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Plant & Pest Diagnostic ClinicsBest Practices

Eric Barrett, Rory Lewandowski, Dave Shetlar

Overview of our program:1. IPM – What is it?2. Information we are sharing3. Customer Checklist (Mahoning County)4. Specific Clinic Operations5. Scenarios

Integrated Pest Management

IPMApplication: Group Work Scenarios

What are we really doing? Disease Triangle?

Host

EnvironmentPathogen

Disease present

here

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Plant & Pest Diagnostic ClinicsBest Practices

What is IPM?

IPM

• A system in which we consider (use) a number of methods or control options in order to minimize or remove a pest problem

• Involves a decision making process• An acceptable result of that decision making

process is to do nothing

Approaches to Pest Management

Prevention

Suppression

Eradication

KEY IPM PRINCIPLES

Detection (Monitoring)

Identification

Threshold Treatment Levels

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Monitoring and Detection IPM CONTROL METHODS

CULTURALMECHANICAL/PHYSICALBIOLOGICALCHEMICALLEGAL

PEST CONTROL OPTIONS:CULTURAL

Should be our first considerationSoil building: increase organic matterSanitation and tillage practicesResistant varietiesMulching, pruning, fertilizing and wateringTrap cropsTimed planting

CULTURAL CONTROLMakes use of good horticultural practices that reduce stress on the plantMatch plants to the proper environment and siteKeep plants healthy

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PEST CONTROL OPTIONS:MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL

Hand picking (Col. Potato beetle, Japanese beetle)Physical barriers: cutworm collars, fences, netting, screens, row coversTraps: colored sticky, newspaper, cardboard, pheromone, lightMulchingVacuumingSolarization

Some Mechanical Controls

Some Mechanical Controls

Row covers Sticky traps

Pheromonetraps

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

The use of one biological organism to control anotherNatural: Let the natural system of predators, parasites and diseases workAugmentation: supplement the natural populationImport and Establish: To counter a non-native pest

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CHEMICAL CONTROL

• There are various types of chemical control, usually defined by their chemistry and activity.

• Usually considered first because of availability, cost, broad spectrum, and mind-set (advertising/education).

• For the home gardener, the chemical control option should be a limited use option.

• Chemical pesticides involve some level of toxicity.

Soaps and Oils

• Most effective on soft-bodied insects, work on a contact basis• Good, thorough coverage is essential for control• When using oils, temperature should not fall below 40 degrees F for

24 hours after application• Do not apply soaps or oils at temperatures above 90 degrees F

Organic corn earworm control IPM

• IPM is a decision making process• Cultural control options are the first option a gardener

must consider to reduce pest problems• Mechanical and physical control options take many

different forms and are effective for the home gardener• Biological controls mimic nature and should be a part of

the home gardeners control options• Chemical controls are widely available in the market

and will be considered in part B of Integrated Pest Management.

• Sometimes the pest wins!

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Plant & Pest Diagnostic ClinicsBest Practices

What kind of information are we sharing?

• Understand the basic principles involved with Integrated Pest Management

• Provide some examples of various control methods

• Help you to see there is not necessarily a “right” answer/gain a perspective and cautionary approach: This is what we absolutely, positively know - maybe

• What is ok?• University Factsheets• State Agency Factsheets• USDA Factsheets

diagnostic basics

• never assume• utilize university based research

ohioline.osu.eduplantfacts.osu.edugoogle, bing, etc – ‘university extension’

• samples are better than descriptions• pictures with descriptions are ok• if in doubt – send to professional

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Plant & Pest Diagnostic ClinicsBest Practices

Customer Checklist• Welcome and Greet• Questions about Form• Start with PPDC resources• Use computer based resources• Network computer (unanswerables)• Give the answer• Sell a bulletin/soil sample• Thank and send on the way!

Plant & Pest Diagnostic ClinicsBest Practices

In the Clinic

Historical Questions by CategoryInsects 33%Fruit & Vegetable – 19%Trees – 13%Woody Ornamental – 8%Lawns – 7%Herbaceous Ornamentals – 5%Weed ID – 5%Wildlife – 5%Soils, Mulch – 4%House Plants – 0.05%

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Using the computers

• Always use “university extension”• Descriptors

• green worm• change words if search unsuccessful

Using the voicemail

• Be prepared to write message before starting• Press Voice Mail Button

• Password is extension “101”• 1 = Play• 2 = Save• 4 = Delete

Using the Gmail Account

• OSU eliminated non-person email accounts• Log-on to gmail.com• Password is on the wall• You will need to practice

Factsheets: Mail or email?

• Try to get email• They will also get our email newsletter•

• Costs add up!

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Plant & Pest Diagnostic ClinicsBest Practices

ScenariosThese scenarios were developed by

Rory Lewandowski & Eric BarrettOSU Extension

slow down, diagnose

What’s wrong with the branches on my tree? They have bumpy things all over them!

slow down, diagnose

“My evergreen lost all it’s needles!”???

slow down, diagnose

what’s wrong?dog urinated on it?downspout – too much water?too shady?other ideas?

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sometimes you need a different perspective…

tailpipe disease (abiotic)

common problems

Scenario: Weed ID

A customer brings in a weed for identification.

Where do you start?

Scenario: Fruit Question

A call comes in from a gentleman who says he has just noticed caterpillars on his blueberry bushes. They are chewing up the leaves. He has two products in his garage, one is a product for fruit that contains captan and the other is Ortho Bug-be-Gone. Which product should he use?

How do you respond to this question? What are some educational points you

may want to make?What are some questions you might ask?What are control options?

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Scenario: Landscape EvergreensA homeowner has come to you for advice because they know you

are a master gardener. It is late July and just the other day when this person was looking at some of the pine trees in their landscape they noticed they were covered with hundreds of these tiny pine-cone like structures. The trees aren’t looking too well, and as far as they know these pinecone like structures were not there a couple of weeks ago. What are they? Are they harming the trees? What should they do?

How would you respond to this homeowner?What is the problem?What do you recommend?What are control options?What information does the homeowner need?

References: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2149.htmlhttp://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef440.asp

Scenario: Evergreen Shrub BranchA customer brings in a branch from an

evergreen shrub. The branch is brown on the tip. They want to know what to do to eliminate the problem. This problem is only on one shrub in a line of about 20. The problem seems

How would you begin your search for an answer?

What things might you be looking for?How would you respond to this gardener’s

questions?

Scenario: Potato InsectYou are working at an OSU Extension event. A gardener

approaches and says he has noticed some black and yellow striped beetles feeding on his potato plants. There are lots of them and he is concerned that they will kill his plants. He asks you what he should spray on the potato plants to get rid of the beetles.

What is attacking his potato plants?How do you respond to his request for something to spray?What questions do you ask him?What are control options?Does your answer differ if he is raising potatoes for a

commercial market? If he is raising 5 acres of potatoes what would you recommend?

References:http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2204.htmlhttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/coloradopotato.htmlhttp://ohioline.osu.edu/b672/index.html

Scenario: Lawn Problem

You have just finished giving a gardening presentation at your local library and have asked for questions. Clara raises her hand and asks what she can do to control the moles in her yard. They have tunnels all over the yard. She heard someone say it is because she has grubs in her lawn. She is thinking about buying some “poison” to kill the grubs but another neighbor told her that there are some devices she can buy that emit a sound underground that will drive the moles away. What do you think she should do?

How will you respond to this question?Are grubs the problem? Why does she have moles in her lawn?What are effective control options?What do you recommend?References:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/w-fact/pdf/0011.pdfhttp://www.themoleman.com/control.htm

http://www.talpirid.com/

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Scenario: Sweet Corn InsectYou have been invited to give a presentation on growing sweet corn to a group of community

gardeners. They are especially interested in what they can do to control corn earworm. You have researched the topic and found that there are a number of options, including:

Planting dates to reduce severity of the problemUse of a vegetable oil and Bt mixture applied to corn ear silksUse of synthetic insecticidesUse of a transgenic (genetically modified) Bt varietyLearn to appreciate the extra protein the earworms provide

How will you present the options? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each?Do you have a recommendation for the group?How would a 1-acre patch of sweet corn change your recommendation? A 5-

acre field?References:http://ohioline.osu.edu/b672/index.htmlhttp://www.umassvegetable.org/soil_crop_pest_mgt/insect_mgt/corn_earworm.html

Scenario: Grape DiseaseJoe is interested in starting to grow grapes on his property. He has 50+

acres in the country and he is trying to decide the best place to plant grapes. He is has talked to some friends who have grapes and they tell him it is difficult to raise grapes. Apparently there is some type of disease that causes the grape berries to shrivel up before harvest. His friends tell him that they have sprayed fungicides on their grapes beginning once the grapes are fully formed early July and have sprayed at least monthly and still have disease problems. Joe has come to you for advice because you are a master gardener.

Should Joe give up his dream of growing grapes?What advice can you give Joe about locating his grape planting?

What should Joe consider before he plants?What is the disease that his grape-growing friends are dealing

with?Why haven’t fungicides been effective at controlling the disease?What are your recommendations to Joe concerning disease

control?References:http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1423.htmlhttp://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/pdf/HYG_3004_08.pdfhttp://ohioline.osu.edu/b940/index.html Midwest Home Fruit

Production bulletin

Scenario: Tomato Disease

You have just finished doing a gardening demonstration at a community garden. After the demonstration, one of the gardeners asks you to come take a look at his tomato plants. There is a problem. The plants look like they are dying from the bottom up. The plants seem to be well cared for. The bare soil around the plants is free from weeds. Soil moisture is good. The gardener tells you that he uses a water can to water the plants thoroughly in the early evening about every 5-7 days depending upon the weather. When you look closer at the leaves that are drying up you notice some dark brown to black dead spots on the leaves. Some seem to have a pattern similar to a bulls-eye. The gardener asks you what caused this problem and what he can spray on his tomato plants to keep them healthy and insure that he can get some tomatoes to harvest.

How would you respond to this gardener’s questions?What do you think the problem might be?What are your recommendations?What kind of control measures might the gardener use?How might this be prevented in the future?

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3101.htmlhttp://cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/718.pdf

Scenario: Customer Wants an answer now!

A customer is waiting for a response to a question. You have been working for at least 20 minutes. You “think” you have an answer, but feel you need to get a second opinion from staff or the university.

How would you respond to this gardener’s questions?

What can you give them now?

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Scenario: Unruly Customer

A customer follows you back to the clinic.

Their attitude becomes abrasive.You feel uncomfortable.

What should you do?

Thank you!-You are the front door to the university!