Kansas State University

search

K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Author: Teresa Roberts

Kansas Officials Confirm Emerald Ash Borer in Nemaha County

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service

The Kansas Forest Service has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer on a private residence in Nemaha County, the second new sighting found in a Kansas county this year.

closeup, emerald ash borer damage on tree limb
Emerald Ash Borer damage on tree limb

KFS, working with the Kansas Department of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension, confirmed a live insect on Oct. 14. Officials say the pest had been suspected in the area for several years, but only recently have they found a live insect, which is required to make the detection official.

Earlier in 2024, state officials confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer in Lyon County.

The emerald ash borer is an exotic, invasive beetle from eastern Russia and northeastern Asia that likely was brought to the U.S. in infested packing material. The beetle threatens urban and rural forests by killing North American ash species and their cultivars.

KFS officials note that at least 70 million ash trees have already been destroyed due to the emerald ash borer, and as many as 9 billion North American ash trees will eventually be functionally rooted out and destroyed from the continent.

The discovery in Nemaha County makes 15 Kansas counties in which the emerald ash borer has been confirmed, including Wyandotte (2012), Johnson (2013), Leavenworth (2014), Douglas (2015), Jefferson (2015), Atchison (2016), Doniphan (2017), Shawnee (2017), Miami (2019), Jackson (2019), Brown (2022), Osage (2022), Franklin (2023) and Lyon (2024).

See map of current counties affected in Kansas.

Forest officials say landowners should learn the signs and symptoms of emerald ash borer in their ash trees, including thinning canopies. As the feeding progresses, trees may begin to sucker (a process called epicormic sprouting) where branches appear near the trunk or lower canopy. Eventually, small D-shaped holes may appear in the bark.

Landowners are encouraged to create a replacement plan for the ash trees on their property to ensure a continually healthy canopy as ash trees decline. A landscape with many types of trees is more resilient to insect, disease and environmental threats that exist or could occur in the future.

Those seeking treatment or removal of ash trees in a county where the insect has already been detected should consult an arborist. A listing of certified arborists in Kansas is available online.

Landowners, especially those in counties where the insect has not already been detected, are encouraged to report suspected cases of emerald ash borer to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, or to the Kansas Forest Service.

All Kansans are reminded of the recommendation to avoid bringing firewood from another state or county where emerald ash borer has been previously detected. Use local sources for firewood.

The Kansas Forest Service, in partnership with K-State Research and Extension, continues to offer workshops and educational training in counties with detected populations of emerald ash borer, as well as those communities not yet affected by the pest.

More information on resources about treatment of infected trees is available online from the Kansas Forest Service.

Discounted Rate for Turf & Landscape Conference if Registered before November 22

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

The 74th Annual Kansas Turf & Landscape Conference will be held on December 4 & 5 (Wednesday and Thursday) at the Hilton Garden Inn, Manhattan. The conference is an excellent way to learn about turf and landscape management, visit with old friends, network with new ones, and see all the latest products and supplies from local and national vendors.

The conference has been approved for commercial pesticide recertification hours:
1 Core hour
3A – 7 hours
3B – 7hours

GCSAA education points and International Society of Arboriculture CEUS will also be available by attending the conference.

You receive a discounted rate if you register before November 22.

Visit https://www.k-state.edu/turf/events/index.html for more information.

We hope to see you in December!

Sugarcane Beetle Causing Damage to Turfgrass in SE Kansas

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Raymond Cloyd, Professor and Extension Specialist in Horticultural Entomology/Plant Protection

We have received several inquiries from Southeast Kansas regarding black beetles causing damage to turfgrass. The black beetles are adults of the sugarcane beetle, Euetheola humilis (Burmeister) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The sugarcane beetle is native to the USA and is also called the rough headed corn stalk beetle.

Sugarcane beetle adults are 1/2 of an inch (13 millimeters) long, black, with distinct punctures or indentations that extend along the length of the body (Figure 1). The front legs have four serrations that allow the adult to tunnel through the soil. Sugarcane beetle adults are active in spring and feed during the night. Adults are attracted to light sources at night. Sugarcane beetle adults walk across the turfgrass in the early morning. Adults tunnel into the soil and remain in the soil during the day, which allows them to avoid predators and exposure to direct sunlight. Sugarcane beetle overwinters as an adult in the soil and there is one generation per year.

In the spring, females can lay between 30 to 60 eggs in the soil during their lifespan and then die after laying eggs. Sugarcane beetle larvae emerge (eclose) from eggs after approximately 10 days, and are white grubs with a red head and six yellow legs. There are three larval instars (stages between each molt) with the third instar larvae 1-1/4 of an inch (32 millimeters) long. Larvae are located in or below the thatch layer.

Larvae and adults can damage turfgrass by feeding on the roots, stems, and leaves (blades). Sugarcane beetle adults cause damage to warm season turfgrasses, such as, bermudagrass and zoysiagrass associated with golf courses, home lawns, and sod farms. In addition, sugarcane beetle adults can damage tall fescue lawns. Adults can also damage turfgrass when tunneling through the soil. In addition, mammals including: armadillos, birds, moles, and raccoons can cause substantial damage to turfgrass when searching for sugarcane beetle larvae and adults.

Sugarcane beetle populations can be managed by properly irrigating and fertilizing turfgrass to maintain health and vigor, which can mitigate damage caused by sugarcane

beetle larvae and adults. Furthermore, turn off all lights in the area at night to avoid attracting adults.

Pyrethroid based insecticides can be applied to manage sugarcane beetle adult populations in turfgrass. Apply insecticides when adults are initially present in the spring. Insecticides are more effective against adults that just emerged from overwintering than adults that are present later in the season.

Commercial Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

The K-State Research and Extension Pesticide Safety and IPM Program will be hosting two (2) commercial pesticide applicator recertification training opportunities for Right-of Way, Industrial Weed and Noxious Weed (categories (6, 7C, 9A) this fall.

Date                 Location               More Information/Schedule
Oct 30, 2024      Virtual via Zoom    Training Flyer
Nov 12, 2024     Salina, KS             Training Flyer

Registration may be mailed using the training flyer or completed online.

Call Frannie Miller with the Pesticide & IPM Program at (620) 241-1523 or email fmiller@ksu.edu for additional information regarding the above trainings.

Commercial applicators may obtain recertification training credits any time during their active three year certification period. Commercial applicators have until December 31 of the year of expiration to earn credits. It is the commercial applicator’s responsibility to obtain the required credits.

The renewal period will open in October of the year of expiration. Make sure your renewal application and recertification fees are received by KDA by the December 31 expiration date of their certification to maintain continuous certification. For those who attended complete training during their certification period, the application form and fees will be accepted for 30 days following the certification expiration date. If certification fees are not paid to KDA by January 30, the applicator will be required to take the examinations to restart the certification process.

Credits may be viewed through the commercial applicator’s KDA Portal account.

More opportunities to earn commercial pesticide applicator credits can be found on the KDA website at: https://portal.kda.ks.gov/PAF/PafTraining/TrainingEventList. If you have questions, please contact the KDA Pesticide & Fertilizer Program by e-mail at kda.pestfert@ks.gov or call 785-564-6688.

Fall Seeding Tips

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Dr. Jack Fry, Professor and Extension Specialist

  • September is the optimum time to seed cool-season grasses.
  • Use good quality, certified seed; avoid seed with significant levels of “weed” and “other crop.”  More information HERE
  • Use recommended seeding rates with good distribution – more than one direction; seeding at rates too high can cause issues with disease and environmental stress.
  • Seed to soil contact is critical!

  • If renovating an existing stand of turf, mow low to reduce competition with seedlings and help improve seed contact with soil.
  • Aeration, slit seeding, topdressing, or raking to cover seed are methods of enhancing seed-to-soil contact contact. If thatch levels are high, seed-to-soil contact may be difficult to get without thatch reduction first.
  • Aeration brings soil the surface, and is often done in concert with vertical mowing, which breaks up cores and also creates small furrows in which seed can make contact with soil.
  • Slit seeders create furrows in the soil surface and drop the seed into them.
  • Topdressing or raking loose soil in a tilled area covers seed and ensures contact.
  • If the desire is to convert from one species to another, and a reasonable stand of turf exists, it will have to be removed before conversion happens. Removal is typically accomplished with a nonselective herbicide.
  • Managing a high-traffic athletic field? Consider allowing for presence of a “seed bank” through the playing season.  More information HERE
  • Starter fertilizers, that contain nitrogen and phosphorus, help enhance establishment.
  • Light, frequent irrigation is needed the first few weeks after planting, and may be required several times daily, depending upon weather.

Kansas Turf & Landscape Conference – December 4 & 5

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

The Kansas Turf & Landscape Conference will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn
in Manhattan on December 4 & 5 (Wednesday & Thursday).

The conference is an excellent way to learn about turf and landscape management, visit with old friends, network with new ones, and see all the latest in products and supplies from local and national vendors.

Sessions include Basic Turf, Nursery & Landscape; Disease, Insects & Weeds;
Sports Turf; Golf Course; Dealing with Pests.

The conference has been approved for the following:
State Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credit Hours include
1 Core Hour 3A—7 hours 3B— 7 hours. GCSAA Education Points and Intl. Society of Arboriculture CEUs will also be available.

Visit https://www.k-state.edu/turf/events/index.html for more information including online registration, the official program, and hotel room rates at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Mimosa Webworm Causing Noticeable Damage

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Dr. Raymond Cloyd, Professor and Extension Specialist

Mimosa webworm, Homadaula anisocentra, larvae or caterpillars are causing noticeable damage to honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, and mimosa, Albizia julibrissin, trees throughout Kansas.

The caterpillars are 1/2 of an inch (12.7 millimeters) long when full grown (Figure 1) and move backward rapidly when disturbed. The caterpillars web leaves together on the ends of branches (Figure 2).

Caterpillars create webs near the tops of trees, which protects them from natural enemies (parasitoids and predators) and insecticide spray applications. Trees heavily infested with mimosa webworm are brown or scorched in appearance (Figure 3).

The caterpillars eventually depart from trees using a silken strand before pupating. Mimosa webworm pupates in bark crevices or the pupae are attached to structures (e.g. buildings). There are two generations per year in Kansas.

It is too late to apply an insecticide this time of year when trees are heavily infested with webbing because the caterpillars are protected from insecticide spray applications inside the leaf webbing. However, next year, you can manage mimosa webworm caterpillars by applying an insecticide when the caterpillars are initially present and exposed to insecticide spray applications. You can use insecticides that contain the following active ingredients: Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, spinosad, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, and permethrin. Read the label of each product to ensure that “webworms” are listed. Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki and spinosad are stomach poisons so mimosa webworm caterpillars must ingest the spray solution on the leaf surface in order to be killed. High volume spray applications should be used so that the insecticide contacts the caterpillars or there are residues on the leaf surface. If feasible, selective pruning quickly removes isolated or localized mimosa webworm infestations.

Don’t forget to register for the Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day in Manhattan on August 1!

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

Please register BY July 24 if you plan to attend the Field Day!

The Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day will be held Thursday, August 1 at the Rocky Ford Turf Research Center (1700 Barnes Rd.) in Manhattan.

The field day program is designed for all segments of the turf & ornamentals industry – lawn care, athletic fields, golf courses, landscape, nursery, and grounds maintenance.  Included on the program are research presentations, problem diagnosis, commercial exhibitors, and equipment displays.  There will be time to see current research, talk to the experts and get answers to your questions.

The tour qualifies for 1 hour of both 3A & 3B Pesticide recertification credits as well as .25 GCSAA education points.

You can find more information about each tour and how to register at: https://www.k-state.edu/turf/events/index.html

Extreme Heat Precautions and Safety Tips

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

Heat is one the leading causes of weather-related deaths and injuries in the United States and it’s hitting higher temps here in Kansas. Excessive heat causes hundreds of deaths every year. Heat can affect people in a variety of settings and while dangerous heat is associated with the summer season, it can occur in the spring and fall as well.

The risk

When exposed to high temperatures your body sweats, which evaporates to cool your body. Hot and humid weather challenges your body’s ability to cool itself because your body sweats a great deal to try to maintain your body temperature. Over time this increased sweating leads to dehydration and your body temperature becomes elevated.

Increased levels of humidity make this worse as the high water content of the air hampers the evaporation of sweat on your skin. This can result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Those most at risk for heat illness include infants, children, the elderly, overweight people and those who are ill or have certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure.

Heat exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a mild form of heat illness that may develop after days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate fluid intake.

If not treated, heat exhaustion may become heat stroke. A person suffering from heat exhaustion may have cool moist skin. Their pulse rate will be fast and weak and their breathing will be fast and shallow. Additional warning signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • Heavy sweating
  • Paleness
  • Muscle cramps
  • Tiredness
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fainting

Heat exhaustion first aid

  • Drink cool beverages without alcohol or caffeine.
  • Move to an air-conditioned environment.
  • Take a cool shower, bath or apply cold compresses.
  • Rest

Heat stroke

Heat stroke is the most serious of heat-related illnesses. It occurs when the body is unable to cool itself because the ability to sweat fails. A victim’s body temperature will rapidly rise within a few minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent injury if it is not treated quickly. Warning signs of heat stroke vary but can include:

  • An extremely high body temperature — above 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Red, hot and dry skin without sweating.
  • Rapid, strong pulse.
  • Throbbing headache.
  • Dizziness.
  • Nausea.
  • Confusion.
  • Unconsciousness

Heat stroke first aid

  • Call 911 immediately. Untreated heat stroke may result in death or disability.
  • Move the victim to a shady and/or air-conditioned area.
  • Cool the victim rapidly using whatever means available such as a cool shower or bath, garden hose, or sponging with cool water.

Prevention

Like many hazards, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of heat illnesses:

  • Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine.
  • Limit strenuous outdoor activities.
  • Wear light colored, light weight clothing.
  • Use sunscreen.
  • Take breaks in the shade as often as possible.
  • If working in the heat, increase workloads gradually. Allow new employees and workers who have been off for more than a week more frequent breaks.
  • Change your schedule so outdoor work is performed early or very late in the day.
  • NEVER leave kids or pets in vehicles.
  • Check on the elderly, sick and those without air conditioning.
  • Be aware of the symptoms of heat illness and take action if you see someone at risk.

Resources
OSHA has employer and worker information and resources to help prevent heat illness. Visit https://www.osha.gov/heat

Sources

Wet Spring will Likely Lead to Quick Drought Response as Summer Approaches

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Jack Fry, Professor and Commercial Turf Extension Specialist

It’s been a wet spring through much of Kansas.  In Olathe, KS there has been 11.3 inches from March 1 to June 10.  Frequent rainfall reduces the necessity for grasses to produce deeper roots, and also enhances more shoot growth.  As summer approaches and an extended period of time without rainfall occurs, drought stress will be occurring more rapidly that it sometimes has.

Uniform irrigation is important so that water is distributed nicely over a lawn, golf course, sports field, or other area.  In addition, you can estimate the amount of water that has been lost from the turf over time, which is called evapotranspiration (ET).  Evapotranspiration includes water evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the leaves.  Here is a site from Kansas State University that provides weather information and allows you to determine the level of ET that has occurred:

https://mesonet.k-state.edu/

You can click on the location near you on the KS map when this website comes up.  Then, go to the upper left corner of mesonet (click on the 3 lateral bars) and select any information desired.  To determine water use, go to weather – historical weather – enter the dates that are of interest for you.  After doing so, click submit and you’ll see weather details returned.  On the far right of the image, click on grass ET and you’ll see an estimate of ET for that area.  Here’s an example of the ET that I looked at for Olathe, KS:

The ET that you see is based upon a formula called Penman-Monteith, which uses temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind to create the estimate.  As a reminder, the ET that you view is based upon assumption that the soil moisture is high.  In other words, as soil dries down in a turf area, the ET is likely going to be lower than estimated on this site.  That said, this information is useful to provide guidance on the amount of irrigation that may be needed to apply to the turf area. To confirm the amount of water applied from your irrigation system, use a sprinkler gauge that indicates the amount of water applied for a given amount of time.

Deeper, less frequent irrigation will enhance rooting as time progresses.   To do this, you may desire to wait until you begin to see wilt occurring on the turf.  As an alternative, you can determine what the soil moisture measurement is when wilt is just beginning and irrigate just prior to that soil moisture level.  As summer heats up and less rainfall begins, it is quite likely that following this strategy will still require irrigation be applied often due avoid extensive wilt.  It is possible that over time, irrigation frequency can be reduced.

There are number of different research articles below that demonstrate all turf species can get enhanced rooting with a deeper, less frequent irrigation strategy.

Tall Fescue:

Huang, B. and J. Fu.  2001.  Growth and physiological responses of tall fescue to soil surface drying.  Intl. Turfgrass Soc. 9:291-296.

Fu, J., J. Fry, B. Huang.  Tall fescue rooting as affected by deficit irrigation.  HortScience 42:688–691. 2007.

Creeping Bentgrass:

Fu, J., P. Dernoeden.  2009.  Creeping bentgrass turf response to two summer irrigation practices: rooting and soil temperature. Crop Sci. 49:1063-1070.

Jordan, J.E., R. H. White, D.M. Vietor, T.C. Hale, J.C. Thomas, and M.C. Engelke.   2003.  Effect of irrigation frequency on turf quality, shoot density, and root length density of five bentgrass cultivars.  Crop Sci. 43:282-287.

Zoysiagrass:

Qian Y. and J. Fry.  1996.  Irrigation affects zoysiagrass rooting and plant water status.  HortScience 31:234-237

Above is the photo from the zoysiagrass research noted above in 1996 (a number of years ago). The zoysia on the left had been irrigated daily for an extended period of time and then water was turned off.  On the right, zoysia had been irrigated deeply and infrequently (based upon ET measurement) and then water was turned off.  Obviously, the deeper, infrequent irrigation enhanced its tolerant to drought.