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June 2012 News

Chemical Programs Can Include Organic and Biological Treatments

Many people are under the common misperception that the use of biologicals necessitates the abandonment of a chemical management program. PHC This is not correct.Biologicals represent new management tools that can be incorporated into an existing fertility program based on chemistry. In other words, you can opt to use the best of both approaches. Good chemistry and good biology can work together, hand in hand. While there are some chemical and biological treatments that are incompatible if mixed in the same tank (like fungicides and mycorrhizal fungi inoculants), both such treatments can be used with care and proper timing. Furthermore, biological treatments can restore some of the natural growth characteristics of turf, and can provide noticeable resistance to various environmental stresses. This leads to a smoother transition between warm and cool season grasses and a reduced reliance on the more expensive fertility and pest management treatments. Of course, you will want to maintain your chemical fertility and pesticide treatments. But your turf will not be completely dependent on these inputs when it has biological partners to support its needs for water, minerals, and stress defense.

Benefits of Biological Treatments

Grasses associate symbiotically with the most common group of mycorrhizal fungi, called “VAM” fungi. These fungi significantly improve water and mineral uptake for their host plants. Additionally, various beneficial soil bacteria colonize the root zone of grasses, where they perform various fertility-enhancing functions. In turf settings under intensive management programs, VAM fungi and beneficial bacteria tend to be scarce. As a result, such turf is quickly undermined by stressful conditions and requires care. A few simple treatments can reverse this trend, changing a wimpy, stress-intolerant turf into a hardy, stress-resistant turf. Such treatments include any or all of the following:

•	Increase the organic content of the soil by adding any of various organic amendments such as an organic-based fertilizer, compost, or by mulching in the clippings.
•	Inoculate with beneficial soil bacteria that can provide a sustainable fertility effect, can stimulate root growth, or can provide disease-resistance.
•	Inoculate the turf with mycorrhizal fungi, to increase its ability to withstand drought, improve mineral nutrient uptake, and achieve better seasonal transitioning between warm and cool season grasses.

Call your sale representative to find out more about our organic and biological programs.

Grub Control Options

Acelepryn Preemergent Grub

Acelepryn® insecticides provide lawn care professionals and golf course superintendents reliable and consistent grub control. Acelepryn® is more than outstanding grub control, it also controls many key surface feeding pests including annual bluegrass weevils, billbugs and caterpillars. Acelepryn® is the only turf product in Group 28, the anthranilic diamides. This is the latest insecticide class recognized by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee). It features a novel mode of action that impacts the insect's muscles.

Imidacloprid Grub Control

Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide which acts as an insect neurotoxin and belongs to a class of chemicals called the neonicotinoids which act on the central nervous system of insects with much lower toxicity to mammals. The chemical works by interfering with the transmission of stimuli in the insect nervous system. Imidacloprid is currently the most widely used insecticide in the world.

Safeguarding Against Drought in the Chicago Area

Annual precipitation data obtained from the Morton Arboretum shows year-to-date (2012, January through April) Sustane Fertilizer precipitation is down 2.88 inches from the 30 year average. This trend suggests turf grass in the Chicago metro area could fall victim to drought stress this summer. A great way to combat stresses on turf grass is the application of organic fertilizer, specifically fertilizer products from Sustane Natural Fertilizer.

The base of all Sustane fertilizers is humus, or stable organic matter. Sustane fertilizers are dense in all nutrients required for plant growth, contain humic substances, have a low salt index, and are rich in diverse forms of microbiology beneficial to both soils and plants. Humic substances have been shown to help build desirable soil structure by promoting the formation of soil aggregates; this will improve the infiltration rates of your managed turf allowing the root zone to more efficiently accept and store water. The salt index of Sustane fertilizers are low (on average 8-9) which allows them to be applied safely to soils with low moisture content without burning turf. Due to the aerobic composting process, Sustane fertilizers provide inoculums for beneficial soil microbes that will guard against plant pathogens, protecting your turf stand naturally. Additionally, the compost base used in all Sustane fertilizers will assist in improving water and nutrient retention.

As all of us in this business know, we cannot predict or control the weather. But we can select and use the appropriate the products when we are 'dealt a poor hand' by nature. Sustane fertilizers will help your turf get through the tough times working as nature intended. For more information on Sustane products and research supporting their use for disease suppression and improving soil conditions, please visit sustane.com.

Jon Sammons, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Sustane Natural Fertilizer, Inc.

Protect your plants with Terra-Sorb when planting during dry hot weather

PHC Terra-Sorb is a super-absorbent, potassium-based co-polymer gel that significantly increases the water-holding capacity of soil. It absorbs up to 200 times its weight in water and slowly releases it to nearby plant roots. Terra-Sorb will repeatedly absorb and release water for several years until it biodegrades. Application Rate: Two to three ounces per one inch caliper tree