Management of Turfgrass Pests
Weeds, Diseases, and Insects
2003

Bulletin L-187

Management of Turfgrass Diseases

Questions Worth Asking When Considering the Use of Microbials on Turfgrass

Approach microbial products with a healthy dose of skepticism - not a negative attitude. Use common sense, sound judgement and ask lots of questions.

1. Is the product making pesticidal claims?

   If yes - Is the product EPA registered? This is the law if they are making pesticidal claims. If they are making pesticidal claims and the product is not EPA registered, they are breaking the law. The US EPA Office of Pesticide Programs offers an online list of all products registered or for which Experimental User Permits (EUP's) have been issued. You can access this site at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/reg_act_all.htm

   If no - The product is not considered a pesticide and does NOT require EPA registration. When in doubt, contact your state department of agriculture or EPA representative.

2. What does the product do?

   How does the product work? What does the product actually do? For biological control products this might include asking whether suppression is general (control by many organisms - i.e., competition) or specific (caused by one or a few organisms) or inquiring about the specific mechanism or mode of action - i.e., competition, antibiotic production, hyperparasitism or induced resistance.

3. Was the product tested?

   Who tested the product (ask for names and telephone numbers)? Were the results published in a reputable scientific journal? Were the experiments confirmed by multiple researchers? Preferably tested at a university by known non-biased researchers. Contact a turfgrass pathologist and get their thoughts on the product as well. USE YOUR STATE EXTENSION SPECIALISTS!

4. Are others in the area using the product?

   Don't just take a "yes" for an answer. Ask for references and give them a call to see what they think about the product. USE YOUR LOCAL NETWORK!

5. Will they supply you with enough product for testing under your conditions to substantiate their claims?

   If the product is really new and you don't believe it has been tested enough in the field (based on what you find out in questions one through four above) then don't be shy about asking for a sample to evaluate on your turfgrass. Use COMMON SENSE and take a SOMEWHAT CONSERVATIVE approach when applying the product. For example, avoid making large-scale applications to your high value areas. Test the product out using small-scale applications making certain to include both non-treated and standard treated plots to enable you to fairly assess the efficacy of the new product or approach.