Ken Benoit

July 28, 2017 by NYS BMP ·

With funding from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the participation of Cornell University scientists and educators, the BMP project has developed BMPs specifically for pollinators in New York State. These continued efforts demonstrate the ongoing commitment of the state’s golf industry to implement BMPs and expand the knowledge base when needed.

Both wild and managed bees are facing threats that can alter their health, abundance, and distribution. Research indicates that some pesticides can be harmful for pollinators and can have negative effects at the sub-individual level (such as gene expression or physiology), individual level (such as mortality, foraging, or learning), or even the colony level (such as colony growth, overwintering, or honey production).

Adhering to BMPs on the golf course can reduce the potential for impact to pollinators. A key practice is to utilize integrated pest management methods to reduce the number of pesticide applications, without sacrificing turf quality. When the use of pesticides is necessary, being mindful of pollinators requires focusing on minimizing exposure to non-target pollinators in play and non-play course areas.

Preserving and/or enhancing habitat, both foraging habitat and nesting sites, is another key strategy for golf courses to pursue to help pollinators. Pollinator-friendly habitat contains a diversity of blooming plants of different colors and heights, with blossoms throughout the entire growing season. Providing nesting sites for native species can be accomplished by taking simple steps in out-of-play areas, such as leaving stems and coarse, woody debris and leaving exposed patches of well-drained soil, or by creating nesting areas such as wooden nesting boxes for hole nesting bees or bamboo sticks.

In addition to providing habitat on the golf course, hosting honey bee hives on golf courses is increasing in popularity as people look for ways to help pollinators. Hosting hives provides bees with valuable green space, especially in urban areas, and can be a positive public-relations tool.
For more information on pollinator BMPs, see the new Pollinator section of the web site, download Best Management Practices for Pollinators on New York State Golf Courses and see our case studies on pollinators on two courses in New York State:

• “Enhancing Habitat for Native Pollinators with Low-to-No Maintenance Areas“, Rockland Country Club, Sparkill (pdf)
• “Protecting Pollinators on the Golf Course”, Rockville Links Club, Rockville Centre (pdf)
•  Rockville Links Video Case Study

April 30, 2017 by NYS BMP ·

Dollar spot, caused by the pathogen Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, is a common golf course disease in New York State. Besides using chemical controls, managers can plan to lessen disease incidence and severity with the following activities:

• Plant resistant cultivars of creeping bentgrass such as Memorial and Declaration.
• Minimize moisture stress and leaf wetness.
• Remove morning dew as early as possible.
• Roll putting greens three or more times per week.
• Apply biological organisms known to suppress dollar spot such as Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aureofaciens.
• Use horticultural oils (Civitas), labeled for the intended use both for treated area and pest, instead of or in conjunction with traditional fungicides.

 

April 7, 2017 by NYS BMP ·

While the NYS BMP Committee is hard at work formulating BMPs for pollinator protection on the state’s golf courses, an increasing amount of information is available to help golf course superintendents protect pollinators by minor modifications to management regimes and to enhance habitat to help sustain pollinator populations. Selected publications and websites are briefly described below:

Websites:

• New York State Integrated Pest Management, Cornell University IPM program web page with resources specific to pollinators and related links to additional information.
• Pollinator Network @ Cornell. Listing of pollinator-related publications and information.
• New York State Pollinator Protection PlanNYS DEC publication that includes an overview of the issues related to pollinator species (both managed bees and wild species), guidance for state agencies, and BMPs relevant to superintendents (Appendices C: Landowner/Grower BMPs and D: Pesticide User BMPs).
• Ecoregional pollinator-friendly planting guidesPollinator Partnership web site that provides regional plant guides of native plants, including trees, shrubs, annual and perennials specifically used by pollinators. Also includes a description of the types of nesting sites/materials by pollinator types.
• NYS BMP YouTube Channel. The home of the NYS BMP program videos. Currently featuring a 4-part case study of enhancing pollinator habitat on a golf course on Long Island.
• List of beekeeper organizations in New York State

Publications:

• Best Management Practices for Turf Care and Pollinator Conservation: Fast Facts, published by the North Central IPM Center, this two page publication summarizes the longer version of the Best Management Practices for Turf Care and Pollinator Conservationpublication by the same authors.
• Making Room for Native PollinatorsThis USGA publication provides the basics of pollinator biology useful for pesticide applicators; detailed information on creating foraging habitat and bee nesting habitat and man-made nest sites specifically on golf courses.
• Specialist bees of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Published by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and United States Geological Society, this publication lists host plants preferred by northeast bee species.