The Alternatives - Tools Outside Pesticides and Herbicides for Green Space Maintenance
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Transcript of The Alternatives - Tools Outside Pesticides and Herbicides for Green Space Maintenance
The Alternatives - Tools Outside Pesticides and
Herbicides for Green Space Maintenance
Talk given by Paule Hjertaas,B Sc, president and spokesperson of the Saskatchewan Network for Alternatives to Pesticides (SNAP Inc) to the 2010
Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference, November 12, 11 a.m., Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon
www.snapinfo.ca
Table of content
• Problems in green space management
• SK efforts at pesticide reduction
• Weed control in various situations
• Chemical versus natural fertilizer
• Comparison Regina-Barrie, ON
• Insect Control• Fungicides• Usefulness of IPM• Questions to ask• Acknowledgements
Problems faced in green space management:
• Probably mostly weed control
• Some insects on individual species of plants or lawns
• Mosquito, wasp and other biting insect control
• Rodent control (especially ground squirrel)
Saskatoon - pesticide-free hospitals
• In 2009, the Saskatoon Health Region started to maintain hospital properties pesticide-free
Regina Pesticide-Free Parks 2
• When looking for candidate parks, Regina realized that they had 106 parks (37%) which had not been sprayed for years
• Parks chosen also had good turf conditions.
Regina Sports fields The group in charge won the 2009 city awards for innovative
initiative
• Currently class A sports fields are maintained without the use of herbicides or other pesticides
• The award was for starting a composting project with grass clippings, pulled flowers, and use
the resulting compost to topdress the grass
• More frequent aeration
• Top dressing and overseeding
Weed controlTiming is everything
• flower beds
• under trees and shrubs
• under fences
• hard surfaces– along fences– paths and walkways– patios and paving
– gravel
• lawns
• noxious weeds
• along water
• neglected areas
• in ground covers
Flower / Shrub Beds 1
• Avoid leaving bare soil - plant or mulch
• Pull out any weed roots
• If it gets out of hand, dig plants and start over.
• Apparently, shrub beds watered by sprinklers, they stay too moist if mulched so plant any new shrub beds accordingly
Flower / Shrub Beds 2
Getting started on new ground
• Grow smother crop for 1-2 years
• Solarize the bed before planting to reduce weed seeds
• And/or cultivate often
Weeds Under Fences
• The city of Seattle chose to pour a cement mow strip under their fences in the area which cannot be mowed.
• Other types of barrier strips may be effective. They can be covered with mulch
• More options in “Maintaining Hardscapes and Fencelines” NCAP
Crack and sidewalks - my experiment
Use of Ecoweeder in cracks and hand tool for asphalt edges besides sidewalk
• Strategy: when weeds come out
• Prevent going to seed• Annual weeds mostly
under control• Replaced by plantain and
Portulaca but not a big issue.
Weeds in Play areas, school yards Alternatives
Crusher Dust• Regina increased its use
of York rake on these surfaces
• Harley rake (Seattle)
Playgrounds and scoolyards
• Regina uses Eco-Clear, a vinegar-based product
Other Alternatives• Prevention: sweeping or
blowing the dirt out or caulk cracks.
• Aquacide excels on hard surfaces
• Propane• Eco-weeder
NOTE: effectiveness may depend on timing
Comparative cost/ha for grass(inclusive - Regina)
TraditionalClass B =
$6,750/hectareMowed 1/week at 2-3
inches, trimmed 1/mo,
• Class C = $1,000/hectare
Mowed once/month
Cultural/IPM• Class A =
$9,200/hectareMowed twice/week at
2-3 inchesTrimmed 1/weekWatered, fertilized and
edged twice as often as cl B
Cost of chemical vs natural lawn care
• The main difference between class A and B parks in Regina is mainly one of man power
• Both Chris Osborne and Paul Tukey have shown that the cost of natural lawn care is similar after a few years
• Lawn care industry testimonials also indicate reduced costs and larger profit margins (Osborne DVD)
How to Reduce cost of weed control
• Costs can be maintained or decreased by improving soil life and quality
• Only control weeds based on complaints and infestations, not everywhere as a matter of fact
• Education campaign• Donate edger tools to
home owners• ‘Naturalize’ some
grass areas• Clean streets more
than once/year
Complete Approach to pesticide-free grass - Cultural
• Go Organic cold turkey• Soil test for pH, all
nutrients, minerals and microrganisms
• Optimize soil conditions based on soil tests
• 7 times more Calcium than Magnesium
• Use natural fertilizer to add organic matter and the right organisms
• Aerate as needed• Topdress with compost• Brew own compost tea• Overseed spring and fall• Water deep and less
often• Mow high all year, leave
clippings on• Use 5 % clover for
nitrogen• Mow low and rake in fall
Chemical vs Natural Fertilizer
Chemical • Feeds the plant
directly• Usually results in
organism-poor soil
Natural• Feeds the
microorganisms in the soil
• Re-establishes nutrient and pH balance
• Adds organic matter and beneficial organisms
Noxious Weed Control
• Most common will likely be Leafy Spurge, Scentless Chamomile (image 1) and Purple Loosestrife (image 2)
• All have Integrated Vegetation Management plans
Leafy Spurge
chemicals don't work very well on spurge is because
• the mature weed has roots that reach 10 to 15 feet deep
• the weed spits its seeds as it dries up
• a creeping habit• tillage is ineffective
Leafy Spurge alternative control 1• Integrated control
better if the infestation is the size of a large room or larger
• Image 1: Leafy Spurge Flea beetles (5 species)
• Image 2: Leafy Spurge Hawk Moth caterpillar is established in some areas but no major control noticed
Goats to Control Leafy Spurge 2
• Image: Angora goat eating leafy spurge
• Grazing• Goats are especially
effective. • Goats destroy seeds• Prefer weeds, especially
leafy spurge• Aerate and fertilize soil• Can be used to effectively
reseed• Grazing pattern prevents
regrowth
Goats for weed control• Are there any Acts,
Regulations or municipal bylaws to prevent livestock in municipalities?
• Best site: http://www.goatseatweeds.com/
• Email: [email protected] |• Lack of training
Goats are hired to eat the following weeds:
• Canada thistle • Cheat grass • Common tansy • Common mullein
• Dalmatian toad flax • Dandelions • Downy brome • Indian tobacco • Knapweed • Larkspur • Leafy spurge • Musk thistle • Ox-eye daisy • Plumeless thistle • Poison hemlock • Purple loostrife • Scotch thistle • Spotted Knapweed • Sweet clover • Yellow star thistle
Comparison Regina - Barrie, ON 1
Regina• Entirely planted urban
forest
• Less species diversity• More pesticides use• Insect pests: Canker
worms, beetles transmitting Dutch Elm Disease, occasionally tent caterpillars
Barrie• Many natural woodlots
left within city• More tree diversity• Already used much
less pesticides than Regina
• No tree pests
Comparison Regina - Barrie, ON 2
Regina• In the past, Regina has
sprayed trees in summer for aphids with insecticidal soap by itself or mixed with pyrethrins.
• WCA has sprayed for scale insects with dormant oil in spring and used Cygon for borers in conifers. (over-reaction?)
Barrie• No insect issue• Citizens supported a
phase out of chemical pesticide use
Insects
Canker Worms• Banding in fall - timely• Btk• Wondering if shop
vac would not work for home owners
Tent Caterpillars• Btk• Lures available
Dutch Elm Disease• Transmitted by elm
bark beetles • Winnipeg unpublished
experiments: banding before Sep 1st causes 96% mortality
• Lures available
Insect Control - MosquitosChemical
• Fogging with malathion or other chemical
Alternative• Find out where
mosquitos breed and larvidice the area with Bti or Bacillus sphaericus
• Promote use of mosquito repellent and other lifestyle changes
• Garlic barrier as area repellent
Insect control - Wasps
• Close garbage cans• Cover drinks• Identify nest area and
vacuum with shop vac or/and vacuum outside guards and squirt diatomaceous earth inside nest.
Regina use of fungicides
• Currently never used in parks
• Only on golf courses, especially greens
Alternatives• Planting different
grasses ecotypes with more resistance to local fungi
• Compost tea as fertilizer and to prevent diseases
• Bio-fungicides
Compost Tea
• Can be made from compost, or herbs and weeds
• Nettle tea is very rich in nutrients and a good compost activator as well as controlling aphids, fungi, algi, lichens (permaculture)
• Manure teas also useful
• On August 31, 2006, the French government seizes all information related to using nettle tea for insect and disease control because it is not a registered pesticide product.
• Public pressure had the law changed.
IPM / IVM Integrated Pest Management / Integrated Vegetation Management-
Canadian Definitions
• “Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a process that uses all necessary techniques to suppress pests effectively, economically and in an environmentally sound manner.” (IPM Council of Canada, http://www.ontarioipm.com/tasks/sites/IPM/assets/File/ST_policies_doc_-_June_4_2010.pdf
• “IPM takes a variety of monitoring techniques and biological, cultural and chemical measures to control pests in an ongoing management program.” (Canadian Produce Marketing Association, http://www.cpma.ca/en_gov_IPM_factsheet.asp )
Compare the previous two to IPM Institute of North America definition
• “IPM relies on inspection and monitoring - to detect and correct conditions that can lead to pest problems. They act against pests only when necessary, and use the least-hazardous methods when action is needed.”
IPM Definition- the essential
• “Integrated pest management (IPM) is an integrated approach of crop management to solve ecological problems when applied in agriculture.”
• “These methods are performed in three stages: prevention, observation, and intervention. It is an ecological approach with a main goal of significantly reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides while at the same time managing pest populations at an acceptable level.[1]” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_pest_management
Missing mandatory components of Canadian IPM definitions
1. the goal to significantly reduce or eliminate pesticide use
2. the lack of prioritization of methods used based on their toxicity, such as using chemicals only in last resort, and starting with the least toxic methods and products.
Questions to ask
• Why is no alternative training available in SK?
• Why are there so much fewer natural products registered in Canada than the US?
• Why is Canada persisting in using an ineffective IPM definition?