drain well. The process drills holes 20–30 cm deep with a diameter of 1.8–2.4 cm approximately 19 cm apart, removes the existing soil, and back-fills the hole with new sand. The surface disruption is minimal due to the spacing of the drills, but some thatch is removed, and the increased water infiltration will allow better drainage that will further reduce thatch.
DISEASES (NEW SECTIONS ADDED) Viruses
Viruses are the smallest pathogens, and they cannot be detected under a microscope. Plant viruses cause a wide variety of symptoms on the plants they infect. Viruses are able to spread within susceptible plants through the vascular system, often resulting in mosaic patterns that follow leaf veins. Infected plants might exhibit ringlike lesions, bumpy or necrotic patches, or stunting. Viral pathogens are spread by mechanical means, which transfer sap containing the virus from infected plants to new hosts.
The only documented diseases of turfgrass in North America are mosaic disease of St. Augustine grass, caused by Sugarcane Mosaic Virus (SCMV) and St. Augustine grass decline caused by Panicum Mosaic Virus. These have not yet been documented in Canada.
Bacterial wilt symptoms.
Plant parasitic nematodes
Nematodes are worm-like animals that thrive in aquatic environments and are present in high numbers in soils. They move in the water between the soil particles and the species that feed on turfgrass plants feed primarily on roots. When they encounter a turfgrass root, they insert a needle-like mouthpart, called a stylet, into the root tissue and siphon out nutrients from the plant.
Some species of PPN feed exclusively outside of the root (ectoparasites) while others can enter the root tissue and feeding from inside the plant (endoparasites). Both can be very damaging, although
the endoparasitic species tend to cause more damage by blocking the vascular system of the plant.
These nematodes are microscopic, so a hand lens or microscope is required to see them. They spend most of their life cycle in the top 10 cm of the rootzone, where the majority of the turfgrass’s root system is found. Most PPN will only cause visible damage to the turfgrass plant when the turf is under stress, unless the nematodes are present in very high numbers. However, their feeding can weaken the plants and predispose the turf to drought damage and diseases.
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