TechNotes April 15 - Mole Crickets, Downy Mildew & Soil Temps

MOLE CRICKETS. Mole crickets become active in March and April through most of the southeastern United States. Evidence of activity is mole cricket tunneling becomes obvious. Insecticide treatments at this time are optional except where quality of turf is disrupted severely. The two major mole crickets are the Southern mole cricket and the tawny mole cricket. The southern mole cricket is usually gray with white spots or mottling on the top of the area behind the head. Tawny mole crickets are usually tan rather than gray.

DOWNY MILDEW. Downy Mildew (commonly known as yellow tuft) can occur on creeping bentgrass/annual bluegrass greens during late spring and autumn. Normally, seen in late fall, it often goes unnoticed in spring due to rapid growth. Yellow tuft look similar in color to annual bluegrass and infected plants are often confused with small “spots” of annual bluegrass. Yellow tuft (pathogen: Sclerophthora macrospora) symptoms appear initially as yellow spots (1/2 inch in diameter). When the plants are removed and compared to healthy bentgrass plants, they appear thicker than the healthy plants. The leaf sheaths appear swollen. If the infection is severe the plants will turn brown appearing as what looks like small initial symptoms of dollar spot. Yellow tuft is most severe in areas where creeping bentgrass or annual bluegrass is growing in poorly drained areas. Control of this disease is often difficult once symptoms appear.

SOIL TEMPERATURES.

For more TechNotes, visit www.greencastonline.com.