Pesticide Use On Turfgrass in Ohio 2001

Results and Discussion

An analysis of the four most common do-it-yourself granular maintenance programs showed that the bulk of the product applied is fertilizer. Two or three products in each program are combinations of fertilizer plus pesticides, most of which are herbicides. Two herbicides are used in all four programs - 2,4-D applied at rates of 0.8 to 1.5 lbs A.I. per acre and mecoprop (mecoprop-P or MCPP) applied at rates of 0.4 to 0.8 lbs A.I. per acre (Table 2).

The herbicide pendimethalin, applied at a rate of 1.5 lbs A.I. per acre, is used in three of the programs, although one program includes dithiopyr at a rate of 0.25 lbs A.I. per acre as an alternative to pendimethalin. The herbicide dicamba (0.04 to 0.06 lb A.I. per acre) and the insecticide bifenthrin (0.1 lb A.I. per acre) are each used in two programs. Dichlorprop (2,4-DP) (0.42 lb A.I. per acre), an herbicide, and diazinon (4.36 lbs A.I. per acre), an insecticide, as well as the dithiopyr mentioned previously are each used in one program.

If a do-it-yourselfer followed the entire recommended program, then the total pounds of A.I. applied per acre would range from 1.9 to 5.6 lbs, with an average of 4.0 lbs. Of the total pounds of pesticide A.I. applied per acre for the four programs reviewed, approximately 70% is herbicide and 30% is insecticide.

Each of the programs also markets alternative and/or additional products that can be substituted for a recommended product, or added onto the program (Table 3). Some of these products targeted a specific pest, such as white grubs, that are not covered by the base program. For example, one program did not include a pre-emergent annual weed grass control product, but two crabgrass control products were available, fertilizer plus dithiopyr and dithiopyr alone, both with labels very similar in appearance to the base program products.

Table 3. Additional and Alternative Turfgrass Management Products Available Through Retail Outlets That Are Marketed for Incorporation into Season-Long Programs.
Pesticide products are listed by program and approximate time of year for application, and include general product composition, active ingredients (A.I.), and application rates when available.
Time of Application	Product Type(s)*	Pesticide Active Ingredient	Application Rate (Lb(s) A.I./A)
Program 1
Early Spring	F,H or H	Dithiopyr or Dithiopyr	0.25 0.25
Late Fall	F,H	2,4-D Mecoprop-P Dicamba	0.77 0.38 0.04
Program 3
Fall	F,H	2,4-D MCPP Dichlorprop(2,4-DP)	0.8 0.42 0.42
Program 4
Fall	F,H	2,4-D Mecoprop-P	1.5 0.76
White Grub Control Products
Spring or Fall	I	Dylox(Trichlorfon)	8.1
Late Spring through Mid-Summer	I	Halofenozide	1.5
Late Spring through Mid-Summer	I	Imidachloprid	0.26
Late Spring through Mid-Summer	F,I	Imidachloprid	0.33
* F = Fertilizer; H = Herbicide; I = Insecticide. Products with pairs of letters are combination products.

Also available at most retail stores were three different white grub control products containing the pesticide dylox (trichlorfon), halofenozide, or imidacloprid (Table 3). Three programs had an alternative choice which contained broadleaf herbicides for their "winterizer" fertilizer product.

From an IPM perspective, it is good that these products are offered as alternatives and add-ons rather than being a standard part of all programs. It gives the do-it-yourself turfgrass manager the option to apply these products only when and where they are needed.

However, the availability of the extra products also may encourage the do-it-yourselfer to use greater quantities of pesticides than necessary. As an example, a person using the standard products of Program 4 (Table 2) on one acre of turfgrass would apply a total of 3.86 lbs of pesticide (1.5 lbs pendimethalin for crabgrass in early spring, 1.5 lbs 2,4-D and 0.76 lb mecoprop-P for broadleaf weeds in early summer, and 0.1 lb bifenthrin for surface-feeding insects in summer).

By adding a white grub control product (1.5 lbs halofenozide) in late spring through mid-summer, and substituting the alternative "winterizer" weed and feed product in the fall (1.5 lbs 2,4-D and 0.76 lb mecoprop-P for broadleaf weed control) (Table 3), the amount of pesticide A.I./acre would rise to 7.62 lbs, nearly twice the amount from the unaltered Program 4. Depending on the program and products chosen, the total pounds of pesticide A.I. used could be as high as 15.1 lbs per acre.

Of the 1,290 initial surveys sent to turfgrass pesticide applicators, 36.8% went to more than one individual within a single company. Thus, there were a maximum number of 815 possible surveys that could be returned with unduplicated data from different individuals and/or companies.

A total of 259 surveys were returned which represents 20.1% of the original quantity of surveys distributed. Seventeen surveys were duplicates from the same company and were eliminated from any further consideration or inclusion in the data set.

Based on the responses to several of the questions on the survey, the respondents mostly represent small- to medium-sized, independent lawn-care companies in Ohio.

Table 4 shows the classification of the returned surveys based on type of response. Seventy survey respondents (27%) indicated they applied no pesticides to turfgrass in 2001, even though they maintained a current license to do so. Some reasons for this practice obtained through telephone communications with the respondents included:

Table 4. Numbers of Surveys Distributed and Returned from the Sampled Areas, Classification of Surveys Based on Type of Response, and Percentages of Returned Surveys With Usable Pesticide-Use Data in the 2001 Ohio Turfgrass Pesticide Usage Survey.
Survey Area	Surveys
	Distributed	Returned		Yes; Applied Pesticides in 2001				No; Did Not Apply Pesticides in 2001
				Provided Pesticides Use Data		Did Not Provide Pesticide Use Data
	Number	Number	Percentage (%)	Number	Percentage (%)	Number	Percentage (%)	Number	Percentage (%)
Southeast	30	9	30.0	6	66.7	0	0	3	33.3
Columbus	434	74	17.1	51	68.9	1	1.4	19	25.7
Dayton/Springfield	226	49	21.7	29	59.2	1	2.0	14	28.6
Cleveland	600	127	21.2	81	63.8	3	2.4	34	26.8
Total	1,290	259	20.1	167	64.5	5	1.9	70	27.0

1. They were structural pest-control operators with concerns about the legalities of applying pesticides to control nuisance pests, such as ants, that may be living in turfgrass.
2. They were pesticide applicators who had left the turfgrass management business but might return and did not want to let their license expire.

There were 167 surveys returned with usable pesticide-use data and five surveys returned with the response of "Yes, pesticides were applied to turfgrass in 2001," but with no pesticide-use data.

The turfgrass managers were asked to identify the types of turfgrass areas to which pesticide applications were made in 2001 from among six choices. The six choices were:

• Golf course
• Residential [home]
• Commercial/business [condominium, apartment building, office building, etc.]
• School turf areas/athletic fields
• Public turf/park areas
• Other.

Most of the respondents indicated that they applied pesticides to residential or commercial/business lawns or a combination of the two types (68.5% and 56%, respectively). The other types of turfgrass areas were treated much less frequently by the respondents (Table 5).

Table 5. Classification of Turfgrass Types Managed, Percentage of Respondents Managing Each Type, Number of Acres, and Percentage of Total Acreage Reported in the 2001 Ohio Turfgrass Pesticide Usage Survey.
Turfgrass Type	Respondents Managing Turfgrass Type (%)	Acres Reported (Number)	Total Acreage (%)
Golf Course	4.2	550	1.8
Residential Lawn	68.5	16,593	53.9
Commercial/Business Lawn	56.0	10,425	33.9
School Turfgrass/Athletic Fields	10.1	777	2.5
Public Turfgrass/Park Areas	6.6	376	1.2
Other	4.2	2,041	6.6

The respondents reported that they treated a total of 30,762 acres of turfgrass. Of this total, 27,018 acres (87.8%) was lawn located around a home or commercial building (Table 5).

A total of 128,504 lbs of pesticide A.I. was applied by the 167 respondents in 2001, including 112,848 lbs of herbicides (87.8%), 10,598 lbs of insecticides (8.3%), 4,796 lbs of fungicides (3.7%), and 263 lbs of soil fumigants and plant growth regulators (0.2%) (Table 6). A mean of 4.2 lbs of pesticides was applied per acre, which was similar to the do-it-yourself programs (4.0 lbs/A).