Fairways make up the greatest number of managed acres on a golf course, and are among the costliest turf areas to maintain. With increasing golfer demand for fairways, superintendents face tough choices on how to allocate their budget and resources. Our Envu Green Solutions Team recommends starting well ahead of visual symptoms for the upper hand over even the most problematic pests.
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) remains the most problematic weed on warm-season turf as it continues to adapt to changing climates as well as increasing its herbicide resistance. Mostly gone are the days of a single, high-rate September application of a preemergence herbicide. Though Specticle®FLO herbicide is still the leader in length and efficacy for Poa control, Envu recommendations now include multiple lower-rate applications of Specticle with or without other pre- or postemergence herbicides to maximize control, resistance management and overall turf safety.
Annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) continues to spread west to Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Chicago area courses, in particular, are likely seeing the largest increase in infestation incidence and intensity. This weevil is one of the toughest pests to control thanks to insecticide resistance as well as its propensity for spawning multiple generations per year with overlapping, asynchronous life cycles. Successful ABW control programs include multiple applications of differing active ingredients to target multiple stages of their life cycle while also fighting resistance. Our team at Envu sees great success with timing the application of the insect growth regulator novaluron during the overwintering adulticide, followed by Tetrino® insecticide at traditional larvicide intervals.
White grubs have made their way as far as the Rockies and the West Coast, including the Pacific Northwest. Coastal areas, where soil doesn’t freeze, can be especially problematic. In these climates, larvae stay near the soil surface into late fall and winter and are accessible to foraging animals. The Envu solution for white grubs is now Durentis™ insecticide with the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole. This insecticide has a satisfaction guarantee* for season-long control, and also controls caterpillars like fall armyworm.
Envu is honored to support the following fairway report based on a survey administered by Golf Course Industry. Download our free Fairway Protection Playbook at us.envu.com/fairways for helpful tips and tricks for preventative applications. If you have questions regarding any aspect of turf management, our six technical specialists on the Green Solutions Team and our nationwide team of area sales managers are just a phone call, email or text message away.
Let us know if we can help!
The Green Solutions Team, Envu
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