Plant Health Care

Lorri Berkley Grueber

Objectives & Definitions

Philosophy of PHC & how differs from IPM

Concept of ARP & how used in diagnosis & treatment

Compare & contrast different ways plants allocate resources

Become familiar w/ multiple pest control and treatment options- advantages & limitations

Key terms as provided by text Chapter 11 Workbook

questions Challenge questions Sample test questions Bonus stuff!

Huntleigh Farms

9 acres Residential “Abandoned” property,

recently purchased by very cool people.

Renovating property into a B&B.

Let’s get to work!

What is Plant Health Care?

By the book, PHC is ‘a holistic and comprehensive program to manage the health, structure, and appearance of plants in the landscape’.

What is IPM?

Deals solely with thresholds of insects and disease.

Borrowed from agricultural practice of crop loss vs. treatment expense.

Regarding ornamental plants, it tends to be purely aesthetic.

Appropriate Response Process (ARP)

ARP is, the process of gathering information, assessing the severity & implications of a problem, determining client expectations & deciding upon a course of action.

Resource allocation

The distribution and use of photosynthate for various plant functions and processes…

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Where is energy going now?

Fruit trees in Beijing

And what about now…

Golf course tree with lawn mower disease.

One more time…

Black walnut on Huntleigh Farms

Allelochemicals

Review of concepts-

PHC vs. IPM ARP Resource allocation

Changing gears a little bit- Pest Control & Treatment

It’s not always a critter, It doesn’t always need

something… …but when it does

…it pays to know the difference!

Botanicals Contact insecticides Fungicides Horticultural oils Insect growth regulators Insecticidal soaps Insecticides Microbial extracts Etc, etc, etc…

The big umbrella of information

Botanicals, horticultural oils, IGR’s, insecticidal soaps, and microbial extracts are ALL forms of alternative pesticides.

ALL are somewhat less pest specific. Less damaging to natural enemies/ predators.

Don’t let this part get you down-

Botanicals are plant extracts (pyrethrin),

Horticultural oils suffocate insects or disrupt membranes (Volk oil),

For the test- pick ones you know to help you remember

This section relies on BASIC knowledge

Insect Growth Regulators (IGR’s) are synthetic compounds

Act like insect hormones Disrupt life cycle or

target pest GypChek

More of the chemicals…

Insecticidal soap (Safer’s & M Pede) are highly refined soaps that (again) disrupt life cycles.

It’s really NOT that bad

Microbial Extracts- Contain insect

pathogens, Derived from extracts of

bacterial pathogens of insects

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Choosing ‘Cides

Main Entry: -cideFunction: noun combining formEtymology: Middle French, from Latin -cida, from caedere to cut, kill1 : killer <insecticide>2 [Middle French, from Latin -cidium, from caedere] : killing <suicide>

Ok, so it/they kill.

We’re nearly finished

Fungicides-kill fungi OR used as a preventive.

Insecticides- kill insects either from direct contact or systemically

Pesticides- kill pests; weeds, insects or fungi. Not intended for use on annoying classmates, spouses or significant others.

How they work…

Contact insecticides…on 3 everyone scream RAID!!!!!

Systemic- a substance that moves throughout a body and is absorbed by the entire organism, in this case roots,bark and leaves.

Break time!

Revenuers in Kentucky

Phenol is an alcohol Natural pesticide

“I’m gonna tan your hide, kiddo!”

Oak bark, acorns and galls are all used to tan leather

Tannins are used in wine- more red than white

Another natural pesticide

Cellulose

Chain-like molecules found in the cell walls of trees

Provides strength to stand up and enables water and nutrient movement

Defense mechanism as many insects cannot digest it

Lignin

Further strengthens cell walls

Also indigestible by many insects

Stress?

What the @#*!?

Or stress…

Any factor that limits a plants’ ability to acquire necessary resources OR leads to excessive amounts of necessary resources can be considered stress.

Mortality spiral

The cumulative effect of stress can put a tree into a state of decline.

Stressed trees are more likely to succumb to drought, defoliation, borers, bark beetles or vascular diseases.

Best defense is a good offense!

Vigor or vitality

The plant’s inherent genetic capacity to resist stress

Adaptability to various soil types, moisture conditions, temperatures

The plant’s ability to deal effectively with stress

What plant maintenance professionals typically promote.

Pest resurgence

the rapid reappearance of a pest population in injurious numbers, usually brought about after the application of a broad-spectrum pesticide has killed the natural enemies which normally keep a pest in check

Secondary pest outbreak

a Flowering dogwood that has its bark knocked off by a lawn mower, is a prime target for the insect "Dogwood borer" to lay eggs

A practical application…

Another practical application

1. Plant health care is a comprehensive program to manage

a. insects

b. tree health without the use of pesticides

c. the appearance, structure and vitality of plants

d. pests, pathogens and abiotic disorders of trees

2. The mortality spiral describes the

a. process of infection and spread of disease in a tree

b. cumulative effects of stress causing decline of a plant

c. process in which pesticides eradicate both pests and beneficial insects

d. allocation of resources between growth, storage and defense

3. The process of gathering information, assessing the severity and implications of the problem, determining client expectations and deciding upon a course or action is called

a. The appropriate response process

b. Integrated pest management

c. The cultural control mechanism

d. Plant health care

4. A systemic insecticide is one that

a. Kills all living organisms

b. Kills insects on direct contact

c. Is translocated throughout the plant

d. Has no harmful effect on the environment

5. Releasing predators or parasites of an insect pest is an example of a

a. cultural control

b. mechanical control

c. biological control

d. chemical control