Pesticide-use data and adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices are important indicators of how IPM programs are implemented. Much of the pesticide-use data collected in the past has centered on agricultural commodities and the relationship to food and water safety. However, as aggregate and cumulative pesticide exposure data become increasingly more important because of the Food Quality and Protection Act (FQPA), the need for pesticide-use information in urban settings, particularly on turfgrass, has increased.
In Ohio, pesticides are frequently used in turfgrass maintenance programs. Pesticide type, quantity , and pattern of use varies from site-to-site, depending on the needs of the turfgrass owner/manager. Some turfgrass owners/managers choose not to apply any pesticides. Other individuals may choose to select, purchase, and apply pesticides themselves.
Turfgrass pesticides are readily available through numerous retail outlets such as home improvement centers, lawn and garden stores, and department stores. Pesticides are marketed to residential turfgrass owners (i.e., the do-it-yourself homeowner) as stand-alone or as combination products such as weed-and-feed (herbicide and fertilizer) products, with few restrictions on their purchase and use. To assist customers, companies provide guides or programs with recommendations for proper product selection and application timing.
Labelling frequently reflects the order in which the products are recommended to be applied (e.g., Step 1, Step 2, etc.), as well as the time of year (e.g., "Winterizer fertilizer to be applied in late fall to prepare the turfgrass to over winter.").
Some of these products are formulated as liquid concentrates and/or dissolvable granuals applied through hose-end applicators, while others are formulated as granules applied through dry drop or cyclone spreaders. A third option is to contract with a professional turfgrass maintenance company that determines what, when, and where pesticides are needed, and how they are applied.
The primary purpose of this project was to collect pesticide-use information on turfgrass in metropolitian areas in the three different USDA defined agro-ecosystem regions of Ohio — the Eastern Uplands (southeastern Ohio), the Northern Crescent (northern Ohio), and the Heartland (western and central Ohio) regions (USDA ERS 1999) by surveying turfgrass maintenance professionals and evaluating turfgrass pesticides available to the homeowner. Related questions on drift, calibration, and source of pesticide information were also included in the survey.
The information collected from this survey may be useful to Research and Extension personnel in assessing current pesticide use and future needs as well as in determining how turfgrass managers obtain pesticide information.