by Garrett Lebo, Professional Golf Management major

In my first blog I talked about the most common golf course disease in North America, Dollar Spot. For my second blog I want to talk about another very common and damaging disease for golf courses, Typhula blight, or commonly referred to as gray snow mold. The disease is commonly found in the Great Lakes region of North America and also anywhere where it snows and is very cold during the winter. Millions of dollars are spent to prevent this disease every year, and can be avoided if the proper precautions are taken.

The snow mold is caused cold tolerant fungi that require a climate where it snows, and areas where the winters are very cold and wet. Once the snow melts in the spring, gray circular patches of mycelium are found. The mycelia then produce reddish brown sclerotia that survive the warm summer months, and can cause thinning of the grass and even death of the host. Disease growth is also favored by thicker grass, and high soil moisture cause by very poor drainage.

Typhula blight, although a very damaging disease, can be managed by fungicide applications but the timing of the fungicides is crucial. The treatment needs be done in the late fall, early winter as close to the first snowfall as possible. If fungicides are not wanted to be used, the disease can also be controlled culturally by planting less susceptible turf grass and cutting grass often to keep grass height down.

*******
This blog post was an assignment for Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

by Max Yellstrom, Professional Golf Management major

OH-IO! Shagbark Seed & Mill, based out of Athens, OH is the latest organic and GMO-free regional distribution company. Unlike corporate companies, they have a mission to build a “field-to-table value chain.” What does this mean us? This ensures fair farm and workers wages combined with economically priced nutritional beans, flour, grains, pasta and chips. Therefore, they pay their employees appropriate wages without abusing labor practices, like so many large businesses do since farm work is not covered by common labor protection laws. Their aim is to make nutritious and locally grown products available to neighborhood and community schools, farmers markets, and restaurants while overseeing the entire process- from the field to the table. With Ohio traditionally known for it’s industrial, agricultural, and close-knit community, Shagbark Seed & Mill’s values and goals mirror everything that the residents represent.

I first encountered Shagbark Seed & Mill Co., when the co-founders made an appearance at Kroger in Columbus. They not only gave out free samples, but they also explained their mission statement as listed above. Even though slightly pricier than the bargain products, the personable and genuine encounter made me think twice about my purchase.

*******
This blog post was an assignment for Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

by Olimpia Ferguson, Entomology major

Recently, a study on bee food preference has come out with startling new information, as reported by Newcastle University scientists in Nature. The tests done showed that when bees are given the option to choose between regular sugar solution and a sugar solution containing a  neonicotinoid pesticide, they tended to choose the neonicotinoid contaminated solution. These bees were also found to eat more of the neonicotinoid solution than normal.

This is troubling news, as these pesticides may be associated with negative impacts on bee colonies, and may be very harmful to the health of bees. These findings suggest that bees will likely chose crops treated with neonicotinoids even though there are alternate food sources. If the findings in this study prove to be consistent, environmental protection groups and other agencies are likely to use this information to push the ban on neonicotinoids. Studies such as these shed new light on the possible reasons for colony collapse disorder.

View Science Daily article:
Are bees hooked on nectar containing pesticides?

*******
This blog post was an assignment for Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.

by Meghan Barnett, Animal Sciences major

Although landscapes are ever-changing, there is a certain importance of protecting and restoring native plant species in their respective environments. The drastic changes of ecosystems, due to multiple factors, can cause harm to the native species of both plants and creatures that live in them.

Historically, Ohio was a diverse, fire-maintained landscape before European settlement that included oak savannas, oak woodlands, and wet prairies. This landscape has changed significantly over time, however.

During the late 1800s, humans changed the landscape and structure of ecosystems through many actions including agricultural clearing, logging, fire suppression, and wet prairie draining.

Continuing into the 1900s, a once fire-dependent ecosystem is now fragmented and consists of fire-intolerant species with greatly declined plant diversity.

Invasive species have taken the opportunity to take over these disturbed areas with their rapid growth rates and further disrupt the ecosystems.

Restoration of these environments is important.

In Ohio, the iconic monarch butterfly populations have dropped 96.5% over the past few decades according to Scientific American.

This dramatic drop has been attributed to a similar decline in milkweed – the only plant consumed by the monarch and the only leaves on which they will lay their eggs.

Milkweed is regularly removed from areas, typically during the summer which coincides with the breeding season of monarchs.

The monarch butterfly is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether or not they deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act.

This is a prime example of the importance of native plant species to the success of the ecosystem as a whole.

You can help by avoiding exotic plants in your own yard, encouraging native plants, such as milkweed, to flourish, and can even get your backyard to be a certified wildlife habitat.

*******
This blog post was an assignment for Societal Issues: Pesticides, Alternatives and the Environment (PLNTPTH 4597). The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the class, Department of Plant Pathology or the instructor.