Illinois Pesticide Applicator Turfgrass with Verified Solutions 2024/2025

Illinois Pesticide Applicator Turfgrass with Verified Solutions 2024 IPM for Turf - Answer -keeping pests at a level low enough to avoid major damage First step of IPM for turf - Answer -developing and maintaining healthy turf healthy turf is obtained through - Answer -soil management, turfgrass selection, and proper culture desirable pH level for healthy turf - Answer -between 6 and 7 pH pH readings below 6, what can you add? - Answer -lime high-pH soils can be fixed by adding? - Answer -sulfur or acid forming fertilizer (ammonium sulfate/nitrate or urea) how often should you pH test? - Answer -Every 3-5 years How to fix excessively wet soils? - Answer -By adding sand, clay or organic matter Name of cool season grasses - Answer -Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine-leaf fescue, and creeping bentgrass Name of warm season grasses - Answer -zoysiagrass, bermudagrass, and buffalograss Kentucky blue grass - Answer -Most common turfgrass in Illinois; medium tolerance readily recovers, requires well-drained fertile soil in sun Perennial Ryegrass - Answer -Commonly mixed with Kentucky bluegrass; particularly useful for overseeding/renovation work becuase it germinates vigorously and strongly Tall Fescue - Answer -Commonly used in low maintenance areas like parks or golf course roughs; especially drought and heat tolerant Fine-Leaf Fescues - Answer -Often combined with Kentucky bluegrass for use in shady areas; poor to moderate wear tolerance Creeping Bentgrass - Answer -smooth, dense turf; primarily used on golf-course greens and tees; high maintenace Zoysiagrass - Answer -rugged turfgrass that turns brown during cool and cold weather; warm season grassesBermudagrass - Answer -Grown occasionally in southern Illinois; not able to tolerate cold weather; warm season grasses What is the one-third rule - Answer -Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at mowing How to properly irrigate turfgrass - Answer -water to depth of root system; early in the day;well watered turf is attractive to grubs suggested ratios for fertilizers - Answer -3-1-2 or 4-1-2 which is 3 to 4 parts nitrogen to 1 part phosphorus to two parts potassium (N,P,K) best time of year to fertilize - Answer -early September with early May second best and if 3rd application necessary then late fall Never apply more than 1 pound of soluble nitrogen per ______ square feet - Answer -1,000 Properly cultivate grass - Answer -when turf is actively growing; reduces soil compaction and improves water and grass infiltration. NEVER do when turf stress or weed germinate How often should you scout - Answer -1-2 times per month;beginning when turf turns green in spring Most common turf insects in Illinois - Answer -White grubs benefits of mapping - Answer -locations of previous pests two ways weeds are commonly controlled - Answer -cultural practice and herbicides Never remove more than how much when mowing - Answer -one-third overfertilization can cause? - Answer -will burn turf, cause roots to develop inadequately, heighten susceptibility to diseases bull thistle - Answer -biennial; rose to reddish purple stiff spines, course hairs top, whitish hairs bottom; common during cooler seasons on poor open turf Mouseear chickweed - Answer -perennial, shallow, fibrous roots weak hairy spreading stems;occurs in cool moist shaded areas Yellow nutsedge - Answer -perennial; reproduces by tubers (nutlets), scaly rhizomes, upper surface is shiny/waxy lower is dull; occurs with pH 0f 5-7 Wild Garlic - Answer -cool season perennial; bulb forming; two-ranked slender leaves; occurs in poorly drained Yellow Woodsorrel - Answer -perennial; emerge from taproot; light-green clover shaped leaves, yellow with five petalswhite clover - Answer -cool season perennial; fix nitrogen; useful in low management turf; stems from patches in turf and emerge from fibrous root system red sorrel - Answer -perennial; arrow-shaped leaves with basal lobes; sour tasting; occurs in acidic soils violet - Answer -cool season annual/perennial; low growing, kidney shaped with heart shaped bases annual bluegrass - Answer -cool season annual; leaf tips are boat shaped and rooting at lower nodes on creeping