Scouting and Diagnosis

Question 1

When scouting, what does the system of regular inspections include?

Answer 1

• Observe overall turf quality
• Allows early detection of problems
• Quantify damage levels
• Collect and evaluate environmental data
• Evaluate treatment effects

Question 2

What is the Scouting Program?

Answer 2

• A system of regular inspections
• Builds historical records
• Helps in planning and prioritizing

Question 3

What is the Key Plant Key Pest Concept?

Answer 3

Main problems for the most important plants

Question 4

Include all biological information……about what?

Answer 4

• Plants
• Disease or Insect

Question 5

What are the Scouting Priorities?

Answer 5

• Focus on Key Plant - Key Pest profiles
• Follow historic records
• Consider current environmental conditions
• follow a regular schedule

Question 6

There are two types of data….what are they and describe them.

Answer 6

• Qualitative - Yes or No
• Quantitative - How much or How Many

Question 7

Visual Inspection

Answer 7

• “Hands and Knees” method
• Closely examine plants with a hand lens

Question 8

Take a Picture

Answer 8

Use a Digital Camera

Cell Phone camera

Helps build historical records

Can send to diagnostician with plug

Question 9

Tug Test

Answer 9

• primarily for insect diagnosis
• Pull on turf and see what happens

Question 10

When doing a tug test, you tug and nothing happens…you may have:

Answer 10

Chinch Bugs or Foliar Disease

Question 11

When doing a Tug test, you tug and there is nothing to pull, you may have:

Answer 11

Root or Crown Disease

Cutworm or Armyworm

Question 12

When doind a tug test, you tug and it breaks off at the crown, you may have:

Answer 12

Billbug

ABW

Anthracnose

Question 13

When doing the Tug test, you tug and pull the sod up like a rug, you may have:

Answer 13

white grubs

Question 14

Soil Sampling

Answer 14

• Used for Disease and Insect diagnosis
  
  • Cup Cutter Plug
  • One inch soil cores

Question 15

What is the measurment of a cup when cut out of the turf?

Answer 15

1/10th of a square foot

Question 16

What are the different ways to sample a plug?

Answer 16

• Incubate the plug for disease
• Break apart and count beetle larvae
• Float it in water for chinch bugs

Question 17

When sampling your soil and detecting insects, what are some ways to have a systematic approach to controling them?

Answer 17

• Use a grid and determine qualitative and quantitatve date for each square
• Map the Populations & Record them

Question 18

What are 1” soil cores used for?

Answer 18

• for Soil testing…
• when sending to a lab take at least 25 cores from healthy areas

Question 19

Flotation

Answer 19

• used for insect diagnosis
• drop cup cutter plug into bucket of water
  
  • or Tin Can method
• wait for insects to float
• count them and record information

Question 20

Incubation

Answer 20

• used for disease diagnosis
• Put plug in moist chamber
• look for fuzz

Question 21

Disease Detection Kits

Answer 21

• For Disease diagnosis
• they come in different formats for different diseases

Question 22

Sweep Net

Answer 22

• for insect pest diagnosis
• better for Ornamentals than Turf
• Inverted Leaf Blower can be used to vaccum insects for diagnosis too

Question 23

Clipping Basket

Answer 23

• Insect and Disease Diagnosis
• examine clippings for fungal signs
  
  • sclerotia, leaf lesions ets.
• float clippings for insects

Question 24

Disclosing Solution

Answer 24

• used for insect diagnosis
• 2 gal. water with 1 oz liquid dish soap (lemon scent)
• Best on short cut grass and warm, moist soil
• Pour Solution on turf, it penetrates soil and causes insects to go to surface

Question 25

How can you use disclosing solution to be effective?

Answer 25

* Use a ratings grid to determine your Quantifiable Data * avg # of insects per sq. foot

Question 26

Ratings Grid

Answer 26

* Make with PVC and string - 1 sq. yard * Used to QUANTIFY data * used with disclosing solution

Question 27

Use a Weather Station

Answer 27

* Air Temp * Soil Temp * ET rate * Soil Moisture * Rainfall * Relative Humidity

Question 28

Sil Moisture Meters

Answer 28

* Tests soil moisture for irrigation needs * every site is different

Question 29

Degree Day Models

Answer 29

* Used for insect and weed diagnosis * Uses Heat Units to predict activity

Question 30

How can you create your own GDD model?

Answer 30

**Base of 50 for insects** **Base of 32 for seedheads/crabgrass** * Start March 1st * average daily temp * subtract Base from avg. daily temp * This will give you your GDD # for that day

Question 31

Disease Predictive Models What are they used for and give an example of one

Answer 31

* for disease diagnosis * *Rhizoctonia solani* * Warm Nights * Soil temp \> 61 deg. * Air Temp \>59 deg. * Extended Leaf Wetness * 95% RH for \> 10 hours * 0.1" rain or irrigation in preceding 36 hours

Question 32

Plant Phenology What is it and give an example

Answer 32

* Flowering trees or shrubs can help predict insect activity * Peak adult emergence of chinch bugs is complete when Sumac is in full bloom

Question 33

Insect traps Name 3

Answer 33

* Pitfall * Blacklight * Pheromone

Question 34

How would you set up/use a pitfall trap?

Answer 34

* remove soil core in an out of the way area * place a 16oz cup in the hole * Catch insects and see what you got and how many

Question 35

Pheromone Trap What is the limitation of this trap?

Answer 35

* Limitation is that it's only going to attract the insect that gives off that pheromone

Question 36

What do Black Light Traps do?

Answer 36

* Attracts night flying isects * continuous monitoring can identify ***peak adult flight***

Question 37

For night flying insects, what would be the best scouting technique to use and how can you use it to be the most effective?

Answer 37

Black Light Traps By using this and continuously monitoring, you can determine peak adult flights for insects to tell you when the most effective time to treat will be

Question 38

Websites and Newsletters give a few examples.

Answer 38

* www.turf.rutgers.edu * www.gddtracker.net

Question 39

What is Scouting Technique # 15?

Answer 39

* Use Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab

Question 40

What is a Scouting Program?

Answer 40

A system of regular inspections that builds hitorical records over time that help with planning and prioritizing.