ARBORICULTURE
Pathogens such as oak wilt are considered double-whammy pests . In most cases , these pests are highly transferrable to other trees . Photo by John Fech , UNL
instructing all staff members to be on the lookout for tree pests as they go about their traditional duties is best . Having more eyes on a particular set of woody plants can give them the attention that they ’ re due . Regardless of the approach , it ’ s important that it be regular and frequent ( i . e ., several times per week ).
RECORD KEEPING It ’ s sometimes tedious or even trivial to keep good notes about pest populations , but it ’ s crucial when it comes to controlling them from year to year . Knowing that you had a problem in a particular part of campus or near the bleachers by Field B is helpful when it comes to ordering pest-control products for the upcoming year and paying special attention to that area or those trees when scouting .
Record keeping can be as simple as multicolored dots on a map alongside a key that identifies each pest and each color , or as sophisticated as a GPS system that overlays pest problems with coordinates . Whichever you choose , make sure that it ’ s easy to navigate , or chances are it will never be used .
WHICH PEST IS WHICH ? Is it a borer , beetle or planthopper ? A root rot or a wilt ? Identifying these maladies as specifically as possible is helpful , as each requires a different set of cultural and chemical control measures . Getting to know these pests requires a bit of effort , but can be as simple as sending staff to a “ tree pest problem day ” at the local university field day or state arborists conference . A few hours spent at these events will pay big dividends .
In addition to formal and informal training , there are other resources for identification — books , websites and in-person consultants . Two of the all-time standards for print references are “ Diseases of Trees and Shrubs ” by Johnson and Lyon and “ Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs ” by Wayne Sinclair , Warren Johnson and Howard Lyon . Other great sources of information are “ Garden Pests of North America ” by Whitney Cranshaw , Guide to Insect Pests of Woody Plants ( https :// www . uky . edu / Ag / Entomology / treepestguide / treeintro . html ) and iNaturalist ( https :// www . inaturalist . org /).
In-person consultants are available in the form of ISA Certified Arborists and university extension faculty sportsfieldmanagementonline . com January 2024 | SportsField Management
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