Integrated Approaches in Practice Weed Control in Calderdale

Local Authority Perspective – an integrated approach with common sense, responsible &

reasoned methodology

Mark Dempsey

39 years experience Studied at Huddersfield Tech and

Askham Bryan college, York Studied at Pershore College

Warwickshire gained Basis Pesticide Certificate ,member of the Basis professional register and Basis examiner

Keep Britain Tidy Green and Blue Flag Judge

Cert Ed – Part time teacher and apprentice mentor

The Issues

Bees Use of Glyphosphate Pesticide lobbying

campaigns Impact of Sustainable use

Directive Best Working Practice What we do What more can we do Cost and Resources Complaints

Current Drivers in Local Authority 2015

Budgets and cost controls Priorities Environmental and

operational Legislation Staff as resource experience

training and competency issues Reactive versus Proactive what

is your strategy? Standard setting Impacts – Time taken Health and safety Compliance –

What happens if it goes wrong

How Do You Make an IPM Plan?

Site assessment – understanding conditions that favour the pest – unique to your turf area. Map the area to be managed in the plan

Monitoring – accurate identification needed of pest, map specific areas of responsibility for the person monitoring/giving training

Setting thresholds – how little/much is acceptable to staff/golfers

Identifying management options: cultural, biological, genetic, chemical how should each one be used and to what degree

Building weed and street profiles – type of weeds, conditions that favour it, treatments to get rid of it etc.

Proactive weed management – actually how you are going to treat the problem and document work carried out to eradicate weeds

Evaluation – monitoring the plan, did the treatments work, can anything else be done to improve conditions, updating plan

Integration in Practice

Influencing other local authority departments to change way of thinking

Better design will look better Prevent detritus – weed

growth and complaints Save money less time Linked in with targeted and

smart sweeping routes

The Weediness ScaleEasy traffic light monitoring for managers & operators

Use as a measurement tool Timing applications Timely before seeding Catch weeds small – less

chemical, less contamination Quicker Less complaints

Height in

MM

Weed height in

Diameter or length

Joint

coverage

Score Level Description

Less than 10

mm

Less than 50mm Less than 10% Less than

3

1 No Noticeable

weeds

10-50 mm 50-100 mm 0-20% 4-6 2 Occasional

small weeds

50-100 mm 100-150 mm 20-30 7-9 3 Patch weed

growth in flower

100-150 mm 150-200 mm 30-40 10-12 4 Numerous

weeds Many in

flower View

annoys and

irritating to

public

150-200 mm 200-300 mm 40-50 13-15 5 Numerous

large weeds

Risk of slipping

an tripping

Quick Scoring Review The impact of pesticides used for amenity purposes

Weed Spraying Requests

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 201570 57 62 73 40 46 54 101 66 68 62 88 41

Weed Spraying Requests

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 201570 57 62 73 40 46 54 101 66 68 62 88 41