Module 6:

6.2 Turf problems and controls

1   6.2.5 IPM / ITM

Introduction

The incidence and impact of the range of organisms that can cause problems on a turfgrass surface can be reduced by ensuring grounds management practices are carried out correctly, including both efficiently and effectively, at all times.

One common approach that focuses on turf problems and how to reduce the likelihood of an incidence is called either integrated pest management (or IPM for short) or integrated turf management (or ITM for short), which are terms that are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing, although ITM also includes a focus on reducing plant stress so that a sward has a better chance of standing up to weed, pest and disease pressures.

This approach identifies a range of hierarchical control methods, in combination with the monitoring of turf problem activity, to reduce problems becoming unacceptable by having a threshold in which further preventative or curative action is taken. One often misunderstood interpretation is that of there should be no presence of any problem at any time on a turf surface. This is unrealistic, costly, unsustainable and it is not the purpose of IPM/ITM to have a pristine surface at all times, 24/7.

2   Threshold

A defined threshold of unacceptability will often be determined by a ground’s manager or club owner for their particular pitch.

Common performance standards for different pitch quality grades can also be used for the maximum expected level (or threshold) of unacceptability or adapted to better suit the specific needs of the management policy for a particular pitch.

For example, in Module 2 we identified maximum acceptable weed content for the 5 different pitch grades as follows: