What are the best ways to prevent turf diseases and pests?

1 Identify and monitor

The first step to prevent turf diseases and pests is to identify and monitor them. You need to know what type of grass you have, what are the common diseases and pests that affect it, and what are the signs and symptoms of infection or infestation. You also need to inspect your turf regularly, especially after weather events, irrigation, mowing, or fertilizing. You can use tools like magnifying glasses, soil probes, or disease kits to help you diagnose the problem and determine the severity.

3 Use resistant varieties

The third step to prevent turf diseases and pests is to use resistant varieties of grass that are adapted to your climate and site conditions. You can choose from different types of warm-season or cool-season grasses that have different characteristics and tolerances. For example, you can use bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, or seashore paspalum for warm-season grasses that are drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant, and wear-resistant. Or you can use bentgrass, ryegrass, or fescue for cool-season grasses that are shade-tolerant, cold-tolerant, and disease-resistant. You can also mix different varieties to create a more diverse and resilient turf.

4 Apply biological controls

The fourth step to prevent turf diseases and pests is to apply biological controls that use natural enemies or beneficial organisms to suppress or reduce the population of the problem. These include predators, parasitoids, pathogens, or nematodes that feed on or infect the disease-causing fungi or the pest insects. For example, you can use ladybugs, lacewings, or predatory mites to control aphids, thrips, or spider mites. Or you can use bacillus thuringiensis (BT), a bacterium that kills caterpillars, to control sod webworms, cutworms, or armyworms. You can also use entomopathogenic nematodes, which are microscopic worms that infect and kill insects, to control grubs, billbugs, or mole crickets.

5 Apply chemical controls

The fifth step to prevent turf diseases and pests is to apply chemical controls that use synthetic or organic pesticides to kill or repel the problem. These include fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, or nematicides that target the specific disease or pest. You need to follow the label instructions carefully and apply the right product, rate, timing, and method. You also need to wear protective equipment and avoid contaminating the environment or harming non-target organisms. You should use chemical controls as a last resort, only when the problem is severe and other methods are ineffective or impractical.

6 Educate and communicate

The sixth and final step to prevent turf diseases and pests is to educate and communicate with your staff, your players, and your stakeholders. You need to train your staff on how to identify, monitor, and manage turf diseases and pests, and how to follow the best practices. You need to inform your players on how to prevent turf damage and respect the course rules, such as repairing divots, replacing ball marks, or avoiding wet areas. You need to communicate with your stakeholders on how you are maintaining your turf and why you are using certain methods or products. You need to build trust and understanding among all the parties involved in your golf course management.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?